Mobile, X-band, Polarimetric Doppler Radar Observations of the 23 May 2016 Woodward, Oklahoma Tornadoes

On 23 May 2016, the University of Massachusetts X-band, polarimetric, mobile radar (UMass X-Pol) was used to collect volume scans in at least two tornadoes near Woodward, Oklahoma. At the request of the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, we estimated the track and intensity of the first tornado as observed at a height of approximately 100 m AGL. UMass X-Pol detected a tornado-strength circulation with a duration of 17 min. The tornado followed a clockwise-looping path, enclosing an area of less than 4 sq. km. The second tornado occurred after sunset, and moved north approximately 5.5 km. The duration of the tornado is uncertain owing to distance and darkness, but is estimated to have been about 11 min. A group of undergraduate students participated in this data collection as part of a college-level severe storms field work course. The observations from UMass X-Pol allowed multiple mobile teams to intercept and observe the tornado safely, and also report observations in near real-time to the NWS.