· ·

Rotating thunderstorms produced rare “mothership” cloud over Texas

rotating-thunderstorms-produced-rare-mothership-cloud-over-texas

The combination of an unstable air mass, a retreating frontal boundary, and an approaching upper-level disturbance ignited a round of severe thunderstorms across eastern New Mexico and the western Texas Panhandle on May 21, 2012, according to report issued by National Weather Service from Amarillo, Texas.

One supercell thunderstorm developed over Oldham County, Texas and slowly drifted southward. This storm produced a tornado 6,4 km (4 miles) northwest of Adrian and hail up to the size of golfballs. The tornado was rated EF-0 with winds estimated of 105 km/h (65 mph).  It was on the ground for 3 minutes with a path length of more than 900 meters (1,000 yards).  The tornado was estimated to be about 90 meters (100 yards) wide. (Report)

YouTube video
The supercell thunderstorm was eventually overtaken by a line of storms moving out of eastern New Mexico.  A squall line of thunderstorms became well-established across the southwestern Texas Panhandle and moved to the southeast.  This line of storms quickly became a wind threat, and in fact, a 100 km/h (61 mph) wind gust was recorded in downtown Amarillo.

YouTube video
Sources: srh.noaa.govAccuWeather, TempestTours

Featured image credit: TempestTours.com

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

One Comment

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *