F1 TOR north of Roanoke, VA

[Scott_inVA]

Brief (1/2 mile, ~15-35 yard wide) TOR just north of ROA this morning during a SVR.

I was watching RadarLab at the time b/c we were under a SVR. Checking Radial, there were a couple pix showing what may have been rotation in 1 frame...next frame just a couple pix, then *poof*. This did not appear IMO to be a signature but an anomaly or hint of possible rotation.

At 1:10 I emailed B'burg obs from our County which SVR has just expired. I didn't mention the radial and neither did they. No TOR was issued as it was down and done in seconds.

BTW, WREL News is reporting damage at the ITT Night Vision plant (they make those snazzy goggles you see on TV).

In a way this TOR and the F-0 in Staunton earlier in the Spring are good (sorta) in that they remind many people around here that tornadoes can and do develop in the mountain valleys. I constantly hear people say tornadoes can't form near mountains. Ugh.

Super Outbreak there were F-2 and F-3 that climbed up and came down the Appalachians.

Scott
WREL Radio,
Lexington, VA

[JCT777]

Scott - I fully agree that tornados can and do form in mountain valleys. There is a place that my wife's family stays at in the mountains of north-central PA each year. Only a few miles from there, a tornado had obviously hit a few years ago. I could see the destruction that it caused along the mountainside. It is not a place where I would ever guess a tornado could form, but I saw the damage with my own eyes.

[ColdFront77]

Statistically, tornadoes "have trouble developing" in areas where there are a lot of mountains.

Have there ever been F-4's and F-5's tornadoes in mountainous areas?

[Stormsfury]

Statistically, tornadoes "have trouble developing" in areas where there are a lot of mountains.

Have there ever been F-4's and F-5's tornadoes in mountainous areas?

Yes, Tom ... look at the Pennsylvania Outbreak in 1985.

[Scott_inVA]

Statistically, tornadoes "have trouble developing" in areas where there are a lot of mountains.

Have there ever been F-4's and F-5's tornadoes in mountainous areas?

An F-3 hit Mossy Grove, TN last November...talk about being up in the Appalachians! 7 dead, ~25 injured.

In July of 87 (I think), an F-4 touched down north of Jackson, WY. It traversed 8K to 10K mountains. I know of no F-5 crossing a mountain, but a mile wide F-4 is pretty close.

Of note, Roanoke isn't in the mountains but in the (Roanoke) Valley connected to the Shenandoah Valley. It is between the Apps and the Blue Ridge in a fairly wide area of the valley basin. TORs in the valleys here tend to be white ropes or small sidewinders (b/c of the topo). Here is a picture of an F-2 crossing I-81 north of here last year (note the Blue ridge and rainbow in the background). If you scroll you'll see an 18 wheeler on the Interstate; he was taking pictures of the twister after it crossed the lanes. His skid marks from locking up a little before there can still be seen today on the Interstate! :o

Scott


ooops. forgot the link:
http://www.wrel.com/gallery/torn042802_1.jpg

[ColdFront77]

Great answers to my question, Mike and Scott.

I have no reason to disagree with your points about it being said that tornadoes do not occur in mountainous areas. Thanks for posting the proof of past events.

The issue really is: Why do we always here that tornadoes are more common in "Tornado Alley"?

[Stormsfury]

Great answers to my question, Mike and Scott.

I have no reason to disagree with your points about it being said that tornadoes do not occur in mountainous areas. Thanks for posting the proof of past events.

The issue really is: Why do we always here that tornadoes are more common in "Tornado Alley"?

More tornadoes are reported annually in the corridor called "Tornado Alley" on average. The conditions that create tornadoes, and in general, strong and violent tornadoes occur in that region and much more often. The combination of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, plus cool, Canadian air. In addition, there's dry air that punches eastward (in the form of a dry line) that comes off the Rockies. Add these ingredients with the amount of wind shear (SSE winds generally transporting the moisture and with winds changing with height), and a strong jet stream and you have conditions prime for severe weather and tornadoes.

[ColdFront77]

Yes, indeed, Mike... those are the ingredients that come together for tornadic thunderstorms in "Tornado Alley" -- there is no question about it, tornadoes are more common in the Great Plains versus the Appalachian and more so the Rocky Mountain states.