December 14

Marginal tornado sounding in the Missouri Ozarks, signaling the potential for a low-end but prolific Winter cold core tornado event.

Clearing under and just ahead of the very cold 500 mb low seemed apparent on visible satellite. Regardless of the SPC outlook, I knew the stage was set for a cold core supercell event.

Using Weather Underground personal stations to get more localized surface condition observations.

First thunderstorm develops west of Truman Lake at 2:07 pm.

Looking southward from Lincoln, MO at 2:10pm. The sky is filled with stratus clouds as the narrow warm-sector is still to the southwest.

Now positioned in Tightwad, MO to intercept the strengthening supercells. Here is the 2:40pm radar.

Looking southwest toward the storm. Updraft base is faintly visible.

Zoomed in view of the updraft base of one of the cells.

Radar presentation of one of the cells becoming dominant with a mesocyclone.

Possible inflow feeder band coming into the dominant supercell.

I have my eyes on multiple lowered areas, checking for rotation. I try to film cautiously without soaking the inside of the car.

Possible tornado goes over us as we go over a bridge, sending leaves and water vapor flying.

Tornader! A tornado looms behind us after skirting us to the north from one of the mini-supercells along the line.

The tornado a couple minutes later to our northeast as we head east on Highway

A hail-covered highway as we travel eastward into Warsaw, MO.

Weak tornado continues to our north.

I make a 911 phone call to report the tornado as we move into Warsaw, MO.

Here is the 3:54 radar presentation of a new supercell developing south of the Warsaw tornado producer. This storm would go on to drop an EF0 near Gravois Mills, MO. We move east to try and catch up.

More cold-core convection attempting to explode further to the south along the line.

Impressive cumulonimbus updraft towers in front of us as we travel east.

Mesosclone of the supercell to our north across the resevoir while it is producing the Gravois Mills tornado. I caught a brief glimpse of the condensed tornado way to the north as we crested a hill, but I could not get a picture of it.

Here is the radar presentation of the supercell with an ongoing tornado near Gravois Mills, MO. This tornado would be rated EF0 for breaking trees and destroying an outbuilding.

Zoomed in view of the RFD clear slot of the storm to our north.

After letting the storm go, we turn our attention to the next supercell blowing up down the line. But while doing so, I notice a rotating wall cloud between both cells.

4:00pm visible satellite imagery or the arc of storms on the surface low.

Radar presentation of both supercells.

As we pass near the base of the rotation aloft, I keep an eye out for floating leaves, as they would indicate a weak tornado is on the ground. 

Boom! Next weak tornado crosses, likely as a landspout, in front of us as a tube of leaves going up to the clouds.  We accidentally drive into its outer edges and take the back rear inflow, causing our ears to pop and an intense wind to flood the car. An oncoming pickup truck honks at us.

The circulation lofts dust and attempts to tear away a piece of flopping material, but is not even strong enough to damage the shed.

After being hit by the thankfully weak tornado, we approach the southern supercell, which drops another tornado (EFU over the lake) that we are able to see fully condensed, but like the EF0 near , MO earlier, we are not able to get a camera on it at the moment. This tornado was our 4th of the day!! Convection near the flanking line region of the storm can be seen here. 

Radar of the supercell as the tornado is on the ground at 4:16 pm .

The 4th tornado of the day comes back into our view less defined, now with wispy condensation just to our north while on the southern edge of Osage Beach.

The condensed funnel cloud portion of the tornado as it begins to weaken.

After the tornado lifts, the thunderstorm's updraft can be seen pushing east from Highway 54 after the tornado lifts.

Mini but mighty mesocyclone of the tornadic cell as it moves east out over the lake and starts weakening as the narrow warm-sector wains.

Laughable attempt at a photo of the Missouri Capital building.