What causes tornadoes? A mugger described seeing an F5 from a mile away. If you were caught in one could you survive it?

The Mugger said he was caught in an F1 while in his truck which was LIFTED UP OFF THE GROUND! Can you even imagine that? The power and strength of winds that powerful seems impossible and tornados leave so much damage behind. Thank you for your very clear explaining of the genesis of tornadoes Shuhak. Much appreciated. Geography must have a lot to do with it because some areas get a lot of them and some areas probably have never had even one. Have you ever seen one? Happy Tuesday to thee and thine! :)

Geography plays a major part.  This country has more tornadoes than anywhere else on earth.  Location, location, location!  We have the perfect battlefield - massive flat plains.  Cold air dropping down from Canada on one side and warm moist air moving up from the Gulf of Mexico on the other.  All it takes is a "kicker" (a cold front or trough) to get the battle going.  

Not all thunderstorms create tornadoes.  The must be cross winds at just the right altitude to generate rotation.  Hilly or mountainous terrain can disrupt rotation.  Even so, tornadoes can happen anywhere on earth.  The Central Valley usually sees 2 or 3 tornadoes each year.  Most are short lived and do minor to no damage (F0).  Thunderstorms in California are usually created by sunshine warming the ground.  That’s why they dissipate so quickly once the sun sets.   This combined with the steep sides to the Valley limit rotation.  Funnel clouds (a tornado that doesn't reach the ground) are a bit more common. 

Yes, there’s been a tornado here.  Back in the 90s a very strong thunderstorm cell developed down in the Valley in the late afternoon, producing heavy hail and a tornado.  Usually thunderstorm cells dissipate as they move up the hill, but this one held together… and brought its (F0) tornado with it.  Due to the hilly terrain, the tornado bounced from hilltop to hilltop before dissipating well east of here.  I tried to see it, but didn’t.  (Yes, I was out running around in a strong t-storm… not the first time.)  Numerous funnel clouds have been reported in this area over the years, but again, I never saw any of them (yes, I go out look for them).  There are just too many trees!  The best view is at the crest of the highway.  That place grants a stunning view of the Central Valley all the way to the coastal ranges… with the Sutter Buttes right in the center.  However, it’s not a very safe place to stop and tornado watch as its a 3-lane highway at that point and traffic does around 70 mph – rain or shine(65 mph if a highway patrol is present).  Other “prime” viewing locations are on private property.

You go outside hoping to encounter one? Why on earth would you do that? You have enough DEADLY  coming to you in the fires you have. Why go out to SEEK it? Boy not me. But there is a profession for people who do that. Is it STORMCHASERS? There was a movie with Helen Hunt years ago about that. When "SANE" folks run away from it the STORMCHASERS go out into it. No I'm not saying you're nuts Shuhak. But I sure don't get the WHY of that! Maybe it's a guy thing although Helen Hunt is definitely a gal. Thank you for your informative reply! All is well so far with you and your family? :)

I LOVE weather!  To me, storm chasing sounds exciting.  

I overdid it yesterday gardening and majorly inflamed my carpal tunnel syndrome.  i can barely move my right hand, so i'm severely limiting my computer time.

You are intrepid m'dear. "Storm chasing sounds exciting." AARRGGHH! It sounds very very scary to me. I can't even almost sorta imagine me chasing after something that could kill me or hurt me. But of course if everyone thought like that no one would ever do anything but stay at home and watch the world go by. I'm sorry about your hand. I can relate. I just went through a bout of arthritis in my right hand that lasted as few days and then I hurt my left hand severely by doing something so stupid I'm embarrassed to share it. The left hand is still "not right" but it's better. So you "overdid" it! I live with an overdoer. Every day at least ONCE I say to Jim "don't overdo  it". Falls on deaf ears. Not because he ignores me but because once he gets into something he is in another world. So I won't see you so much. Thank you for letting me know an again I'm sorry you have to pay a price for your being "industriously occupied" for too long! Thank you for your reply Shuhak and Happy Thursday to thee and thine! DON'T OVERDO! :)

Very cute honey. Very cute indeed! He said he was caught in an F1 while in his truck and the truck was LIFTED UP OFF THE GROUND! How scary would THAT be? Thank you for your reply L and Happy Tuesday to thee! :)

That would scare the bejeezes out of me.  

Me too and surprisingly he told me that the lifting and setting down was GENTLE. Can you believe that? I thought he'd drop down fast and hard and it might harm the truck but no. He did say it scared him. Moral? Stay out of trucks? Thank you for your reply L! :)

LOL ... the moral is stay out of trucks in a tornado!

That crosses the t and dots the i! Thank you for your reply L. So the truck didn't cause the tornado then? :)

No, the truck didn't cause the tornado. :)

It's so nice to have a "playmate" like you. This whole thing about cause and effect can be irksome. Something happens. Something else happens. Repeatedly. So you think out loud "maybe they're related" and then you get a lecture about jumping to conclusions and causal effect and cause and effect. Just what you want. Being lectured. You don't lecture me. You just jump in. Thank you for your reply L and Happy Thursday to thee and thine! :) Gonna ask a question about it. What could it hurt?

Thanks. :)  Happy Thursday.  Today is the exciting day of the week - the weekly store advertisements come out.  

Exactly! In the good old days there used to be a lot more coupons and great sales. Today? Good luck. Sparse if any is what I find. Thank you for your reply L! :)

I'm lucky if I can clip three coupons to use.  There are a lot of them, but I just don't use that many items.  

I did! Years and years ago they'd automatically double the coupon value. On occasion they'd let you TRIPLE one or two. Then they dropped the doubling and settled for FACE VALUE. Then they limited severely the coupons at the same time as the stores limited severely the GREAT SALES. Will it ever come our way again? I don't think so. But I'm not going to live for EVER so I don't know. Thank you for your reply! :) This post was edited by RosieG at April 1, 2021 11:57 AM MDT

Occasionally, one of the supermarkets double coupons, but I shop at Walmart Supermarket and they don't because their prices are pretty much the lowest around.  I only clip coupons that ate 50 cents or more.  Can't be bothered with the 10 cent ones and you have to buy two items.  

Ditto. They are insulting. P&G flyers are the worst. I rarely if EVER clip one of their coupons. Cheapskates! We shop Walmart every Tuesday. From time to time we hit other stores for whatever they may sell that we want that Walmart doesn't carry and in the process of course I compare the prices of items they both carry. Walmart is always cheaper FOR THE EXACT SAME THING. Also I have found that their STORE BRAND products are almost always just as good as the name brand. They are carrying more and more ORGANIC foods. They're smart. They notice what their customers buy and try to provide a store brand equivalent. In fact truth be known the store brand version is often TASTIER which is really nifty!  Thank you for your reply L! :) This post was edited by RosieG at April 2, 2021 9:49 AM MDT

Yes, P&G are the people famous for 15 cent coupons and you have to buy two.  Walmart products, especially in the dug department, are just as good as the names brands and much cheaper.  I buy their version of Tylenol and Advil for close to half the price.  What I don't like about Walmart is that they don't always have the same brands in stock all the time.  I used to buy the coffee I like, Melitta Classic, there, but the no longer carry it.  I wait until it goes on sale elsewhere ($7.9 usually, on sale for $3.99) and buy several cans to last until the next sale. :)

100% true my friend. Everything you said I agree with. We drink Don Francisco Coffee...Hawaiian Hazelnut flavor. It sells for $4.34/can at Walmart. Rarely on sale when it is the least we've ever paid is $3.98! But it sure beats drinking Starbucks every day pricewise! We have the Walmart equivalent of Tylenol as well as the allergy pills. Why pay $2 MORE for the same thing? I betcha the manufacturer of the store brands also manufactures the Walmart brands for many things. It's funny some hoity toity folks would NEVER shop at a Walmart. Too snobby for me they'd rather pay overpriced goods than shop where "the little people" shop. I've never understood that. I don't care how much money I have why would I PAY MORE FOR THE SAME THING? Thank you for your reply!:)

I'm not a fan of Starbucks coffee - it tastes burnt to me and it costs too much.  Sometimes, if my regular coffee isn't on sale, I will buy Gevalia when it's on sale.  It's a medium roast with a lot of flavor, but even on sale it's more than $3.99  You're right that the big manufacturers do produce the same merchandise for the store label brands.  I buy my allergy pills from BJ's Wholesale Club or on Amazon.  The label even says "compare to Claritin."  I buy tissues at Target that say, "Compare to Kleenex."  

We are not fans either. Only once did I ever drink anything I liked from Starbucks. One summer Jim bought us a cold latte drink to die for. I expect it had a bazillion calories. But coffeewise black? AARRGGHH! I wonder how much is hype just because it costs a lot? Like Rolex watches that are uniformly UGLY. They cost a lot so they are flaunted. My watch? The MOVADO MUSEUM WATCH! I bought it several decades ago at the Movado Outlet at our outlet mall in Cabazon. $1000 watch which I got for $500! It is hands down the most extravagant thing I ever bought for myself and I have never regretted it. It gives me so much pleasure to look at. Do you know what it looks like L?  It is black and had one gold dot and two hands. That's it. Maybe if you Google it it will come up. I will just to see. I don't know what museum it's in but its simplicity knocked my socks off. I bought long before I met Jim. We've been together going on 24 years! And they said "it will never last"! Thank you for your reply m'dear! :)Oh I'm wearing it now! Going nowhere but I like to look down at my left wrist and see it there! Different strokes and all! :)