Strong Storm System Brings Heavy Mountain Snow to the Sierra Nevada and Critical Fire Weather Conditions to the Plains

A Pacific storm system will continue to bring low elevation rain and mountain snow to much of the West through Wednesday, with heavy mountain snow expected in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. This system will also bring strong winds to the Intermountain West, Rockies, and Plains, which will create Critical fire weather conditions for the High Plains. Read More >

Overview

Two overnight tornadoes that occurred during the early morning hours Wednesday have been confirmed. A relatively rare meteorological setup provided an environment favorable for overnight tornadoes in the strongest storms. One particular supercell moved from Armstrong County through Donley County and into Gray County spawning these two EF1 tornadoes and dropping tennis ball sized hail in western Donley County.

Goodnight 4 ENE Tornado
ARMSTRONG/DONLEY COUNTIES

Date	May 10, 2017
Time (Local)	3:27 AM CDT
EF Rating	EF1
Est. Peak Winds	90 MPH
Path Length	2.8 mi
Max Width	180 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: Tornado started 4 ENE of Goodnight at the intersection of County Road J and County Road 30. It overturned a section of center pivot irrigation before doing more significant tree damage at a ranch 7 ENE of Goodnight. Two downed power poles along with uprooted and snapped trees were the most notable damage. Some tree debris was deposited 100-200 yards NE of the original location.

Track Map

Lake McClellan Tornado
GRAY COUNTY

Date	May 10, 2017
Time (Local)	4:01 AM CDT
EF Rating	EF1
Est. Peak Winds	95-105 MPH
Path Length	2.7 mi
Max Width	50 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: Tornado started in open field WSW of Lake McClellan, TX in Gray County. Moving NE, the tornado peaked in intensity as it approached and moved parallel to the lake and through the north side of the Lake McClellan campground. Peak damage included numerous large trees branches and several trees uprooted or snapped. A few recreation vehicles also sustained some damage. The tornado then dissipated ENE of Lake McClellan just north of McClellan Creek.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

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Strong Storm System Brings Heavy Mountain Snow to the Sierra Nevada and Critical Fire Weather Conditions to the Plains

Two Overnight Tornadoes Confirmed Early Wednesday Morning