Nocturnal Texas Tornado

Today there was yet another unseasonable tornado outbreak in the eastern U.S., this time in the Dallas Metroplex. Worst hit were Garland, TX, and Rowlett, TX. I am familiar with both communities having driven through or near them in April, 2002. Eleven* people were killed this afternoon into this evening in these communities and environs. My mother's mother's family comes from Rockwall, TX, which was just east of Rowlett, TX. Below are some dramatic images taken variously from Rockwall or Rowlett, TX, and environs, generally looking west and south. Tornadoes at night are the most dangerous type. Also, it is noteworthy that this was a long-track supercell thunderstorm unusual for any time of year let alone the day after Christmas.
*Updated 12/27/15 at 9:10 p.m.

Rowlett, TX, tornado. Photo by Kathy Turner (all rights reserved).

City of Rowlett, TX, water tower + tornado + lightning bolt. Photo by Ian Bentley (all rights reserved).

This image is taken from Lake Ray Hubbard on the Rockwall, TX, side (east side) looking west over the lake at West Rockwall and Rowlett, TX, as tornado translates left to right across the field of view of this image. Note traffic traversing highway at right which crosses the lake surface. Note power flashes behind tornado. Photo credit unknown (all rights reserved).

Royal Flushes Are Bigger In Texas

Apparently this is going viral... I first noted it a few days ago on Twitter. I'd be game to try this recently opened water park slide if I happened to be passing through Waco, TX... and if I weighed 50 lbs. less. I LOVE the accompanying sound track "Memories That You Call" by Odesza.

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On Deep In The Heart Of Texas

There is a bit of an odd-ball ongoing earthquake swarm going on in Texas. However, today it got weirder. The tremors seem to be epicentered around the site of the Old Dallas Texas Stadium of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. If these are being induced by fracking or not remains a mystery but for those of us living as long as I have this is most definitely atypical in any decade. 

Booker Supercell Looker

Texas Tornadoes From Space

This is an awe-inspiring satellite image of the tornadic supercell (center) that tore through Cleburne and Granbury, Texas, day before yesterday killing six people, injuring 50 people badly enough to go to the hospital and picking up at least one wood-framed home and dumping it 900 feet away. It also produced destructive hail the size of grapefruit as seen on this blog HERE. Note the overshooting tops of not only the supercell in question but also some of the nearby supercells some of which were also tornadic. A total of 16 tornadoes were generated by this family of storms. Image courtesy of NOAA.

Day & Night Thunderstorms

Today we traveled from West Siloam Springs, OK, through Siloam Springs, AR, and up into the very southwestern tip of Missouri and then back across northern OK through the Osage Indian Reservation and angled down to Interstate-40 and stayed then dropped anchor in Amarillo, TX. Over the course of the day I shot the following images.

Severe thunderstorm west of Wichita, KS, as seen from Oklahoma looking north.

Cirrus outflow from a severe thunderstorm on the Texas Panhandle north of Amarillo, TX as seen from Oklahoma.

The Tower Conoco on Old Route 66 in Shamrock, TX.

The same place at night takes on an another dimension of presence.

A strong thurnderstorm with vivid lightning hit town at the same time we did in Amarillo, TX.

Note the cloud crawler lightning bolt behind the Stockman's sign.

Around the time the lightning died down some large rain drops began falling and I felt peaceful enough to finally sleep.

Quite fortunately this storm was not severe so I could relax and enjoy it.

Panhandling In Texas

Today, Day Three of my journey to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to help my friend Dave do a Gem Faire event we traveled from Grants, New Mexico, to Tulsa, OK, traversing the entire East-West width of the Texas Panhandle. Below are some of the things I saw.

Monumental cross near Groom, TX, adjacent to I-40.

Downtown Shamrock, TX, on the US Route 83 drag of town.

Eastward view of I-40 from the US Route 83 overpass in Shamrock, TX, showing clouds that shortly thereafter formed into severe thunderstorms, some of which became tornado-warned. A short before we were here some tornado chasers were in town.

Large calcite boulder weathering alongside US Route 83 in Shamrock, TX.

Windmills in Western Oklahoma just over the state line from Texas.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).