VORTEX2 finally scores a hit

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It only took 5 weeks.

The largest most sophisticated tornado hunting armada in history, which had been skunked for over a month, finally scored a direct hit last Friday. VORTEX2 intercepted a tornadic supercell near La Grange, Wyoming. The tornado was on the ground for 20 minutes. VORTEX2 instruments captured data from about 20 minutes before the tornado formed, through the life cycle of the tornado.

As researcher Josh Wurman blogged, it is believed to be the most data rich tornado in history. An array of mobile dopplers, mesonets and other deployable instruments captured the tornado in great detail.

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It was a lucky break for Vortex2 that the tornado formed that day. The project has faced what is arguably one of the quietest tornado seasons in decades. It figures, you put over 10 million bucks and 100 scientists on the road and you get a bust year. Last May and June produced over 750 tornadoes in the USA. This year numbers are less than half that.

VORTEX2 has crossed the plains in search of tornadoes for over 5 weeks now. While Friday's intercept may yield valuable data, there is no doubt in my mind that this has been a disappointing start to the project. The researchers had hoped for many more tornadic encounters.

There is still a slight risk of severe storms in the Southern Plains this week. Let's hope VORTEX2 is there if and when tornadoes touch down.

PH