April 20, 2005
Jamestown, Indiana
      Working on Forecast Game stuff Tuesday afternoon, I received an instant message from Stan Olson telling me about a tornado warning issued by WFO Lincoln. I was caught totally unawares, and after a brief discussion with Mike Kruze, we decided to see if we couldn't catch some of the cold air funnels that had been reported. We figured it was better than sitting around, but that nothing too exciting would happen. We headed south into northern Montgomery county and intercepted a cell that was starting to show a nice lowering. However, the promise of a developing isolated cell to our south caused us to head south of Lebanon. We were soon rewarded with an even better lowering.

Left: The lowering on the first cell. Right: The lowering on the second cell. Click for larger images.

We maneuvered ourselves finally into a position just south of the Boone/Hendricks county border, 4 miles east of Jamestown. Around that time, we heard a tornado warning issued for the cell we had been on previously. I was starting to worry we had made the wrong decision (this cell ended up producing a tornado and causing damage in Kokomo). Soon, however, we saw our lowering exhibiting persistent and obvious rotation, and I called WFO Indianapolis. Moments later the funnel cloud that was developing kicked up a cloud of debris and became a tornado. Again, I called KIND and a tornado warning was issued. I had seen my first tornado.

The funnel cloud begins to descend. Click for larger images.

The tornado touches down. Click for larger images.

Base reflectivity (left) and a zoomed storm-relative velocity (right) from the KIND radar at tornado touchdown. Click for larger images.

We followed on the tornado to the north as it headed toward Lebanon. Shortly thereafter, it began to rope out.

The tornado dies off and lifts before hitting Lebanon. Click for larger images.

Shortly after the tornado died, the lowering began to lift back into the base, and we opted to head for a new cell forming to the south. Unfortunately, this cell, while being very pretty, was not producing. Eventually we tried to catch back up with our old cells, but by then it was too late. I did manage to get (without even knowing) a lightning picture from one of the developing cells over Marion county.

Left: The funnel lifts. Right: An accidental, but very lucky CG shot.

So after a long chase last weekend to Iowa, I finally see my first tornado within 30 minutes of campus. Still, I'm not complaining. You don't see tornadoes this photogenic in Indiana. If I thought I was hooked on chasing before, it's even worse now. Now I've got a tornado under my belt...


The tornado in Jamestown was rated as an F1 by the staff of the National Weather Service Forecast office in Indianapolis. Click here for a map of the damage from the NWS.


A semi blown over on I-74, and damage in Jamestown.
source: WRTV-6 (www.theindychannel.com). Photos used by permission.
Links
Mike Kruze's pictures
Base reflectivity loop
Storm-relative velocity loop
The tornado warning for our cell
The severe weather statement for our cell
Local storm reports from KIND
National storm reports from SPC
Map of our location and the tornado's location


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