[Leica] IMGS: Today's storm

[photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Phil Forrest)]

A couple hours ago we had a very fast moving cell produce a few funnel
clouds and a decent sized tornado, about 30 meters wide.

The storm swept from north-northwest towards south-southeast.
We get severe thunderstorms but usually earlier in the year. This week
we got two severe cyclonic storms within two days. A combination of the
heat, drought and moisture being pumped up north from storms in the
tropics, particularly the one in the east Pacific off of the Baja
peninsula.

Here's a few photos:

Funnel cloud about to touch the ground a few miles away.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/NM_1207/wx/DSCF8244_01_E.JPG.html

Tornado rope on the ground but mostly obscured by rain sheet. This is
the trailing edge of the storm which is an unusual place to find
rotation enough for a tornado.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/NM_1207/wx/DSCF8248_01_E.JPG.html

Leading edge (eastern) of the storm showing the underside of the upper
level anvil and mammatus.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/NM_1207/wx/DSCF8253_01_E.JPG.html

Very well developed mammatus.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/NM_1207/wx/DSCF8251_01_E.JPG.html

Back side of the wall cloud. Looking south.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/NM_1207/wx/DSCF8260_01_E.JPG.html

Instability and rotation from directly below.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/NM_1207/wx/DSCF8263_01_E.JPG.html

This storm is trying so hard here to produce another tornado. Here is
the partial rope of the last funnel cloud just over the end of our
block. Low level shear tore it apart.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/NM_1207/wx/DSCF8264_01_E.JPG.html

These aren't too artistic. They are just cool as hell to me considering
my prior employment in the Navy as a meteorologist.

Thanks all!
Phil Forrest

-- 
http://philipforrestphoto.wordpress.com/
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/philforrest