VORTEX Communications Summary

In this summary, important information communicated over the VORTEX VHF frequency is summarized. A few vital transmissions are quoted.
All distances are in miles unless otherwise noted. Times are in UTC.
[gap] indicates that NOAA-43 internal communications made it impossible to discern the VHF radio traffic.
Windspeeds and motions in knots.
Editor's comments are in parentheses ().

Note that the VORTEX armada did not arrive on this storm until after it produced its first three tornadoes, and the Kellerville tornado had already begun.
It started near McLean, TX. The research aircraft were on this storm earlier.

Also note that there are many gaps in the record owing to internal communications onboard NOAA43. These are NOT noted in the log every time they occur.

Abbreviations:

BD      Blowing Dust
BWER	Bounded Weak-Echo Region
CG      Cloud-to-ground lightning
DV      Differential velocity observed on WSR-88D
FC      Field Coordinator
FM      Farm-to-Market road
GTG	Gate-To-Gate velocity differential on WSR-88D
MT	Radar-indicated maximum storm tops
N1      NSSL-1
N2      NSSL-2
N4      NSSL-4
N43     NOAA-43
N43I    NOAA-43 internal communication channel
RFB     Rain-Free Base
RFD	Rear-Flank Downdraft
R1..R2  R1 is OU radar teams, R2 is Mobile Radar
WC      Wall Cloud
P1..P9  PROBE1..PROBE9
88D		NEXRAD WSR-88D radar


 Time     Src   Communication
hhmmss

000128    N43    A new hook has formed on a storm 10 NNW of  
		Alanreed, TX
  0159    T1    "Stovepipe tornado" is due W
  0215    FC    Tornado est pos is 1 SE Kellerville
  0229    P2    Reports tornado [gap]
  0307    P2    Tornado ~ az 240 from river bridge
  0321    FC    Tornado ~ 3 ESE Kellerville near the jct of  
		FM2475 and FM2472        
  0340    N43   Hook at tornado location
  0350    308D  large tornado visible
  0516    FC    Recommend turtle deployment at the bend in  
		FM3104
  0545    P2    Tornado az due SW
  0605    P2    Loc 395-382
  0624    T2    Tornado az 330
  0652    FC    Tornado est position is 2 E Kellerville
  0733    P2    Tornado az 240
  0748    FC    Tornado is 1.5 SE Kellerville
  0840    P2    Another funnel visible NNW of main tornado (this  
                funnel is eventually absorbed into the main tornado as  
		shown on video).
  0905    T2    Tornado 340
  1010    FC    Core is 2 SE Mobeetie
  1110    N43   Asc on end of hook
  1120    FC    Forecasts tornado to cross curve in road just SE  
                of Mobeetie, +/- 2 miles.
  1140    T2    Tornado az 360 (est distance 1 mile)
  1150    FC    Informs T2 that tornado is really ~ 3 miles away
  1155    T2    Estimates no more than 1.5 miles away
  1250    P2    At 430-358, tornado at az [gap]
  1301    FC    High-confidence position est for tornado: 2.5  
                due SW of the bend in FM3104
  1335    FC    Forecast to cross just north of the bend in 3104
  1355    N4    1/2 from intersection; agree with projection
  1430    P2    Forward motion is increasing; at az 255
  1455    P2    Tornado az 260 from 430-359; small hail
  1505    FC    Tornado 1.5 WSW of bend in 3104; large tornado;  
                moving from 215 degrees.
  1540    FC    Forecast tornado to cross midway between Wheeler  
                and Mobeetie on TX152.
  1650    P2    At 430-351; tornado seems to be getting closer;  
		az 270
  1718    FC    Tornado 0.5 W of FM3104 bend.
  1740    FC    Forecast that it will cross within the first 2  
                miles N of the bend, then cross TX152 midway between  
		Mobeetie and Wheeler.
  1740    N43i  Accident on NCAR Electra
  1915    P2    Tornado az 295 [many gaps]
  1935    FC    Tornado is becoming rain-wrapped
  2020    FC    Tornado 2 NNE of the FM3104 bend
  2135    P2    At 430-289; tornado mainly obscured at az 300.
  

(after becoming rain-wrapped SE of Mobeetie, TX, this tornado  
was abandoned and the VORTEX armada proceeded east to the  
Wheeler/Briscoe area to intercept the next vortex in the cyclic  
series)

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