Smith Family Weblog

When the tornado sirens went off in town yesterday, there was blue sky overhead.

Bryan was out picking up pizza for the girls and the sitter that was about to arrive, and I was upstairs getting ready. I herded the girls into the basement and turned on the TV. In addition to a perfect hook echo at the bottom corner of the storm over Topeka, there was radar-indicated rotation, which is enough to trigger a tornado warning.

The storm was directly to our west by about 20 miles, and it was moving northeast. We weren’t in the path, but judging by the radar images and the news reports, we thought we’d have a good chance of seeing the storm at a safe distance.

After the girls were settled in with the sitter, Bryan and I headed out to the northwest corner of town. There were approximately 40 cars parked on the Highway 10 overpass, and we stopped there to watch. I’d say we were at least 10 miles from the wall cloud, and again, we were not in any danger at all given the distance and the path of the storm.

This is among the first photos I took, and in it, you can see the funnel cloud directly below the wall cloud. Given our distance, it’s a bit difficult to spot, but it’s roughly two-thirds of the way between the third and fourth power poles as you look from the left.

As I mentioned, we were in good company. We even ran into a cameraman I work with quite a bit; he was filming for our local TV station. Looking north in this photo—the storm is to our left in the photo, out of frame.

And to the southwest:

The view to the east was also impressive. The first time I saw cloud formations like this, I was with Grandpa Dankleff, who said they indicated instability in the atmosphere.

The funnel didn’t last long, but the wall cloud remained intact. We moved about two miles north on Highway 10, which is where we shot these photos.

As we watched, we were listening to the local radio station. People were calling in to report two funnel clouds, but I’m inclined to think these were just low-hanging scud clouds.

We moved a bit to the north and a couple miles to the east, stopping a a high point above a gorgeous field. Looking north:

Looking west. Again, we had quite a bit of company.

We had a perfect view of the spectacular wall cloud, with scud clouds underneath.

We watched until the wall cloud began to collapse.

This was my tenth tornado/funnel cloud sighting, and my very first one in Kansas. Having Bryan with me was probably a good thing; he ensured we stayed at a safe distance, which I’m hoping will appease the moms.

All in all, a gorgeous storm, and thankfully, one that was not as destructive as it could have been.

We had record high temperatures yesterday—it was 92 by the time late afternoon rolled around (and I have the sunburn to prove it). Perhaps not surprisingly, storms soon followed. A line developed at Abline, extending to the northeast. I decided to head west, waiting for the first major cell to pass through Topeka, just to my north.

I waited on an overpass near I-70. Here’s the view to the northwest–you can see the interstate near the center of the photo.

And here’s the view to the west—that’s the edge of the storm, which was set to pass just in front of me.

As I waited and watched to the west, I saw this scene develop.

I immediately assumed I was seeing a debris cloud–meaning a funnel cloud had developed and actually touched down. The only problem was there wasn’t anything tornado-like above it.

I knew the storm was moving to the northeast, and I was in the path of whatever it was I was looking at. Once I remembered how to put my car in gear, I decided to move. I admit I was more than a bit concerned, and moving the car meant taking my eyes off of what was happening. My windows were down, and the wind was roaring. When my ears popped, I nearly panicked.

As I moved south, I got a better view. There was still no apparent rotation above, just a ground-level disturbance below.

At this point, the storm was between me and my family, and I called Bryan to let him know what I was seeing.  I knew it wasn’t a tornado, but it wasn’t like anything I’d seen before. Fortunately, he had just heard reports of such disturbances on the local news, noting they were likely caused by the nearly 60 mph straight line winds in the area.

Today, I learned this phenomenon is called a “gustnado.” Apparently, it’s a specific type of short-lived, low-level cyclonic cloud that can form in a severe thunderstorm. At least a couple were reported in the area.

So while my search for my first Kansas tornado will continue, I can cross “gustnado” off my list!

It is gorgeous here this morning. These photos do not do justice, but I hope they give you some idea of how beautiful campus looks. Of course, knowing it will be gone by 5 pm makes it all that much more enjoyable.

We first visited Madison in early March of 2000. It was 55 and sunny, and the committee trying to woo Bryan into their grad school program assured us that was normal Madison weather for early spring.

It wasn’t.

But in Kansas, 55 and sunny IS normal, or at least not unusual, for this time of year. This winter, though, has felt very Wisconsin-like in comparison. After an inch or so of sleet today, we’ve seen another few inches of snow. I can safely say I’ve seen more snow this winter than I have our four previous winters combined.

It’s pretty, but I really hope it melts tomorrow.

The roads are remarkably slick, but air temperatures are hovering right around 32 degrees.

What’s it like where you are tonight?

While this week’s snowstorm is remarkable for Kansas, I was pretty shocked to see the photos from friends and family in Wisconsin and Iowa. Take a moment to check out The House on Hudson and Horsefarm Diaries.

I’m glad everyone is safe (and hopefully warm!).

No official word on snowfall totals, but maybe somewhere between eight and 10 inches? The wind has died down, but it is COLD. Our neighbor has been out with his snowblower since very early this morning. I hope he doesn’t have any trouble thawing out.

So far, we’ve had eight inches of snow, which officially makes this the largest snowstorm to hit our town in 20 years. Measuring the snowfall can’t be easy—some parts of our yard are bare, and some are covered in 24 inch drifts.

Schools and campuses—and again, the state government—are all closed tomorrow. Bryan’s company is closed until noon.

Hopefully, the snow will stop overnight, and crews will be begin clearing by morning. At that point, though, temperatures will fall to Wisconsin-like levels. That, coupled with very Kansas-like winds, could mean another couple days of very wintery weather.

Stay safe!

And so it begins…

After days of news coverage about the incredible weather we are supposed to have over the next few days, last night’s ice is now covered with a dusting of snow. By noon tomorrow, we may have 14 inches on top of that.

Its seems like the entire state is shutting down—schools, universities, businesses, government offices, etc. Small pharmaceutical companies are still open, so Bryan headed downtown for a few hours of work. He took the Pilot and promised to keep an eye on the weather. I hope to have him back before the blizzard picks up. (The blizzard warning took effect at 6 am today.)

I know this is not an isolated storm, so please let us know how it is where you are today.

Stay warm and safe, and if you have the luxury of a snow day, enjoy!

Our second big snowstorm this month dropped seven inches across the city last night. Schools are closed (but work is open, of course). The girls can’t wait to bundle up and head outside.

What’s it like where you are?