Tuesday, 28 May 2019
Storm Chase 2019 - Day 1 28/05/2019
While 2 out of the 3 cars on Tour 3 have headed out to central Kansas to target the Moderate Risk with 10% hatched probabilities for tornadoes in NE Kansas, I am waiting back in Denver to pick up the last of the guests arriving today on flights from the UK. Plan to then head east to Lamar to stay overnight then catch up with the rest of the team tomorrow (Wednesday) with a severe risk over parts of Oklahoma and north Texas.
Arrived yesterday evening on the 27th, and stayed at Days Inn near Denver Airport, severe-warned hailstorm overnight at about 1am in the morning meant I didn't get the best nights sleep, even though was very tired, the hail was ping-pong ball size and created dents on all the cars parked at the hotel, including my chase wagon.
Chase wagon
Friday, 19 May 2017
Storm Chase 2017 - Day 9 Thursday 18th May
Started the day in Woodward with a general chase target of NW to Northern Oklahoma and maybe SW & S Central Kansas.
After sitting north of Woodward we punched through some torjado warned cores near Freedom to an isolated Supercell near Chester and punched east through the top of the storm which already had a large wedge to our south, after stopping and looking back the structure was jaw dropping on this spinning mesocyclone of the Supercell. A wedge was ongoing so we went back to Boise Junction and watched a small tornado skip across the road in front of us and then watched the main Wedge Touch down again over open fields between Boise Junction and Waynoka. Fortunately the tornado lifted as it the meso went over the town of Waynoka. Followed the storm through Waynoka and Alva before leaving the storm when it went HP. We then dropped down to the 2 Dryline Storms moving east and were treated to incredible Supercell structure before sunset.
Ended the day in Enid and celebrated 2 more Oklahoma Tornadoes that did not impact anyone today.
8 for the trip with 1 day left.
Storm Chase 2017 - Day 8 Wednesday 17th May
Travel day from Lawton to Woodward in Oklahoma to get in position for a big severe day on Thursday. Stopped at a nice Diner called Lucille's Roadhouse for lunch.
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Storm Chase 2017 - Day 7 Tuesday 16th May
Today the SPC gave a Moderate Risk of severe weather, with a 15% tornado risk, over the eastern Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma.
From our overnight stay in Dumas, we headed SE to Shamrock to grab some lunch and position for storms expected to develop along the dryline in the eastern Texas Panhandle. Sure enough, storms developed mid-afternoon to our west and we intercepted a supercell mesocyclone/ rotating wall cloud which then dropped a tornado near McLean, TX, although we saw it in the distance, wet dirt tracks held us back from getting closer to get good photos and video of it.
We then blasted NE once off the dirt track to follow this supercell which then went on to drop a wedge tornado over Wheeler, TX.
https://youtu.be/qJaXV4urv58
We left this storm then dropped SE into western Oklahoma - where we intercepted another supercell near Erick, moving up from the SW. We had to core punch to storm on the I-40 east, pummelled by golf ball and a few soft ball size hail stones, cars and lorries were hiding under bridges, which made it treacherous. We came off the interstate near Elk City, OK and went south of town where came out the rain and hail and we were greeted by wedge tornado which we stopped just short of, though got hit by strong RFD briefly. Unfortunately, there were a few fatalities in Elk City from this tornado. So a close shave for us.
http://content.bitsontherun.com/previews/41sv5ql1-ALJ3XQCI
Followed this tornado warned supercell NE for a bit before deciding to leave it at Clinton, OK. Dropped south along the western side of another supercell moving up from the SW to watch the lightning which was ramping up as the light faded. Then blasted SE to our overnight stay in Lawton, south/central Oklahoma to stay overnight. Watched a squall line along the cold front roll through Lawton, which produced a good lightning show.
A hard and frustrating day, particularly not getting close to the McLean tornado, core puching 3 inch hail, and a close shave with a wedge tornado, but we saw 3 tornadoes and some amazing lightning.
From our overnight stay in Dumas, we headed SE to Shamrock to grab some lunch and position for storms expected to develop along the dryline in the eastern Texas Panhandle. Sure enough, storms developed mid-afternoon to our west and we intercepted a supercell mesocyclone/ rotating wall cloud which then dropped a tornado near McLean, TX, although we saw it in the distance, wet dirt tracks held us back from getting closer to get good photos and video of it.
We then blasted NE once off the dirt track to follow this supercell which then went on to drop a wedge tornado over Wheeler, TX.
https://youtu.be/qJaXV4urv58
We left this storm then dropped SE into western Oklahoma - where we intercepted another supercell near Erick, moving up from the SW. We had to core punch to storm on the I-40 east, pummelled by golf ball and a few soft ball size hail stones, cars and lorries were hiding under bridges, which made it treacherous. We came off the interstate near Elk City, OK and went south of town where came out the rain and hail and we were greeted by wedge tornado which we stopped just short of, though got hit by strong RFD briefly. Unfortunately, there were a few fatalities in Elk City from this tornado. So a close shave for us.
http://content.bitsontherun.com/previews/41sv5ql1-ALJ3XQCI
Followed this tornado warned supercell NE for a bit before deciding to leave it at Clinton, OK. Dropped south along the western side of another supercell moving up from the SW to watch the lightning which was ramping up as the light faded. Then blasted SE to our overnight stay in Lawton, south/central Oklahoma to stay overnight. Watched a squall line along the cold front roll through Lawton, which produced a good lightning show.
A hard and frustrating day, particularly not getting close to the McLean tornado, core puching 3 inch hail, and a close shave with a wedge tornado, but we saw 3 tornadoes and some amazing lightning.
Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Storm Chase 2017 - Day 6 Monday 15th May
3rd night in Amarillo at the same Super 8 Hotel, don't think I've stayed in the same place for so long. Anyway, same area as Sunday really for storms developing along dryline moving east, though a higher risk of severe weather with more moisture/CAPE meaning some large hail likely as well as strong wind gusts.
Stopped at Groom to east of Amarillo at the Cross of Jesus Christ Ministry to watch the cloud bubble up along the dryline to our west.
Eventually this convection broke the cap and severe-warned storms were developing early evening from Amarillo northwards and tracking NE. We intercepted a batch of supercells neat Stinnett in the eastern texas Panhandle NE of Amarillo, we saw all three types of supercell surround us: Classic, LP (Low Precipitation) and HP (High Precipitation). A classic-type supercell on the southern end of this mass of severe-warned storms had a rotating wall cloud for a time an dropped a funnel briefly. The lightning started cranking up too as the light was fading.
We found some large hail by th road side north of Stinnett.
Finished the day with Pizza and overnight stay in Dumas, Texas.
Stopped at Groom to east of Amarillo at the Cross of Jesus Christ Ministry to watch the cloud bubble up along the dryline to our west.
Eventually this convection broke the cap and severe-warned storms were developing early evening from Amarillo northwards and tracking NE. We intercepted a batch of supercells neat Stinnett in the eastern texas Panhandle NE of Amarillo, we saw all three types of supercell surround us: Classic, LP (Low Precipitation) and HP (High Precipitation). A classic-type supercell on the southern end of this mass of severe-warned storms had a rotating wall cloud for a time an dropped a funnel briefly. The lightning started cranking up too as the light was fading.
We found some large hail by th road side north of Stinnett.
Finished the day with Pizza and overnight stay in Dumas, Texas.
Storm Chase 2017 - Day 5 Sunday 14th May
A marginal risk of severe weather today, played with some storms over the eastern Texas Panhandle, saw a bit of lightning and sat through a dusty outflow surge - where tour leader Paul Botten may have thought twice about getting out the car to have a cigarette - the outflow winds were gusting to 65 mph, which incidentally snapped a power pole down the road.
But what was most special about today was the amazing display of mammatus on the back of these storms that we following as the sun set.
But what was most special about today was the amazing display of mammatus on the back of these storms that we following as the sun set.
Storm Chase 2017 - Day 4 Saturday 13th May
Some days there are no storms in the Plains, so Saturday was a day of sight-seeing, and what better place to go than stunnng canyon in the Texas Panhandle. Storms return to the area Sunday.
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