Another SkyWarn Event

[DVC Jen]

We were activated again this evening. This storm produced hail ranging between .25 and 1.75 inches in diameter in neighboring counties. Later in the evening there was also a tornado spotted south-east of Tarrant County (Ft. Worth area).

This is the only lightening I was able to capture. We really didn't get anything more than some light rain, a bit of lightening and some amazing cloud formations.

This was facing away from the main storm - another thunderhead trying to form.

These last two were taken at the very end of the event - right before we were told we could go home. The sun was starting to set and new storms were trying to form, but never actually made it. The pink color really IS how it looked. I was blown away. It was so pretty.

 

[klmall]

Wow - Still a scary time but you did get some great pictures. Those pink clouds are really quite spectacular! Good job!

 

[DVC Jen]

It really wasn't all that scary for us. The storm with all the hail was expected to move over us - but remained pretty stationary.

I saw some video of the hail that was dumped on Plano. It was pretty cool.

We had also been called out on Saturday night. While we were at our spotting location and were looking at the aprs on the laptop we saw some rotation over a town just about 10 miles north of us. As soon as we reported the rotation they sounded the sirens. A small tornado did touch down very briefly there. That was scarier.

 

[tinksdad]

LOVE the pink clouds. Mother Nature is pretty amazing and scary at the same time!

Thanks for posting.

 

[sk8belle]

Those pink clouds are lovely.

 

[dcg0317]

Nice shots DVC Jen, such colors in the clouds. Have you ever seen this remote switch for capturing lighting, hooks on your camera, looks interesting.
http://www.lightningtrigger.com/

 

[jann1033]

beautiful cotton candy clouds i hate this time of yr just due to tornados ( although at least in my area seems like they are usually later in the yr)..i got stuck very close to an f1 once which was enough to make me know i never want to see another or be that close again! so be careful out there!

 

[DVC Jen]

dcg0317 thanks. I will have to check that out. That could be very useful.

Jann - we are always very careful. Having the laptop with the aprs/radar with us helps a lot. It shows rotation, hail size and all the other important stuff before the national weather service issues warnings.

The scariest part for me is not what is actually going on - but having something go on right above us and not being able to get home to our kids.

When DH talked me into doing this with him I made one condition. If we have a tornado in our town - we are heading home (and will spot from there) since we have 2 teenaged DDs whom rarely head out with us. There is no way I am not going to be with them if something really serious is coming through.

At least we know what is happening before most people do so we can get there if something is heading our way.

 

[Virgo10]

WOW! Those clouds are just..... WOW!!!!

 

[wkrider]

Great pictures....I love the colors

 

[Groucho]

I saw some video of the hail that was dumped on Plano. It was pretty cool.

My former employer is headquartered in Plano. They can't get enough hail as far as I'm concerned!

 

[DVC Jen]

My former employer is headquartered in Plano. They can't get enough hail as far as I'm concerned!

I'm not even gonna ask. I just hope you are a lot happier now.

 

[photo_chick]

We had the tornado sirens here. We are in south western Dallas county, pretty much at the county line. The cell with the funnel cloud went very close to us. We are about 5 minutes form Dalworthington Gardens where it touched down. I got a couple shots after I got DD from Ballet of the clouds...

 

[DVC Jen]

We had the tornado sirens here. We are in south western Dallas county, pretty much at the county line. The cell with the funnel cloud went very close to us. We are about 5 minutes form Dalworthington Gardens where it touched down. I got a couple shots after I got DD from Ballet of the clouds...

I'm glad you are OK.

My DH does organizes the siren tests for our town as well as Garland. Well when they did the tests this past Wednesday none in out town went off. Not a good thing. The thought is that something must have been hit by lightening since they sirens are radio controlled - it shut the whole thing down. Now they have to be fixed - and quickly.

Thanks for sharing your cloud shots.

I am amazed when I look at clouds like yours and the pink ones I got - the updraft - and how they just kept trying to rebuild and rebuild over the same areas.

 

[photo_chick]

Yes, I wanted to get more shots of the clouds building, but I was in the car. I watched them build right over Arlington.

MY kids are totally freaked out now about the sirens. I tried to explain it to htem that it is just a warning and we need to be prepared. My Dad was a meteorologist in the Navy and he taught me a lot about storms so I think I got too technical for a 6 and 4 year old!