VORTEX2: Storm-Scale radar data summary

This will be the beginning of a series of reports on VORTEX2 data that was presented at the American Meteorological Society Severe Local Storms Conference in mid-October.

The two Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research and Teaching Radars (SR-1 and SR-2) operated during much of VORTEX2.  Terra Thompson, OU grad student compiled a great list of highlights from their data collection.  The dates in bold have been selected as research priorities by the SR teams.  (SPC Tornado) indicates there was a report of a tornado in preliminary SPC reports.  All of this data is available to the other VORTEX2 researchers for their own work.

  • June 5, 2009 – LaGrange, WY – Tornadic supercell (SPC Tornado)
  • June 9, 2010 – Greensburg, KS – Rotating supercell
  • May 6, 2010 – Wakeeny, KS – Small supercell, no low-level rotation.
  • May 10, 2010 – Central OK – Sampled tornadic supercell storms, but at edge of radar range (SPC Tornado)
  • May 11, 2010 – Western OK – Short lived ordinary cell, one storm had weak rotation
  • May 15, 2010 –  Artesia, NM – Good deployment, ordinary storm
  • May 17, 2010 – Artesia, NM – Long, continuous dataset of a supercell (SPC Tornado)
  • May 18, 2010 – Dumas, TX – Long continuous dataset of a supercell (SPC Tornado)
  • May 19, 2010 – Central OK – Dual-doppler of a supercell storm merger
  • May 21, 2010 – NE/WY border – Supercell storm
  • May 23, 2010 – Western KS – Supercell storms, moved quickly north
  • May 24, 2010 – Ogallala, NE – Squall line with embedded rotation
  • May 25, 2010 – Tribune, KS – SR2 captured supercell storm intensification, tornado within dual-doppler lobe, SR1 captured storm decay (SPC Tornado)
  • May 26, 2010 – NE CO – Dual doppler of isolated, slow moving supercell
  • May 29, 2010 – Cherry County, NE – Multicell storms, mesocyclone development in dual-doppler lobe
  • May 31, 2010 – Bassett, NE – Dual-doppler of low-topped pulsing supercell
  • June 2, 2010 – Oberlin, KS – Decaying supercell
  • June 3, 2010 – Creighton, NE – Multiple updrafts, cyclonic shear
  • June 6, 2010 – SW NE – Possible weak tornado, supercell transition to linear system (SPC Tornado)
  • June 7, 2010 – Scottsbluff, NE – Dual-doppler of tornadogenesis, upscale growth to MCS (SPC Tornado)
  • June 9, 2010 – NE/WY border – Decaying supercell and steady supercell
  • June 10, 2010 – Last Chance, CO – Dual-Doppler of first supercell, high-res data of second supercell leading up to tornadogenesis, data of second tornado, dual-doppler of second supercell (SPC Tornado)
  • June 11, 2010 – Limon, CO – Fast evolution from supercell to multicell, tornado cyclone develops (SPC Tornado)
  • June 12, 2010 – Perryton, TX – Broken line of convection, rotation embedded
  • June 13, 2010 – Perryton, TX – Numerous mesocyclone cycles observed, storm intensifies to have a tornado cyclone (SPC Tornado)
  • June 14, 2010 – Tahoka, TX – Supercell gust front with strong blowing dust, larger scale wrap up, flooding
  • June 16, 2010 – Oshkosh, NE – LP supercell, slow evolution, weak rotation
  • June 17, 2010 – Albert Lea, MN – Powerful supercell, circulation on multiple scales (SPC Tornado)
  • June 18, 2010 – SC Iowa – Circulation embedded in multiple updraft storm, circulation decreases intensity as storm grows upscale
  • June 19, 2010 – Concordia, KS – Dualdoppler of tornadogenesis, upscale growth to squall line (SPC Tornado)
  • June 20, 2010 – N KS – quick evolution to a linear mode
  • June 21, 2010 – Yuma, CO – Two supercells merge and become large high-precip, dual-doppler of tornado genesis (SPC Tornado)