7 June 2010
Mission Location: Scottsbluff, NE
Description:
CAMA-C deployed on two storms in the Scottsbluff area. The first deployment was on a cell NW of Scottsbluff. The second was NE of Scottsbluff. Both exhibited HP characteristics making acquisition of quality visual data difficult. CAMA and CAMC had good views of the first target storm and attendant updraft NW of Scottsbluff. No well defined circulation was observed at the time of their deployments. As the storm moved eastward, it’s propagation speed increased. While the three CAM teams were moving eastward to get ahead of the storm, it reportedly produced a tornado that may have been sampled by DOW 6 and a TTUKa band radar.
Due to the fast storm motion, V2 abandoned the target storm as assets were not able to catch up to it and deploy. A new target storm was declared to the west of the original one. The CAM teams deployed on this storm as well, though visibility was poor. Perhaps the more interesting deployments were with CAMA (with NOXP) and CAMB (with DOW 7). At approximately 01:25 UTC, NOXP observed rapidly increasing low-level rotation to their west. CAMA observed a low-level ragged wall cloud feature with this circulation. The teams were located on hwy 26, one mile west of Minatare. The circulation moved parallel to hwy 26 directly toward the NOXP/CAMA deployment site. Both CAMA and NOXP un deployed when the circulation was within 1-2 km of their location. As the teams drove southward to escape the circulation, they drove through very strong flow possibly produced by the rear-flank downdraft. Both teams observed debris in the air. At the same time, CAMB, located with DOW7 to the NE of the NOXP/CAMA position, observed a brief funnel cloud feature. CAMB was likely north of the mesocyclone/tornado circulation. Thereafter, the CAM teams un deployed for safety.
HD video and DSLR imagery were collected by all three photogrammetry teams.
Deployment Sites:
CAMA:
Deployment 1: 42 deg, 4.498 min N; 104 deg, 1.610 min W (with UMASSX)
Deployment 2: 41 deg, 52.716 min N; 103 deg, 29.930 min W
Deployment 3: 41 deg, 48.890 min N; 103 deg, 31.178 min W (with NOXP)
CAMB:
Deployment 1: 42 deg, 3 min, 38.45 sec N; 104 deg, 6 min, 55.25 sec W (with DOW 7)
Deployment 2: 41 deg, 50 min, 1.13 sec N; 103 deg, 29 min, 57.94 sec W (with DOW 7)
CAMC
Deployment 1: 42 deg, 5.023 min N; 104 deg, 1.717 min W (with MWR)
Deployment 2: 41 deg, 36.728 min N; 103 deg, 5.941 min W (with MWR)
All photo and video times are in CDT (UTC -5).