Sunday, June 22, 2008

Some Updates

Got most of my chase reports and accounts done. Might do more this summer when I'm bored.
I have some non-tornado pics from 2008 up here: http://www.capturethestorm.com/photos2008.htm

Not much else going on weather wise for me. High plains will likely see storms for a few days to come. Hopefully one or two more chases before summer comes to an end.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Back to the High Plains

Me and Sean Waugh are headed to Liberal, KS this morning and will re-evaluate from there. Hoping for a nice lone supercell.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

June 15th Update

A few days of NW flow events for the plains will take place today through at least Wednesday 18th. I'll watch closely and head out locally (TX panhandle/OK) if it looks good enough. Right now either Monday or Tuesday could be a go.

On website, I'm way behind on chase logs but will try to update them here within a few weeks as things look to be slowing down. Also, I'll probably add some short video of some of the other chases.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Sitting in Wichita, KS

Looks like one last opportunity for a while.
A cold front is moving through the southern plains and is forecast to stall just north of the OK/KS border later this afternoon. Good moisture and instability in place as well as deep-layer shear. Some supercells are possible later this evening mainly across southeast KS but I'll likely stay in the Wichita area and wait for a tail-end storm hopefully go before dark.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Tornadoes Across much of IA/NE/KS/MN

Today was a tough chase with some rain-wrapped mesos but I managed to get at least one tornado in northwest IA and got some good storm structure pics as well. Very sad situation in northwest IA as well as tornado hit boy scout camp killing 4 and injuring many more.

One Last Update

Sitting in Missouri Valley, IA, just north of Omaha currently. Upper level clouds are starting to thin east of cold front. There's a nice overlay of CAPE & 0-1km helicity in this general region. Stronger dynamics might exist further north across northern IA this afternoon while stouter CAPE profiles might be nice around se NE, sw IA, ne KS. Probably sit here a while and wait for new mesonanalysis runs. If clouds clear out and sfc heating gets going north of here, I might go to Denison, IA and re-evaluate. Another option would be to wait here and play something further south of Omaha later this afternoon.

Stopped in Lincoln, NE

I was gonna head to Omaha then north but leftover convection has left lower temps in northwest IA along with an area of lower dewpoints. Winds back nicely to the southeast north of here all the way to the sfc low in SD but right now I just don't see anything worth hauling up north just yet. Skinny tongue of CAPE nosing though eastern NE into se SD right now but strong cap holding tight. Helicity and low level flow looks good just about everywhere up here as well. I might be seeing a couple of leftover boundaries on vis sat, radar, sfc obs: one south of Sioux City, IA stretching west to east and possibly another from southwest IA northwestward through Omaha. Hopefully the picture can become more clear pretty soon.

Decent Chance for Tornadoes Today

I'm still in York, NE early this morning looking over latest stuff. If the convection in western/northwest IA could clear off soon, I would like that area later this afternoon. Another problem in that area later today is that all back roads will be muddy as crap. Much of Nebraska will have plenty of time to recover from early morning storms that rolled through but directional shear may not be as good as spots further northeast. If I decide to head north, area from Sioux City-Fort Dodge-Spencer IA looks good for starting. Another plan may just be to sit here for a while, maybe move to Lincoln, NE. More later...

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

North Again!

Leaving for York, NE here this afternoon. I'll likely stay there tonight and decide where to go on Wednesday. I'm eyeing a northern target of se SD, western IA, ne NE, or sw MN. If this area does not look like its gonna happen tomorrow, I'll likely just stay put in York for a while and try the area of southern NE, north-central KS. More from Nebraska tonight or early tomorrow AM.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Next Chase Wednesday 11th

I can't make it out today to TX panhandle/western OK so I'm already watching my next chasing opportunity coming by mid week. GFS/NAM/ECMWF all in general agreement of bringing nice trough through the central and northern US on Wed. A bit far out for details but the overall pattern looks nice.




12 wRF/NAM forecast Wed. evening
500mb


850mb

Friday, June 6, 2008

Still No June Tornado

I still have seen no tornadoes in the month of June since I have started chasing. The past two chases in Nebraska on the 4th and Kansas on the 5th I came very close but no luck.

Looks like some interesting setups on the GFS and NAM for the next week so hopefully I can end my drought.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Back on the Plains

Currently in Salina, KS looking over stuff for what seems to be a tough call on where to go today. Will likely stay here a bit longer before I make a decision though. I'll stay somewhere in KS tonight and get ready for an active day tomorrow.

Monday, June 2, 2008

May 23rd Videos Up

Videos from the 3rd and 4th Tornadoes of this day.
All videos are shot in HD but compressed for YouTube.



Reports from May 21st through the 26th are still a work in progress. I should have at least a few done by tomorrow evening. Another couple of chase days look to be coming up starting Wed and Thursday.