These pages previously appeared online at "http://mrd3.nssl.ucar.edu/~vortex/". That server was decommissioned during Summer 2003. All pages formerly appearing at that web site are now archived here at Storm Research. Please note that some of the original links may be broken.
The analysis of data collected during VORTEX-94 and VORTEX-95 continues. Many of the cases are being examined by different research teams in NSSL, NCAR, and the University community and are in various degrees of completion. Links to many of these research efforts are provided below.Analyses of the Doppler radar data (WP-3D, ELDORA, and DOW) and mobile mesonet (MM) data indicate that the evolution of many of the supercell storms was captured in enough detail to either support or refute many of the hypotheses put forward for tornadogenesis. For additional information on the hypotheses, please check the VORTEX operations plan and the Scientific Objectives.
The NOAA Public Affairs Office has an on-line FAQ on VORTEX. Don't forget to check out the award-winning VORTEX: Unraveling the Secrets at the NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory.
The SubVORTEX and SubVORTEX-RFD field programs were held during the springs of 1997 and 1998 in the southern High Plains. Check out the SubVORTEX summary and SubVORTEX-RFD summary pages for the events that were captured during these field efforts.
We also maintain a link to the Hurricanes at Landfall (HaL) web page with results from the Fall 1998 field program posted online.
Disclaimer: The results presented here are preliminary and should be treated as such.
Understanding Tornado Formation
Dr. Erik Rasmussen, VORTEX Project Leader, has written some very useful pages describing the the most current ideas on the development of tornadoes. There are three sets of pages: Most detailed, Easier, and Easiest so there is a page for every level of understanding.
VORTEX Operations Plan
The VORTEX operations plan and scientific objectives are available.VORTEX Operations Summary
VORTEX operations summaries are available from Joint Office for Science Support (UCAR/JOSS). Links to datasets, descriptions of cases, weather maps, CLASS soundings, aircraft operations, mission summaries, communications logs, and more.VORTEX Daily Forecast Archive
An archive of the daily forecasts and a weather summary is available.
VORTEX case studies and modeling efforts
- May 6, 1994
- May 29, 1994
- June 7, 1994
- May 6, 1995
- May 16, 1995
- May 22, 1995
- June 2, 1995
- Dimmitt, Texas
- Friona, Texas
- June 8, 1995
- Elmwood, Oklahoma
- Pampa, Texas
- Allison, Texas
- McLean/Kellerville, Texas
VORTEX and tornado modeling studies
- Numerical simulations of 2-3 June, 1995 (not available)
- Theoretical Investigation of Turbulent Dynamics in the Tornado Vortex
- Computation of vertical velocity from model-generated horizontal winds using CEDRIC
- Numerical simulations of Jarrell, TX tornadoes (not available)
- Observations of nontornadic low-level mesocyclones and attendant tornadogenesis failure during VORTEX (not available)
VORTEX publications
The list of VORTEX-related publications is growing rapidly. Based on the experiences from previous field programs and the date of appearance of published results (LeMone 1983), we should be hitting our peak during the next 2-3 years.
[LeMone, M. A., 1983: The time between a field experiment and its published results. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 64,614-615.]
Other VORTEX, tornado, and supercell-related information pages
- ELDORA observations during VORTEX (Wakimoto/UCLA)
- Tornado Bibliographic Database (not available)
- Supercell and tornado bibliography
- NCAR's Atmospheric Technology division has some ELDORA/VORTEX information.
- The other VORTEX project.