Where is the calm before the tornado located in the supercell ?

Question

Where is the calm before the tornado located in the supercell ?

Answer 1

I agree with the answer guy that in most cases, the wind is pretty chaotic in the vicinity of a tornado.

However, I have had a couple of cases during chases where surface winds were indeed very light (I would not say calm, though.) just prior to the initiation of a tornadic event. Both were just prior to the formation of the actual tornado and had a visibly rotating wall cloud but nothing visible that was surface based. In fact on one storm I was about to give up on it and head south where another promising tower was located when all heck suddenly happened. I suspect it first was the RFD impacting the surface and the tornado spin up under the wall cloud occurred within 30 seconds after that. At least I was a mile or so away and saw the dust from the RFD and was starting to move away from that area when the condensation funnel became visible which was just a little closer and under the wall cloud. That particular tornado became first  visible due to corn stalks (It was early June.)only lasted about a minute in a corn field and wasn't particularly strong or big but the quickness of the formation did startle me.

I suspect that it is that type of quick formation under a non-surface based inflow regime of a supercell that is the source of the calm before the storm saying.

I have followed several supercells that never did get surfaced base that had little wind at surface and also no tornadoes. One in March of 89 in Georgia produced 4.5 inch hail which was the only time I ever saw holes punched in decently built roof decking. What was interesting about that storm was even though there were several million dollars in damage from hail, there was not a single report of wind damage or tornado even though the radar data had very impressive circulation patterns just above surface.

Answer 2

Really no such thing.  I've seen tornadoes in the midst of utter chaos and I've seen one before the front comes in.  I've seen them at the back end of the line and the top and bottom.  In all cases they were in chaotic weather.

If you're miles ahead of the supercell or nearby, perhaps you can see the tornado in the distance and it seems pretty and quiet.  But, trust me, closer to it is rough.  

However, they do speak of how the air gets peaceful before one.  I doubt it, and I've never seen it.  

SO, my answer is, "In someone's imagination".