Take a look at the following 4 images. What you see in the top image is a wide view of the KILN NEXRAD Radar at 8:43PM EDT 27July2014 (00:43 UTC 28JUL22014). All other images are at the same time.
At the very western edge of the system it narrows to almost a point, but at that western edge you see a hook.
The second image is the hook enlarged.
The third image is a 3D volume rendering using GR Level2 Analyst, in my opinion the finest radar software tool out there.
The fourth image is an annotated version of the third image.
What you see in the volume rendering is the rotating updraft above the hook. There is no doubt in my mind - and this is being written before a damage survey by NWS meteorologists - that this was a small, probably EF0 tornado.
In addition it is what, in storm geek slang, we call a "Tail-End Charlie".
The term was first used in the UK during WWII to refer to the last aircraft in a formation or to the tail gunner in an aircraft.
Rarely you will hear the term "Tail-End Charlie" refer to a cluster of thunderstorms behind a front.
The most likely meaning, if you overhear storm geeks like me chattering about storms, is the trailing edge of a line of thunderstorms.
The orientation can be north-to-south, east to west but is most frequently northeast to southwest. In this case it is east-northeast to west-southwest.
The shape fans out (gets wider) down wind because of the wind blowing out of the exit region of an upper level disturbance.
Because of the location at the trailing tip of the thunderstorm line, flow into the updraft is imparted with a large amount of rotation and I always closely watch the "Tail-End Charlie" for small, weak tornadoes.
TRACKING INFORMATION
Echo that became the hook
Time 00:28:58
Lat: 39.246487 Lon: -83.755119
Center of Hook (red spot in hook above)
Time: 00:43:14
Lat: 39.175713 Lon: -83.634094
Time Span: 14 min 16 sec (.2378 hours)
Distance: 13.06 km (7.052 nmiles) - this is NOT the distance the tornado was on the ground.
Storm Speed: 29.66 kts (54.92 km per hr)
Bearing: 127.067 deg.(from 307.067 deg.)
At the very western edge of the system it narrows to almost a point, but at that western edge you see a hook.
The second image is the hook enlarged.
The third image is a 3D volume rendering using GR Level2 Analyst, in my opinion the finest radar software tool out there.
The fourth image is an annotated version of the third image.
What you see in the volume rendering is the rotating updraft above the hook. There is no doubt in my mind - and this is being written before a damage survey by NWS meteorologists - that this was a small, probably EF0 tornado.
In addition it is what, in storm geek slang, we call a "Tail-End Charlie".
The term was first used in the UK during WWII to refer to the last aircraft in a formation or to the tail gunner in an aircraft.
Rarely you will hear the term "Tail-End Charlie" refer to a cluster of thunderstorms behind a front.
The most likely meaning, if you overhear storm geeks like me chattering about storms, is the trailing edge of a line of thunderstorms.
The orientation can be north-to-south, east to west but is most frequently northeast to southwest. In this case it is east-northeast to west-southwest.
The shape fans out (gets wider) down wind because of the wind blowing out of the exit region of an upper level disturbance.
Because of the location at the trailing tip of the thunderstorm line, flow into the updraft is imparted with a large amount of rotation and I always closely watch the "Tail-End Charlie" for small, weak tornadoes.
 | |||
| KILN NEXRAD 8:43PM EDT 27JUL2014 (00:43 UTC 28JUL2014) |
 |
| KILN NEXRAD 8:43PM EDT 27JUL2014 (00:43 UTC 28JUL2014) |
TRACKING INFORMATION
Echo that became the hook
Time 00:28:58
Lat: 39.246487 Lon: -83.755119
Center of Hook (red spot in hook above)
Time: 00:43:14
Lat: 39.175713 Lon: -83.634094
Time Span: 14 min 16 sec (.2378 hours)
Distance: 13.06 km (7.052 nmiles) - this is NOT the distance the tornado was on the ground.
Storm Speed: 29.66 kts (54.92 km per hr)
Bearing: 127.067 deg.(from 307.067 deg.)
