This day began in Hays, KS, and took us to Tulsa, OK. We started out the day by driving hard to get to the target area.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) had issued a Moderate Risk for this area.
Associated with the Moderate Risk was a 10% Hatched Tornado Threat Ring:
The biggest problem was that forcing was strong, and this system would go linear quickly. It was based on the remnants of the storms in Colorado and Kansas the night before, but then crossed into a high moisture environment (upper 70 F dewpoints). There was even a ring of 7000 J/kg Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE).
Not only was the forcing strong, but the storm initiation was late in the day. Given the late initiation, the game was to catch storms early before nightfall and before they went linear.
We suffered the high dewpoints in Stillwater, OK, and then again in Tulsa, OK. As we left Tulsa to head north, I got lost. Somehow, I missed the turn for I-44, and ended up on US-412 east. The truck waited for us for twenty minutes while I caught up. I felt like a complete moron. Thankfully, the storms were still building, and I didn’t cost them a good chase.
Unfortunately for us, the storms did not remain discrete for long at all.
We had our last dinner as a group at PF Changs in Tulsa, and spent our last night together at the Super 8. In the morning, Kathryn boarded a plane to the east coast, and Alex, Aaron, and Dan trucked east.
I have spent the last few days in post-chase depression. I’ve never felt it this strongly.
Here is a map of our route. Unfortunately for us, this was our final chase day.
Thank you for reading my post.
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About highplainschasing
This blog is about my tales in storm chasing. My name is Seth Price and I am an instrumentation instructor at New Mexico Tech. My amateur radio call sign is N3MRA.
Storm Chase Day 13
This day began in Hays, KS, and took us to Tulsa, OK. We started out the day by driving hard to get to the target area.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) had issued a Moderate Risk for this area.
Associated with the Moderate Risk was a 10% Hatched Tornado Threat Ring:
The biggest problem was that forcing was strong, and this system would go linear quickly. It was based on the remnants of the storms in Colorado and Kansas the night before, but then crossed into a high moisture environment (upper 70 F dewpoints). There was even a ring of 7000 J/kg Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE).
Not only was the forcing strong, but the storm initiation was late in the day. Given the late initiation, the game was to catch storms early before nightfall and before they went linear.
We suffered the high dewpoints in Stillwater, OK, and then again in Tulsa, OK. As we left Tulsa to head north, I got lost. Somehow, I missed the turn for I-44, and ended up on US-412 east. The truck waited for us for twenty minutes while I caught up. I felt like a complete moron. Thankfully, the storms were still building, and I didn’t cost them a good chase.
Unfortunately for us, the storms did not remain discrete for long at all.
We had our last dinner as a group at PF Changs in Tulsa, and spent our last night together at the Super 8. In the morning, Kathryn boarded a plane to the east coast, and Alex, Aaron, and Dan trucked east.
I have spent the last few days in post-chase depression. I’ve never felt it this strongly.
Here is a map of our route. Unfortunately for us, this was our final chase day.
Thank you for reading my post.
Share this:
Like this:
Related
About highplainschasing
This blog is about my tales in storm chasing. My name is Seth Price and I am an instrumentation instructor at New Mexico Tech. My amateur radio call sign is N3MRA.