Video of Alden and Ft. Cobb, OK Tornadoes 11/07/2011

Close approach to the Alden tornado:



Video clip of Ft. Cobb Tornado:



Chase Data:

SW to C Oklahoma Autumn Tornadoes 11/07/2011

Eric Sipes and I left Cordell at approximately 9:30 am for Will Rogers Airport to pick up Ben McMillan who was flying in to join with us on the chase.  Our morning target was the Vernon, TX to Altus, OK to Snyder, OK triangle, a target that verified even though we didn't end up there.

After picking Ben up we blasted down I-44 toward Lawton with the intention of heading W from there.  However, after checking data on the way, we felt it might be better to head for a more northern target (around Hobart) with the option of heading south toward our original planned target.  As we approached Hobart a storm went tornado warned near the TX border to the WSW of Hobart and a couple more had developed near Altus moving NE so we felt our target had verified although we kept an eye on the storm just S of the Red River on radar.  After aborting an intercept of the western storm which was rapidly weakening we noted some rotation on the storm just W of Hobart.  We pulled off and observed this funnel cloud with weak, intermittent ground circulation at 3:03-3:05 Pm CST.

Fall Chase in SW Kansas 10/07/2011

Set out from Cordell about 1 pm for my initial target near Liberal, KS.  As I neared Liberal shortly before 5pm CDT an agitated cu field was evident SW of Turpin, OK.  I filled up with fuel in Liberal  and headed N on US 83 a few miles and pulled off on a county road intersection to observe.  Before long a storm began to form, although it took awhile.  I eventually set up at the US 83/160 junction.

Highly-sheared developing storm at 5:30 pm CDT

Update

Haven't done so well in keeping up with blogging this summer.  In any case, as the fall chasing season is upon us, I have started again.  Adding to the 2011 Chase logs may take a while.  I will do it as I have time.

Also, I found a workaround so that might Lightbox photo album works properly again. So check the photo album page out.  It is still under construction, but I will continue to add pics when I complete fresh edits.

Gene

Video of Well-developed Gustnado near Cleo Springs, OK 09/17/2011

NW/NC Oklahoma 09/17/2011

Set out from Cordell about 1 pm for my initial target of Woodward near the low. A band of towering cu in the extreme NE TX panhandle became evident while I was on the way:

Video of Tornado near Okeene, OK 05/23/2011

Chasing Prospects for Thursday May 19, 2011

All the factors coming together for a C/SC Kansas chase today.  Walt and I will probably target in the Pratt, KS area initially and adjust according to the trajectory of the triple point.  Liking the area on the dryline just S/SE of the surface low.

Gene

SC/SW Oklahoma High-based Severe Storms 05/08/2011

Eric and Gene left Cordell at about 4:30 pm and headed out toward some cells developing in the Carnegie to Anadarko to Apache triangle in Caddo County.  All of the convection was high-based and at times marginally severe.  Nothing to write home about, but better than sitting at home.

High-based cell near Walters, OK:

Chasing Prospects for Sunday 05/08/2011

Looking at a possible "gentlemen's chase" late Sunday afternoon in Western Oklahoma.  Abnormally warm temperatures with relatively large dewpoint depressions and this year's ever present EML in this area make for only slight probabilities.  But, if an isolated storm can form somewhere along the dryline in western Oklahoma it will most certainly be severe.

Gene

NE Texas 2 - WXtreme Chase Team 0

Tuesday, April 26 was a second disappointing day in NE Texas for our Chase Team - Monday wasn't too hot either!   Arriving at our initial target of Greenville, TX on time and in good shape,  we noted storms going up on the triple-point in Van Zandt County, but in this case our "stick to the original target" philosophy got the better of us.  Every time we nearly made the decision to head south, the boundary gave indications that storms would develop as we had forecast.  Case in point: a cell that developed NE of Dallas and went severe in 20 minutes.  Visually it had every indication that it would become a major supercell and then proceeded to die a quick and ignominious death!

By the time we decided to take on the southern storms as it was apparent that they were eating up the moisture needed for sustained convection on the stationary front, it was very difficult to find a way through and as a result the only thing we managed was to see was a mostly rain-wrapped meso east of Minneola near Hawkins.  Nothing to write home about!

But then, there is always another day and always another storm.  No chaser gets it right every time!  And so far NE Texas has kept our pride in check!

Gene

Chase Update

The Team and Gene (solo) have been out on several chases since the end of last week, but unfortunately there has not been much available time to update the chase logs.  Will do so eventually...

Gene

Chasing Prospects for Tuesday 4/26/2011

Moderate/High risk for NE Texas.  Initial target will probably be the Gainesville, TX area with adjustment from there.

Chase in Eastland County, TX 04/24/2011

Tornado-warned HP supercell along I-20 in Eastland County, TX near the town of Ranger. (Stitched Panorama)  Gene was out solo on this Sunday afternoon chase.




Chase Data:
Solo Chase by Eugene Thieszen
Miles: 618
Tornadoes: 0
Tornado-warned supercells: 2

Today's Chase 4/22/2011

Chasing possibilities have evolved somewhat differently than earlier forecast - further south and east.  Looking to set up roughly in the Ardmore, OK area.  HRRR points to a large cell in that area by 5 pm.  Most recent NAM guidance suggests a line, with "tail-end charlie" near the Red River.  We will see what happens.  Look for us live streaming on Severe Studios later on today.  (posted by Gene)

Chasing Prospects for Friday 4/22/2011

In the next four days, there appear to be a number of good chase possibilities.  The actual locations and setups each day may well vary considerably from earlier forecasts as convection and storms from the day before modify the atmospheric conditions and lay down outflow boundaries.  Rather than bore you with the details from the forecast models, here is the current SPC Day 2 Outlook for tomorrow, April 22nd which gives some sense of the possibilities:

Video of Burbank, OK Tornado 04/14/2011

NE Oklahoma Chase 04/14/2011

Two members of the WXtreme Chase Team (Walt and Gene) departed Cordell, OK late morning for an initial target in the Ponca City area.  Dynamics looked even better in the SE Oklahoma area E of I-35 but we were non-plussed by the lack of road options and trees and stuck with the NE Oklahoma target...somewhat weaker dynamics, but better chase conditions.

Not long after arrival in Ponca City towering cumulus began to build on the dryline.  We travelled E along HWY 60 and found a position about half the distance to Burbank to watch storms develop.  Before long a storm developed just S of the highway and as it crossed the highway at 3:35 pm CDT it developed this interesting little high-based funnel:

NW Oklahoma/SC Kansas 04/09/2011

Chase Log Coming...

Chase Data:
Team Chase: Eugene Thieszen, Walt Gish, Eric Sipes
Miles: 376
Tornadoes: 0

C-NC Oklahoma - Stick-to-it-iveness Pays Off After Dark 04/08/2011

The WXtreme Chase Team assembled in Cordell, OK and headed out toward a very tentative initial target of Hinton, OK to set themselves up ENE of towering cumulus on a dryline that was slowly mixing east.  As the cumulus eroded from the south, the team drifted north and eventually reached Watonga.  As more towers continued to go up, a storm eventually became rooted to the NW of Watonga just before 6:00 pm CDT:

SE Kansas 04/03/2011

Chase Log coming...

Chase Data:
Team Chase: Eugene Thieszen, Walt Gish and Eric Sipes
Miles: 660
Tornadoes: 0