Shattuck, Oklahoma Tornados - 21 April 2004
by Frederick C. Kruse III (Fritz)
New Quick Time Movie - Tornados 12nw Shattuck OK (5.77mb 10 times speed)
The following stills from VX-2000 Sony Video looking wnw from 5 miles north of Shattuck, Oklahoma
7:25 pm CDT Funnel about 7 miles nw of Shattuck, Oklahoma
Tornado Touchdown 7:27:18 pm (Corrected to GPS time)
Tornado Continues
Small Tornado lifting and large Tornado forming at 7:28:10
Very Large Tornado at 7:28:19
Multi-Vortex filaments under Large Tornado at 7:29
More vortex condensation filaments touching down
Large Tornado on north side of Multi-Vortex structure
Large Tornado continues at 7:30
Multi-Vortex Tornado getting rain wrapped at 7:31 pm
Tornado not visible and rain wrapped at 7:31:12
Vici Profiler of western OK from 21Z to 05Z , Tornado Time at 0030Z.
Note the increase in winds from 500mb and down till storm went through Vici before 3Z.
Surface chart at 21Z or 4pm CDT. Note the tongue of high dew points into the Gage area of nw Oklahoma.
Combined Base Velocity and Reflectivity from Vance Radar at 7:25:56 (00:25:56Z)
Hook Shape Cell is nw of GAG (Gage)
At time of small tornado and large multi-vortex tornado forming
Combined Base Velocity and Reflectivity from Vance at 7:30:57 at time of large Tornado rain wrapped
Chase details and discussion
I had targeted the
area around Gage Oklahoma for chase
because of the tongue of high dew points were undercutting the stronger
winds at mid levels (around 500mb). The Tucumcari profiler was showing a mid level speed max that was beginning to move into
western Oklahoma. Also the 500mb temps were very cold as you go north and were around -20C at DDC. So early thinking would
be in the Gage area with the best moisture advection, pooling under the better winds aloft, lower LCL heights north of the warm front,
lots of clear skies, and a shortwave trough. So I left Dodge City at 441 pm and headed directly south on Highway 283. Saw some
supercells in eastern Beaver Co that looked like they could produce. One had a very nice rainfree base and then a large lowering
and wall cloud developed but then quickly dissipated. Surface winds were howling easterly at 20 to 30 mph. Some other storms east
and west of me had similar structure but just were not doing it. Then continued south into Ellis County Oklahoma and was watching
a nice storm to the west that looked to be undercut moving south to southeast. I kept following this storm to about 5 miles north of
Shattuck until the storm almost stopped moving. I thought wow this could turn into something and a few minutes later was clearly
rotating and putting down some lowerings and small tail clouds. You could see the green glow in the body of the storm, indicative
of large hail. Then maybe 15 minutes later it starting producing tornados.
I witnessed a small narrow tornado at 7:27 followed by a very large multi-vortex tornado at 7:28. I had a friends cell phone but for
some reason it was not working in Oklahoma, and I was cursing it. Anyway as soon as I saw the tornados there were several sheriff
vehicles and spotters. I talked to one that was with the fire department and he saw it also and had called it in. This is probably the
report on the SPC Severe Weather Log:
0030Z UNK 6 NW GAGE ELLIS OK 3638 9983 (Based on Vance Radar it should be 11 miles nw of Gage)
As far as I could figure with my GPS, I was watching the tornados from 5 north of Shattuck on Highway 15/283 looking to my west
northwest.
Details and exact times from video (set to GPS)
About 7 miles nw of Shattuck, or a few miles east of the State Line in Oklahoma by Vance Radar
7:24:59 Funnel narrow (times in CDT)
7:27:18 Tornado, very narrow condensation to ground
7:27:50 Tornado condensation lifted
Very Large Multi-vortex Tornado a few miles nw of first tornado or about 9 to 10 miles nw of Shattuck near the State Line (by Vance Radar)
7:28:19 Large Multi-vortex tornado, several condensation funnels intermittent touching ground.
At times large condensation visible under huge bowl lowering.
7:31:02 Large tornado rain wrapped and no longer visible.
winds at mid levels (around 500mb). The Tucumcari profiler was showing a mid level speed max that was beginning to move into
western Oklahoma. Also the 500mb temps were very cold as you go north and were around -20C at DDC. So early thinking would
be in the Gage area with the best moisture advection, pooling under the better winds aloft, lower LCL heights north of the warm front,
lots of clear skies, and a shortwave trough. So I left Dodge City at 441 pm and headed directly south on Highway 283. Saw some
supercells in eastern Beaver Co that looked like they could produce. One had a very nice rainfree base and then a large lowering
and wall cloud developed but then quickly dissipated. Surface winds were howling easterly at 20 to 30 mph. Some other storms east
and west of me had similar structure but just were not doing it. Then continued south into Ellis County Oklahoma and was watching
a nice storm to the west that looked to be undercut moving south to southeast. I kept following this storm to about 5 miles north of
Shattuck until the storm almost stopped moving. I thought wow this could turn into something and a few minutes later was clearly
rotating and putting down some lowerings and small tail clouds. You could see the green glow in the body of the storm, indicative
of large hail. Then maybe 15 minutes later it starting producing tornados.
I witnessed a small narrow tornado at 7:27 followed by a very large multi-vortex tornado at 7:28. I had a friends cell phone but for
some reason it was not working in Oklahoma, and I was cursing it. Anyway as soon as I saw the tornados there were several sheriff
vehicles and spotters. I talked to one that was with the fire department and he saw it also and had called it in. This is probably the
report on the SPC Severe Weather Log:
0030Z UNK 6 NW GAGE ELLIS OK 3638 9983 (Based on Vance Radar it should be 11 miles nw of Gage)
As far as I could figure with my GPS, I was watching the tornados from 5 north of Shattuck on Highway 15/283 looking to my west
northwest.
Details and exact times from video (set to GPS)
About 7 miles nw of Shattuck, or a few miles east of the State Line in Oklahoma by Vance Radar
7:24:59 Funnel narrow (times in CDT)
7:27:18 Tornado, very narrow condensation to ground
7:27:50 Tornado condensation lifted
Very Large Multi-vortex Tornado a few miles nw of first tornado or about 9 to 10 miles nw of Shattuck near the State Line (by Vance Radar)
7:28:19 Large Multi-vortex tornado, several condensation funnels intermittent touching ground.
At times large condensation visible under huge bowl lowering.
7:31:02 Large tornado rain wrapped and no longer visible.
See similar tornados of May 15 2003 - Dalhart Texas Tornados