In The Vortex

Tag: oklahoma

  • 04/25/09 Chase Forecast

    042509forecast

    Active severe weather on tap for the plains today, most intensely across western Oklahoma and perhaps even the eastern Texas Panhandle.  A triple point will be in play somewhere probably in the vicinity of Canadian to Shamrock, TX today, with a cold front coming in from the north that should put the brakes on in the Panhandle, and a well defined dryline in place.

    Dewpoints ahead of the dryline are already in the lower 60s and we have great moisture in place for a change.  Other factors in the atmosphere set this up to be an excellent day for storm chasing, but unfortunately for those in the path, there is potential for some gorilla hail as well as tornadoes, some even possibly pretty strong just before and after dark sets in.  Could be a long night in western Oklahoma.

    After staying the night at Steve Miller’s (TX) place in Amarillo, and a great dinner with old friends at one of Amarillo’s finer eating establishments, I am headed out now for a target in the eastern panhandle for now.

    I will definitely be streaming live my mid-afternoon, and you can track me and watch the live video right here on my website.

  • 04/09/09 Storm Chase Recap

    040909kssupercell1

    This was perhaps the worse chase day I’ve every had that I can remember!  While it was a long trip, and storms didn’t really cooperate for good chasing (at least in Southern Kansas), that wasn’t what made it bad.  It was the fires!

    You couldn’t drive 25 miles without either seeing large patches of blacked earth, or a recent burned area still smoldering, or any many cases even an active fire burning.  Fires were burning down the dryline all the way in to central Texas!  All of this smoke, combined with dust from the dust storm in west Texas was being drawn right up in to Oklahoma and Kansas.  By mid-afternoon I was experiencing significant respiratory distress as well has my eyes were burning something awful and quite red.  Even today I am still irritated from it.

    It seemed no matter where you went you couldn’t get away from it, even in the rain!  The above picture was about the best I got out of the day, and gives you an idea of the near constant eerie lighting from the smoke and dust.

    About an hour before sunset, with storms heading into very unfavorable terrain for night chasing, and the fact I felt horrible, I decided to call it off and headed back home!  I was going to take some photos of some of the fires after dark, but I just literally felt too horrible to mess with it.