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Show r by Mary Galbraith Hilltop Times staff The glossary of Meteorology defines tornado as a violently rotating column of air, pendant from a cumulonimbus cloud, and nearly always observable as a funnel cloud or tuba . weather anomOne of these alies ripped through the heart of Salt Lake City during the lunch hour Aug. 11 teartuba-shape- d ing a 1 12 mile jagged strip out of the state's capital. The tornado robbed city residents of their homes, injured dozens, tore through millions of dollars worth of property and left one man dead. Base weather forecasters were expecting turbulent weather last week. But the tornado was a shock to not only Northern Utah residents, but to the entire weather community. The tornado was not the same type Midwestern residents experience. It was an F2 cold-ai- r funnel. Scientist; meaThe scale sure tornadoes using the ranges from FO sequentially to F5. The F2 miles per has windspeeds between 113-15- 7 hour. le. Harold Brooks, research meteorologist Photo by Kort Duce, coutesy of for the National Severe Storms Laboratory Avenue house in Salt Lake City was ripped 18th of cold-ai- r his roof funLaMar Smith after the in Norman, Okla., explained Claudia Bickal of Sandy, Utah, gets a soft drink for her father nels as follows on an internet site detailoff during a tornado Aug. 11. tell anyone from Salt ing tornadoes: of trigger that the exception of the extremely cold air loft thing like that, you kind some needs that And 's of little study been has systematic There Tiey, "This was termed a cold-ai- r funnel. Lake that's lived there foryears, at we need " air all the Lastly, will force with up. associated are "cold-alike funnels. They going to hit,' they'd look you This tornado is not similar to the type of one of those cold pools of air aloft, typically with clear moisture. tornado tornadic activity they have over the Mid- you're an imbecile. It was this that "One instahelped The thing big cold fronts. wake the of skies in We occurrences that no one really expected." fact that just the night before we western region of the United States. bility of the atmosphere may be sufficient was the The base has a public address warning with cooler air were extremely unstable because of the to support deep connective clouds (towering had a boundary go through could be used if a tornado ever about 10,000 cold the abnormal cold conditions aloft. system that us above air the and in in moisture coming is like that there enough cumulus) if And we did have a triggering mechanism. threatened the base. If something of time coldforfhis year. was feet such very Often very, the lowest part ofthe atmosphere. and warning was And with One of the things that helps these storms were actually to occur a situations occur with large values of verti- It was more indicative of October. in the grow is number one the lake, and we have given, base weather suggests finding had we that recent the just warming of the measure level of tendency cal vorticity (a or, where ithelped hard shelter and seek the lowest last couple of weeks, the lake temperature the mountains, the Oquirrh, a the atmosphere to rotate) in the seek then sturdy storm came if that's not possible, is near 80 degrees fahrenheit Well, 5,000 to trigger the lift just before the LakeJJsu-all-y structure inside winfrom feet altitude layer of the atmosphere. away abuilding Salt to in over the mountains and were up the lake the above cold temperatures feet of stall While the mechanism offormation form over the lake and once they dows. For example a closet, bathroomoverthey 30s. So you had over a 40degree in the it is that only it is mattress possible with unclear, a funnels air to or at home a bathtub span. And hit the land the friction causes them difference in just a 5,000-fois simply due to the stretching of the vorticweak. top to protect the torso from flying debris. break because very very, they're air warm over up cold air have conwhen the you deep ity by the air going up as part of Dore said the conditions that caused the because But again, because of the abnormal cold vection. Just as when an ice skater starts to you have ahighly unstable situation air aloft, it was enough to keep that storm tornado are very unlikely and regional and sinks cold air air get you warm his her or rises, in she or he as rotate faster pulls weather conditions that should be of conintact." motion." vertical of lot a intensifies upward include lightarms, the stretching of vorticity No planes were flying at the time because cern during this time of year Gasbarro said everyone on base got sufthe rotation in the storm. Cold air funnels and the strong winds. for the severe weather of the severe weather warnings that ning rarely touch down, but can, in the right cir- ficient warning "We're canfixing to move into the transitional winds were were already in effect The 419th had cumstances, cause minor damage to vul- because large hale and strong Planes started to take off season and thaf s when we get an increase all expected. MSgt Mike Dore, Weather Flight celled flying. nerable structures. to the range at about 5 p.m. in thunderstorm activity," he said. "Well in rotation did see heading again said chief station said they "A couple factors cause tornadoes," "It's very, very unusual. But Salt Lake start getting frontal systems that push to sometimes 2nd Lt. Marc Gasbarro, weather station the storm but said it was very difficult is 25 miles south of us," said Gasbarro. through here on a weekly basis, would be conditions enough that just turnis for look we predict that "One officer. thing east so we twice a week. And with that in mind, that's to support the funnel that ripped through "That tornado was moving due direcwind of In terms winds. in the ing were at absolutely no risk. We were look- going to cause our thunderstorm activity Lake. Salt south the will from be directions wind of tions, at other storms that were crossing the to increase. And if anything those types reathe ing situation, this "On switch and then particular levels they'll the low storms, unlike what we faced a couple days realake not that one in particular." to the west on the mid levels, and that's son why it was so hard predict and the winds There was a very weak rotation with a ago, are more towards the strong And a one big thing to look for because that causes son it really caught Salt Lake by surprise, shear storm that just wenttwo miles south of Hill and small hail. Nothing real large. a column to rotate. Another thing to look was number one, we didn't have that and hit Layton. Rotation was also spotted lot of lightning." for is what we call wind shear. Basically ingredient in the low levels," said Dore. intheWillard Also working the weather station shift area. of upper-levhave "We didn't strong type any MarkMesen-brink- , become winds stronger the increasingly "We were expecting strong winds and during the tornado were: Capt tornadic of to wind any type will support cause with height and that again SrA. Mike Rosales, SrA. Fred small bail " said Dore. "Now. obviously we what we call dynamics. of activitv tvnp need we And then rotation. horizontal your King and A1C Ken Powers. were keeping a vigil and watch... But some to make the horizontal rotation vertical . The dynamics aloft just didn't add up with Standard-Examine- r, ator-nado- ir 10-30,0- 00 ot el : -, IAFB Friday Today Sunday Saturday Monday 5-d- ay weather outlook Vi Vl LL. IJlL-- D 889 High 649 Low 929 High 65Q Low 949 High 659 Low Mostly cloudy, Partly cloudy, afternoon Partly cloudy, afternoon isolated after noon T-stor- yji'jij.airgield-ops.hill.af.milosoiueatli- er ms T-stor- T-stor- ms ILOj hy 949 High 65Q Low 95Q High Partly cloudy, afternoon Partly cloudy T-stor- ms q P.QGorded 649 Low ms nearer info 777-- : 1 |
