This section is for storm chases done in the central / Midwestern United States during the year of 2010 that were not part of the main chase log (mainly for my home state of Florida) and also not part of any dedicated chase expeditions in 2010 (such as the one for May 18 through June 1). Here you should find many pictures of lightning, possible tornadoes, along with many severe thunderstorm elements. Keep in mind that this chase log is scientific evidence and portrays my on-going storm chasing research. It has been placed on this page for easy reference and meteorological interests. Please do not plagiarize or copy this document to other sites for distribution.

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STORM CHASING - CENTRAL UNITED STATES - SPECIAL 2010 CHASE LOG

Above is a picture of Yazoo City, Mississippi just after a violent tornado (rated EF-4 and nearly TWO miles wide) hit the town on April 24, 2010 just before noon. This was a classic case where a storm chase had to be aborted for the sake of stopping and helping the victims of such a horrific tornado disaster - Not something a storm chaser wants to see and do. Tornadoes and supercells, although a spectacular display of nature's power, can inflict catastrophic damage to lives and property to those caught in its path. The violent cyclic supercell that produced the tornado was a very long track storm that tracked across a path of about 200 miles, crossing at least 2 states. The tornado path itself was nearly a staggering 150 miles in length. At least 10 people were killed by this tornado, three of them children. This drives home the sobering reminder of how storm chasing can involve witnessing the darkest moments in life first hand, so always chase with responsibility and respect for such.

TABLE OF CONTENTS - CLICK TO GO TO PAGE

THIS IS CHASE SECTION ONE FOR 2010

Central USA Chase Expedition 2010 - Section TWO

Note: There were TWO chase log sections for the severe storm season of 2010! You are currently viewing the FIRST section, which includes storm chases in the central US during the season of 2010 (that is not part of the trip conducted from May 18 through June 1, 2008). To jump directly to the SECOND section, please click the link provided above.

ABOUT THIS CHASE LOG FOR THE MIDWEST

This is a chase log for any chases during 2010 in the Midwest and Central United States that were conducted as "spot" chases during or do not have a dedicated page for them. Each chase section within this area will have its own details and such for that particular chase. This area was set up in the late spring of 2010 and is for any chase that was conducted in the US Plains and Midwest. Equipment use in such chases range from cell phone to HAM radio communications, digital / still cameras, video (SD) and high-definition (HD) camcorders, and data logging / GPS via laptop computer. Storm chasing involved driving in harsh conditions and / or for long periods of time.

All chases and observations are in chronological order and a chase number is assigned to each entry. Please bear in mind that all observations adhere to modern storm analysis standards and do not include all storms that occurred in a given area for a particular chase period.

Any kind of storm such as a thunderstorm, tornado, waterspout, tropical cyclone, and extratropical storm can be chased or observed. I have tried to keep this log of any storms that I have observed as accurate as possible, while using terms and expressions to abide by those used by most meteorologists and storm spotters today.

Storm chasing and observation can be extremely dangerous and may result in serious injury or death. I have received intermediate and advanced training for storm spotting in 1996. I strongly urge anyone who is to try their hand at storm spotting to get training before doing so. You must also have a good understanding of meteorology and storm dynamics. "If you don't know what you're doing, Don't do it!" Contact your local National Weather Service office for information on storm spotting and about training to become a Skywarn storm Spotter.

CHOOSE A VIDEO CLIP BELOW - LINKS TO YOUTUBE

Central US Storm Chase Trip I (April 22-24)
Yazoo City (MS) Just After EF-4 Tornado (April 24)
Central US Storm Chase Trip II / OK Outbreak (May 10-12)
Chase 2010 Music Video (NSCC 2011)

CHASE LOG FOR APRIL 21 TO APRIL 25, 2010

Above is the chase map for the April 21 through 25 chase trip in the Central United States. In the diagram, an overview inset to the lower left shows the chase area (boxed) and the flight path (green) between Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the "base" city of Dallas, Texas. The blue path in the main diagram is the chase track totaling 2350 miles. States involved were AR, KS, LA, MS, OK, and TX. There were three target areas (based on my forecasting) that pretty much agree with the outlook areas from the Storm Predictions Center (SPC). Each red "X" marks any interceptions or observations of severe weather (hail, tornadoes, etc). The first target on April 22 was pretty much spot-on with my forecasting, however, many of the tornadoes (that occurred in the central portions of the area) were missed simply because I abandoned the target and went too far north (thanks to impatience). The other two target areas were on April 23 in Arkansas and finally on April 24, which included the area a devastating tornado struck a town in Mississippi.

CHASE SUMMARY FOR APRIL 21 THROUGH APRIL 25, 2010

This was a 5 day "spot chase" (3 of the days were spent chasing, the other 2 travel days) that began on April 21, 2010 by flying into Dallas, Texas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida (with a stop in Houston). After flying into Dallas, I picked up the rental vehicle, a 2009 Kia Forte, and set up the equipment for storm chasing. With the original target for April 22 to be in the TX Panhandle / W Oklahoma area, I figured a drive to Elk City, Oklahoma would be a good choice. Upon leaving Dallas, I drove up I-35 to Oklahoma city, Oklahoma, then west along I-40 to the town of Elk City for the night.

On April 22, I forecasted for the day in Elk City, and left for the rather close target of near Wheeler, Texas by heading west on I-40, then north a bit out of Sayre via Highway 30 then into Wheeler via Highway 152. This became a decision point while in Wheeler ... Stick with my original target, the one I spend many hours of forecasting to refine, and stay in Wheeler and wait - Or jump on the storms already going by early afternoon farther north towards the Oklahoma Panhandle? Well, I chose the latter - Probably one of the biggest chasing mistakes I ever made: Never abandon your FIRST target.

I headed to Liberal, Kansas up Highway 83, eventually meeting with Verne Carlson, and intercepted the first tornadic supercell along Highway 54. After that storm weakened, we dropped south out of Hooker, OK and onto Highway 94 and 3 to get back to Highway 84 for a storm near Perryton, Texas. After intercepting this storm, we heard of multiple tornadoes around I-40 to the south near Clarendon, Texas - Too far to reach in time, and a mere 20 miles or so from my original target of Wheeler. Lesson learned - Stay true to your first target. A last ditch effort to drop south landed my along highway 70 to near Pampa, then back towards Wheeler, Texas along Highway 152. The tornadic storms were all a multicell complex of storms, so the chase was finished. I headed back east along Highway 152 to I-40, spending the night in Oklahoma City anticipating activity farther east.

On April 23, I left Oklahoma City for the moderate-risk chase in Arkansas (and in terrible chase terrain). This day actually had TWO target areas, one to the north to southeastern Nebraska for a cold core type event, and another area in Arkansas, the latter having the highest tornado possibilities. Verne (and many other chasers) chose the northern target, favoring better chase terrain. I decided to stick with my original target after what happened the day before. I headed east along I-40 until I got through Fort Smith, Arkansas and eventually to near Little Rock.

Storms began developing, and my first storm was encountered west of Little Rock near Perryville along Highways 9 and 10 and into Morrilton. This area is HORRIBLE for chasing as there are trees, winding and hilly roads. After this storm, I headed back to I-40 and through Little Rock and east on Highway 70 where a second severe storm was encountered near Lonoke. Traveling back in Highway 70 to I-40, I passed south of Little Rock and southwest along I-30 to head to new supercells in a better environment near Hope and Texarkana. The supercell was encountered near Prescott along I-30 and followed east and southeast along Highway 371 towards Stamps, Arkansas. The chase was wrapped up by heading back west on Highway 82 and spending the night in Texarkana. Little happened in the northern target area mentioned earlier.

A rude awakening occurred at my motel in Texarkana as I woke to a very severe storm at roughly 4:30 in the morning, where hail bounced into my room as I cracked the door. Unable to sleep much, I woke again at 7:30 AM and checked data. A high risk was in place, and a nice area of dynamics appeared to be in place in the extreme SE corner of Arkansas and into Mississippi. I left Texarkana and headed back east, generally along Highway 82, which winds its way across the state into the relatively better chase areas in SE Arkansas. I crossed over into Mississippi at about 11 AM or so, crossing the mighty river and catching up with Highway 61 to head south towards a developing supercell storm. This storm would be the violent supercell, including the tornado that hit Yazoo City, Mississippi.

I continued south on Highway 61, then east on Highway 12 to Highways 149 and eventually 49, negotiating the dangerous core of the supercell and avoiding driving into the tornado 9but desperately trying to keep up with the fast moving storm). The chase ended in a very sad way in Yazoo City, near Highway 49 and 16, where EF-4 tornado damage was observed. I stopped and helped out there for a few hours. After my "stay" in Yazoo City, I heded south on 49 to I-20, then took that all the way west into Dallas, Texas for the last night. On April 26, I left Dallas and flew back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

APRIL 21 TO APRIL 25 CHASE MAIN PARTICIPANTS

CHASER NAMEHOME CITYCALLSIGNCHASE DATESOCCUPATION
CHRIS COLLURASUNRISE, FLKG4PJN4-21 TO 4-25IT CONSULTANT

STORM REPORTS FOR APRIL 22-24, 2010

Above is a diagram with 3 images for the SPC storm reports for the days of April 22 (left), April 23 (middle), and April 24 (right) in 2010. In each of the reports, episodes of severe weather reported are shown by a red dot (tornado), green dot (hail at or over 1 inch), and blue dot (severe wind over 50 Knots). Black squares represent extreme winds (over 65 Knots) and the black triangles are giant hail (2" or larger). All three days had reports of all aspects of severe weather, with the least on April 23. The right image, ofcourse, shows the typical "outbreak" pattern. Note the long track of red dots on the right image, nearly completely crossing Mississippi from NE louisiana to western Alabama (the supercell that also prduced the Yazoo City tornado)!

FORECASTING AND TARGET AREA - APRIL 22

Above is a diagram showing the Storm Prediction center (SPC) forecast products for the areas in concern for April 22, 2010. To the left is the tornado probabilities, with a 10% (hatched) outlook area, pretty much in-sync with my forecast target area. In the middle and right images, are the MCD (mesoscale discussion) 342 and subsequent tornado watch 75 issued for the area, respectively.

FORECASTING AND TARGET AREA - APRIL 23

Above is a diagram showing the Storm Prediction center (SPC) forecast products for the areas in concern for April 23, 2010. To the left is the categorial risks, with a large slight-risk area, and moderate risk in Arkansas and Louisiana. Looking into the tornado probabilities in the middle image, a rather high 15% (hatched) outlook area is given for the moderate-risk, as well as a 10% area for the aformentioned northern target in Nebraska. The image to the right is for the areal (watch) product for tornado watch 80.

FORECASTING AND TARGET AREA - APRIL 24

Above is a diagram showing the Storm Prediction center (SPC) forecast products for the areas in concern for April 24, 2010. The most striking outlooks are in the left and middle images, showing a high-risk outlook and staggering tornado probabilities of 30% (hatched). Even more frightening is the large area the high-risk covers. To thr right, we see one of many tornado watches, issued for that day. The watch box (tornado watch 91) was also PDS (particularly dangerous situation) suggesting strong tornadoes, such as the one that struck Yazoo City, Mississippi.

ENERGY AND HELICITY - APRIL 24

Above is a diagram that shows something that you do not see every day. It is three forecast products, two from the NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research / RUC analysis model) and one from SPC. The left one shows the available CAPE (convective available potential energy) associated with the high-risk area outlooked by SPC, where all values approach 3000 Joules / KG. The middle image shows something I have never seen before, a helicity of over 1000 M-squared / s-squared, over a wide area! A helicity of 150 and over is more than enough for supercells. This yeilds and energy-helicity index (EHI) approaching 20 (any value over just 1 is good for supercells). To the right is a "cluster" of tornado watch boxes issued by the SPC, all active at the time.

STORM RADAR IMAGERY - APRIL 24

Here are some of the radar images of the violent supercell storm while it was near and striking the unfortunate town of Yazoo City, Mississippi. To the left, the base reflectivity shows a very wound-up HP supercell storm, with a "debris knob" - Possibly containing material lofted into the air by the violent (EF-4) tornado - On the SW side of the HP supercell storm. To the right, the divergence (velocity couplet) presented by doppler radar shows massive inbound and outbound velocities associated with the storm mesocyclone - Pretty much OVER the town of Yazoo City.

DETAILED LOG ALL CHASES

1). April 22, 3:30 PM - Interception and observation of an extremely severe thunderstorm between Guymon, Oklahoma and Liberal, Kanasas from along Highway 54 (Near Hooker / Tyrone) mainly in Texas County, Oklahoma and Seward County, Kansas. The storm was a classic supercell thunderstorm, and produced at least one weak tornado during its observed life-cycle of a couple of hours. A possible view of the brief tornado was made from a distance of about 5 miles. The storm core was not penetrated, but winds (inflow) of about 35 MPH were experienced, along with frequent lightning. The storm core also had hail at least golfball sized. Conditions causing the storm were a dryline / frontal boundary interaction (triple point), surface heating, a low pressure area, and strong winds (divergence) aloft / wind shear. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storms. Documentation was still digital photos and HD video. A tornado watch was also in effect for the area until 10 PM CDT.

2). April 22, 6:30 PM - Interception and observation of an extremely severe thunderstorm near Perryton, Texas in Ochiltree County from along Highway 83. The storm was a classic supercell thunderstorm with a possible tornado (not directly observed). The main core of the storm (also with 60 MPH+ winds and frequent lightning) was not penetrated, however, a region of large hail (1") covering the ground was encountered with inflow winds to near 50 MPH roughly 5 miles from the storm core (hail was falling from storm anvil). Conditions causing the storm were a dryline / frontal boundary interaction (triple point), surface heating, a low pressure area, and strong winds (divergence) aloft / wind shear. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storms. Documentation was still digital photos and HD video. A tornado watch was also in effect for the area until 10 PM CDT.

3). April 23, 4:00 PM - Observation of an very severe thunderstorm near Perryville, Arkansas in Perry County near Highways 9 and 10. The storm was a multicell storm cluster with an embedded and intense HP supercell. The storm was also tornado warned (radar indicated). The of this storm was not penetrated, but the chase path came across hail fig and a hail accumulation on the ground behind the storm near Harris Brake reservoir. The storm core contained winds to about 60 MPH and hail up to 1". The storm was followed to near I-40 and the town of Morrilton (where tornado sirens were activated). Conditions causing the storm were surface heating, a low strong pressure area, and strong winds / cold air aloft. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storms. Documentation was still digital photos and HD video. A tornado watch was also in effect for the area until 8 PM CDT.

4). April 23, 6:00 PM - Observation and penetration of a strong to severe thunderstorm near Lonoke, Arkansas in Lonoke County along and near Highway 70. The storm was a multicell storm and contained winds near 60 MPH, small hail, torrential rains, and frequent lightning. Conditions causing the storm were surface heating, a low strong pressure area, and strong winds / cold air aloft. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storms. Documentation was still digital photos. A tornado watch was also in effect for the area until 8 PM CDT.

5). April 23, 9:00 PM - Observation and penetration of a very severe thunderstorm near Prescott, Arkansas in Nevada County along and near Interstate 30 and southward along Highway 371 (eventually to near Stamps). The storm was a supercell storm (possibly tornadic) and contained winds over 70 MPH, large hail to about 1", torrential rains, and frequent lightning with some close hits. The tornado (if any) was not observed once in the rain-free region of the storm. Conditions causing the storm were surface heating, a low strong pressure area, and strong winds / cold air aloft. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storms. Documentation was still digital photos and HD video. A tornado watch was also in effect for the area until 3 AM CDT the next day.

6). April 24, 4:30 AM - Observation of a very severe thunderstorm at a motel off exit 223 of Interstate 30 in Texarcana, Arkansas in miller County. The storm was an intense multicell storm that pushed through the area, and the observation was made right at where I was staying for the night. Winds over 60 MPH, hail up to 1", some covering the ground and entering the room of the motel when the door was opened, torrential rains, and very frequent lightning with close hits. Conditions causing the storm were surface convergence, an approaching area of strong low pressure, and strong winds / cold air aloft in a highly sheared environment. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storms. Documentation was HD video. A tornado watch was also in effect for the area until 8 AM CDT.

7). April 24, 11:30 AM - Observation and indirect penetration of an extremely severe and violent tornadic thunderstorm from northwest of, and to near Yazoo City, Mississippi in Yazoo County from highways 49 and 61 with the chase coming to and end near Highways 49 and 16. This storm was a violent, and long-track HP supercells storm, that originated in northeastern Louisiana, crossed the ENTIRE state of Mississippi, then weakened in western Alabama. The storm was also a very fast-moving storm, so getting in front of the storm was difficult. The storm core had large hail and very strong winds. The most tragic aspect of this supercell was the large long-track tornado it produced, with a 100-mile long path, and a width of 1.75 miles! A brief view of this tornado, although rain-wrapped, was encountered in the storm core, about 3-5 miles northwest of Yazoo City. Tress / other small debris was also noted falling OUT of the sky in this area. A path was chosen to divert to the northeast and around the storm because of the danger, coming back around to 49 and heading south into Yazoo City. Winds at least 70-75 MPH were encountered in this area, from the east and southeast. The damage path was encountered behind the storm, still in strong winds and rain, and much of the area south of town, near Highway 49 and 16, had catastrophic EF-4 tornado damage. The chase had to be aborted to help with clearing roads / assisting emergency personnel in Yazoo City. The storm containued to the NE out of sight thereafter, as I was helping with the victims of the storm. Unfortunately, 4 people were killed in Yazoo city, so this is NOT a happy chase log. Conditions causing the storm were surface convergence, an approaching area of strong low pressure, and strong winds / cold air aloft in a highly sheared environment (divergence aloft and strong veering of winds with height). Helicity in this area was also a staggering 1000 with CAPE near 3,000 (and EHI of near 19)! A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storms. Documentation was digital stills HD video of the damage / emergency efforts. A PDS tornado watch was also in effect for the area until 1 PM CDT (and extended to 8 PM CDT).

This concludes the Chase Log for the US Great Plains, Midwest, and deep south tornado chase trip from April 21 through April 25, 2010. This chase summary includes a total of 7 strong / severe thunderstorms, out of which, 2 tornadoes were observed. One of the tornadoes was a violent long-track (EF-4) tornado that struck Yazoo City, Mississippi on April 24 with devastating, and fatal results. The main chase vehicle conducting all chases was a 2009 Kia Forte. This information was prepared exclusively for the National Weather service and the team of Skywarn storm spotters.

GALLERY FOR APRIL 21, 2010

Here is all my chase gear, clothes, and electronics packed tightly into a mere two carry-on bags for the 5 day chase trip. Packing light and in a carry on saved time and threat of equipment damage. I always love the expressions on the TSA people at the airport when the bags go through the X-Ray machine!
Here is a picture of the chase rental vehicle, a 2009 Kia Forte, ready to go with equipment mounted and running. The electronics are all powered by a long cable that clips to the battery terminal, protected by its own fuses, and runs to the invertor, laptop, radio, and such in a simple and quick setup.

GALLERY FOR APRIL 22, 2010

Here is a picture of the first developing supercell storm southwest of Liberal, Kansas (near and northeast of Guymon, Oklahoma at the time (view is southwest). Note the "turkey tower" of cumulus in the foreground billowing upwards, then getting toppled over by the directional (and bulk) shear.
Approaching the supercell storm near Hooker, Oklahoma. Nice rain-free base becomes evident.
Here is a radar image (base reflectivity) of the supercell storm as it was southwest of Hooker, Oklahoma. The view is to the southwest.
Looking closely at the wall cloud and updraft region of the supercell, a funnel / possible weak tornado is visible (center). The view is also to the southwest.
Here is another funnel that developed as the storm drew a bit closer, with a rotating wall cloud (center). The view is to the west.
Here is another picture of the rapidly rotating wall cloud / funnel just before the storm became occluded and weakened. This was near Hooker, oklahoma along Highway 54. The view is to the northwest.
This is a picture of the anvil blowoff at high altitudes near Perryton, Texas just east of another supercell storm. The view is to the south, and the interesting thing is the upper-level divergence (difluence) can be seen as the anvils (one from the supercell out of frame to the right, and from the storms farther away) get farther apart as one proceeds eastwards (to the left in this picture).
This picture appears to be far away from the Paerryton, Texas supercell storm to be concerned (it's updraft is far to the right to the southwest in this picture). However, hail up to 1" is falling from the anvil of the storm and into the "clear blue" air, and actually covered the ground at one point!
Interesting shelf cloud associated with a multicell / HP storm north of Pampa, Texas while headed south along Highway 70. The view is to the south, and the inflow can easily be seen going from left to right.

GALLERY FOR APRIL 23, 2010

These interesting wave / rotor clouds (looks like mid-level HCR's) were encountered in the mid-levels over eastern oklahoma / western Arkansas. Most likely this is a result of directional shear in the atmosphere.
This is the visibility out the front windshield during one of the severe storm penetrations near Lonoke, Arksansas.
This is a base reflectivity radar of the supercell storm not far from Prescott, Arkansas. Notice the white circle of my GPS position (heading was SW along I-30 and into the core and rain-free area) - Yikes!
A poor-visibility view from inside the supercell core near Prescott while it was producing 70 MPH+ winds and hail up to 1".
Cloud to earth lightning strike on the backside of the thunderstorm complex from near Beck, Arkansas.

GALLERY FOR APRIL 24, 2010

Here is a picture of the door of my motel room and hail coming into the door in Texarkana, Arkansas in the early morning hours of April 24. This night-time severe storm was the very start of a tragic day of severe weather.
Here is a view of the back-sheared anvil of the violent HP supercell storm about 30 minutes before it struck the town of Yazoo City, Mississippi. The view is to the south, and taken from near Hollandale.
This is another view, looking to the southwest, when closer to the soon-to-be Yazoo City supercell. The dry-punch of air creates a clear slot that pushes into the unstable air in a highly sheared environment (not the blow-off in the top of the picture, and cumulus line).
Destroyed church in Yazoo City, Mississippi near the junction of Highway 49 and 16.
Major structural damage in Yazoo City, Mississippi just west of Highway 49.
High end EF-3 to EF-4 damage in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Dazed - But otherwise OK - Yazoo City locals stand outside a building that was nearly completely destroyed by the tornado.
Locals wandering unscathed out of the hardest hit area of Yazoo city, along Old Benton Road. These people were very lucky, most likely because timely warnings were given for the storm, and they sought shelter in their basement / closet. Note the live downed powerlines in the foreground.
Freshly destroyed home on the south side of Old Benton Road, Note the ruptured water pipe creating a fountain.
Some Yazoo City locals, also lucky to be uninjured, standing aside an overturned (and mangled) pickup truck, as the first heavy equipment clears the way for emergency crews to enter the hard-hit areas off Old Benton Road.
The TVN (Tornado Videos) group of storm chasers was also on this storm, and also stopped to assist. Storm chasers do not like to meet one another in such dire places. It's a sad thing. The "Domonator" vehicle, very similar to the TIV, is also designed to penetrate tornadoes, but not ones as stong as this.
This is a chain-link fence after the tornado. The air flowing through this fence was filled with debris and "projectiles", which became trapped in the fence ... Try to imagine what would happen to anyone standing in this place during the tornado.
My part of the stop-and-help work was to help with clearing the roads of tree and other debris. Here a few locals were cutting up the fallen trees so they can be moved by a group of men. Each cut log section weighed hundreds of pounds ... But the tornado moved these as they were whole trees (along with vehicles, roofs, etc) as if they were blowing dust.
this road sign, all twisted and mangled, was no match for the 170 MPH+ core winds of the Yazoo City tornado. This was also one of many "objects" that moved around the tornado's debris field at aircraft speeds during the storm.
Destroyed bill board sign on the south side of Yazoo City near Highway 16 and along Highway 49.

GALLERY FOR APRIL 25, 2010

The painful reminder of the Yazoo City tornado disaster is mirrored on CN on one of the televisions at the Dallas Airport as I wait for my flight back to Florida. Going home with this in the back of my mind (having experienced the event first hand) is quite humbling.
The distinct signature of a thunderstorm updraft peeks above the turbulent high-altitude cirrus deck while flying over the northern Gulf coast and encountering the line of severe thunderstorms (near eastern Alabama at this point) on April 25. The white "dome" (lower-center) is the top of a thunderstorm updraft, probably 50 to 100 miles away. We were flying at about 38,000 feet.

CHASE LOG FOR MAY 8 TO MAY 13, 2010

Above is a map of the chase track and such from the period of May 8 through May 13, 2010. The inset in the upper-left shows the flight (green path) to and from Kansas City, Missouri and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Kansas City was the "base city" for this trip, and a 2009 Kia Forte was used in all chases. The main map shows a blue "chase and travel" path, and includes the states of KS, MO, and OK. Each red "X" denotes an observation point of severe weather. The "][" symbol denotes a confirmed tornado that was observed. A total of 2,239 miles were put on the rental vehicle in the period from May 8-13.

CHASE SUMMARY FOR MAY 8 THROUGH MAY 13, 2010

This was a 6 day chase trip to the central USA with 4 days available for chasing and 2 travel days. I left Fort Lauderdale, Florida and flew into Kansas City, Missouri (with a stop in Orlando, Florida) on the evening of May 8 and picked up the rental vehicle, a 2009 Kia Forte, the same vehicle used in the last chase trip. I began the drive west into Kansas along I-70 and stopped for the night in Salina, Kansas. May 9 was not expected to be even a marginal chase day, so I spent most of the morning analyzing data and setting up the equipment in the chase vehicle. I decided that a good choice for May 10 (Monday's) target will be in south-central Kansas, from west of Wichita but not as far as Pratt. I pretty much headed south on I-35 to highway 54, then west to Pratt. I took a extra trip and visited Greensburg, Kansas to check how the rebuilding went 3 years after an EF-5 tornado destroyed the town in 2007. I headed back to Pratt and then south along Highway 281 to Medicine Lodge, a pretty good starting point for May 10.

Some elevated storms were noted on radar after checking in to Medicine Lodge, and with time to spare I headed east on Highway 160 for about 60 miles to check if anything interesting can be found within the high-based overcast. I headed as far east as I-35, but storm motions were very fast, despite a severe storm warning on one of the storms. The storms, if any, were very high based, and above a mid-level layer of clouds associated with the EML, so it was difficult to visually see them from any distance. I was able to tweak my equipment and get everything working, then I headed back to Medicine Lodge via Highways 166 and 49, then back along Highway 150 and into Medicine Lodge for the night.

The first major chase day of this trip was Monday, May 10. During this day, three severe thunderstorms were intercepted, two of which were significant tornadic supercell storms. The day started by forecasting early in the morning at Medicine Lodge and deciding the area from near Tonkawa to Enid may be a good first start for a chase target. I left Medicine Lodge, Kansas by heading out on Highway 160 to Harper, then south into Oklahoma on Highway 132, then east to Enid to check more data over lunch. Menwhile, the Storm Prediction Center had a high-risk outlook for north-central Oklahoma and eastward, with a 30% hatched tornado probability. Upon checking data, it was a good idea to work a bit west for expected initiation of severe storms. I headed north out of Enid on Highway 60, then west to Nash on Highway 64 to wait / check data. The SPC posted Mesoscale Discussion #507 and subsequent PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) tornado watch box #147 valid until 10 PM CDT. By about 2:30 PM, a small convective shower developed southwest of Lambert. This small storm would be the first violent supercell of the day.

The initiation was observed from west of Nash and along highways 64 and 58. The storm quickly intensified into a supercell storm, and I stopped farther north near Highway 11 and 38 while meeting up with some chasers (Chris Kridler and Scott Mcpartland). We headed north and east along E0090 road before breaking off. I continued east to stay ahead of the rapidly developing storm, which produced a large multi-vortex / wedge tornado near Medford and Wakita, and eventually towards Renfrow. I had to bail out of the tornadoes path south of Renfrow and take Highway 11 out of Medford to go east. I lost sight of the HP storm and a second attempt to catch up with it along Interstate 35 near Braman failed as it weaked / construction (exit was closed). I left the storm favoring another supercell near Ponca City, Oklahoma, about 25-30 miles to the south. This was at about 5:30 PM.

With no way to get back on I-35 south out of Braman, I chose Highway 177 down to Blackwell and east on Highway 60 to and past Ponca City. The storm was encountered east of Ponca City, and large hail and a possible rain-wrapped (weak) tornado was observed. Farther east, the "bears cage" of the storm was entered, with a very large rain-free base from south of Shidler and east to near Pawhuska. An additional two tornadoes were observed, one south of Shidler, and the other in the distance towards Pawhuska to the east. The storm weakened by about 7 PM. Another severe storm was encountered by heading up Highway 99 out of Pawhuska to the storm near Sedan, back over the border in Kansas. This storm was not tornadic, and it was allowed to continued off to the east as I headed east on Highway 166 to Highway 75 to go back south. Winds gusting to near 60 MPH were encountered in a non-convective wind, probably associated with the passage of the dryline boundary. I continued into Oklahoma and south to Highway 20, then headed west and northest into Ponca City for the night.

May 11 was to be a slight risk chase day, and with quite a bit of driving and refining positions, I was rewarded with two beautiful supercells and a brief tornado from the second one. I forecasted and decided on a target area anywhere from Seiling, Oklahoma to possibly as far south as Clinton. I wanted to stay true to my target and not abandon west-central Oklahoma had I chose to go south. I left Ponca City and headed west and south to Enid on Highways 60 and 64, stopping in Enid to check data. Two areas stuck out, one to the west (original target around Seiling) and another to the southwest. I was reluctant to go southwest because of a strong cap in place, near and south of I-40. A warm-front and dryline intersection was also progged to affect the northern option AFTER the southern storms will fire in the high CAPE environment. I left Enid, and headed west to Waynoka on Highways 412 and 281, then south to Seiling to wait a bit. I noticed the small cumulus was gone in that area, with some cumulus noted via satellite developing in SW Oklahoma.

I decided to drop south a bit by heading back east on Highway 60 then south on Highway 51, stopping in Watonga to again check data. The SPC had a 5% probability for tornadoes in a slight-risk area, and issued mesoscale discussion #517 and subsequent tornado watch box #151, valid until 10 Pm CDT. This matched nearly perfectly with my forecasted area(s). I continued to monitor satellite and still saw growth in cumulus to the southwest. I left Watonga via Highway 33, then south to I-40 on Highway 54. I positioned myself a bit west on I-40 and near Highway 183 to assess if initiation was going to happen. An area of agitated cumulus, and a small radar return was noted going up in SW Oklahoma. It was time to head south on Highway 183 through Cordell and check out the development.

The developing storm quickly became an LP supercell storm, and it was followed from south of Cordell to near Carter on Highways 152 and eventually 6 back up towards Elk City. The LP storm looked great for some time, then, to mine and about 200 other chasers' suprise, it basically shriveled into northing, leaving only an orphan anvil behind. I met up with Brian Morganti and folks with their tour group near Carter, and called the first LP storm quits and decided to work our way north back towards the warm front / dryline interaction. There was plenty of time to go back to I-40, then east to Highway 183 to go north. Upon reaching Highway 183 and passing through Arapaho, weak and linear development was noted along the warm front, which was draped along a WNW to ESE line near Putnam.

The effects of the dryline / warm front boundary became quickly evident as large towaring cumulus was quickly growing to the west once I got to near Putnam. I decided to head west on Highway 47 towards Leedey, and go north on Highway 34 from there towards Vici. The storm quickly became a supercell storm because of the boundary interections. I headed west on Highway 60 through Vici and towards Harmon and Arnett, targeting the updraft region of the intense supercell storm. A brief tornado was observed from a distance of a couple of miles over open country near Harmon. Ironically, this location is a mere 15 miles from Seiling, my original target for the day - Driving home the point that your FIRST target is usually the best. After that, the storm weakened to an LP supercell and slowly dissipated, lasting a while after sunset. I headed back in highway 60 to Vici and north of Highway 34 to Woodward, Oklahoma. I finished the day by traveling east and northeast on highways 412 and 281, through Waynoka and spend the night in Alva, Oklahoma.

May 12 was thee last day available for chasing and a relatively good setup existed from Oklahoma and into southern Kansas. I forecasted and found that a good play would either be in south-central Kansas (near Wichita) or in SW Oklahoma, both with a slight possibility for tornadoes, with the northern target being a supercell to linear evolution. The Wichita area was chosen becauswe the Oklahoma area would be too far (returning to FL from Kansas city the next morning). I left Alva and headed east along Highways 64 and 11 towards Medford, stopping near Wakita and Renfrow to survey some damage from the May 10 tornado. I continued east on Highway 11 to Blackwell for lunch and checking more data. It appeared the good area for the chase target was to be in and west of Wichita, Kansas, so a route was chosen north on I-35 to Wichita. A region of convergence and backed SSE winds was noted just west of Wichita, along with a slow-moving cold front / boundary stretching from a weak surface low in western Oklahoma to near Kansas City. A cap was in place, but began to erode by about 3 PM with the approach of an upper shoertwave.

At about 2:30 PM, the SPC issued MCD #527 for the area, and a large tornado watch #155 after that, valid until 10 PM CDT. The area was also outlooked in a slight-risk, and a 5% to 10% probability of tornadoes. By roughly 3 PM, the stalled front began initiating storms northeast of the surface low from NW Oklaghome near Alva to west of Kingman. A large HP supercell storm was intercepted with this activity near Kingman, and another later near Spivey, the first being close to producing a tornado (rotating wall cloud). The highways involved near Kingman were Highways 400 / 54 and southward along Highway 15 to near Spivey near Highway 42. After the second storm, the storms evolved into an outflow-dominant MCS with winds to 70 MPH. The chase was wrapped up at around 6:30 PM with a return along Highway 54 into Wichita then north on I-35 to Highway 254, then Highway 77, and Highway 50 to go east and northeast. I picked up I-35 into Kansas City, staying for the night off I-435 near Kansas City Airport.

Another severe storm blasted through the area before midnight, damaging signs and having winds over 70 MPH. I packed up the equipment, returned the rental car, and flew back to Florida the following morning (May 13) with a delayed flight change.

MAY 8 TO MAY 13 CHASE MAIN PARTICIPANTS

CHASER NAMEHOME CITYCALLSIGNCHASE DATESOCCUPATION
CHRIS COLLURASUNRISE, FLKG4PJN5-8 TO 5-13IT CONSULTANT

FORECASTING AND TARGET AREA - MAY 10

May 10 was the first (and very big) chase day on this trip. In the diagram above, we see a high-risk outlook for Kansas and Oklahoma issued by the Storm Predictions Center (SPC). In this area, a staggering 30% hatched tornado, 45% hatched hail, and 30% destructive wind probability was issued. In the middle image, PDS tornado watch box (Particularly Dangerous Situation) number 147 is shown. Notice the probability of all modes of severe weather (including violent tornadoes) is "high" across the board! To the far right are the store reports for May 10. Unfortunately, the high-risk verified and numerous reports of tornadoes, hail, and strong winds occurred. This activity includes the severe storms (including tornadoes) I was chasing, as well as a destructive tornado affecting the area of Oklahoma City and points eastward (again). Tornadoes appear as red dots, hail as green, and wind reports as blue dots. Excessivelt high winds and large hail (over 2") appear as a black square and black triangle, respectively.

FORECASTING AND TARGET AREA - MAY 11

May 11 was a slight-risk chase day, with a 5% probability of tornadoes as per the SPC (Storm Prediction Center products in the left image. The slight risk (and tornado probability) was due to an "triple point" where a dryline and warm-front intersect, and is clearly denoted by the MD (Mesoscale Discussion) #517 in the middle image. The right image shows a radar (reflectivity) image of a tornadic supercell storm that formed along that same "triple point", at that time, a bit farther north into NW / W-Central Oklahoma (the same storm that produced the brief tornado north of Harmon / west of Vici). A previous supercell storm (not shown here) developed earlier near Cordell, Oklahoma, but was not long-lived.

FORECASTING AND TARGET AREA - MAY 12

May 12 was the final active chase day of this chase trip. On this day, the SPC outlook was set to slight-risk with a 10% tornado outlook stretching from south-central Kansas to NW / N Central Oklahoma. The setup included a low-pressure system over Oklahoma, Dryline, and slow-moving cold front extending from the low in Oklahoma and northeastward into Kansas. The MD (Mesoscale Discussion) #527 shows the low, dryline, and frontal system involved. Subsequently, tornado watch box #155 was issued for a large area in Kansas and Oklahoma. My target was in south-central Kansas due to the position of the surface low as well as being close to Kansas City for my return trip the following morning.

SATELLITE IMAGERY - MAY 10-12

The diagram above shows the satellite imagery for the storms (either during upscale development or maximum intensity) on May 10, 11, and 12, respectively, from left to right. The left image is the most impressive in this set, with a powerful dryline (you can exen make out the dust kicked up to the left of the image) crashing into a Gulf of Mexico airmass and initiating severe storms and tornadoes. The large complexes of storms in north-central Oklahoma are the ones that produced the tornadoes near Wakita, Medford, and east of Ponca City. To the south, is the destructive tornado-producing storm that affected Oklahoma City and points east. In the middle picture, we see an isolated tornadic supercell forming at dusk in the vacinity of Harmon, Oklahoma on May 11 (time is UTC, so it's the following day on Greenwich Mean Time). The image to thr right shows the multicell storms that affected south-central Kansas and north-central Oklahoma on May 12 during the afternoon.

STORM RADAR IMAGERY - MAY 10

The diagram above shows some of the most impressive supercell radar images possible. The violent tornadic supercell storm that affected north-central Oklahoma on May 10 happened to pass very close to the Vance Air Force Base radar site (VNX). This was also the same storm (the first northern storm) I was chasing that day. The white "circle" in the two left images shows my position relative to the storm. The left image is the base reflectivity (in DBz) of the supercell, while the middle image shows the inbound-outbound (gate-to-gate divergence) velocities. A very impressive "flying eagle" signature appears in teh reflectivity image to the left, where the middle shows over 150 knots of divergence / shear, indicating a distinct TVS (tornado vortex signature). The large yallow "triangle" denotes the hail core of the storm (to or exceeding baseball sized). The striking image to the right shows my view towards the southwest at about the time these radar images were being sampled (developing wedge tornado with a width of a mile or more).

DETAILED LOG ALL CHASES

1). May 10, 4:30 PM - Observation of an extremely severe and violent tornadic thunderstorm in Grant County, Oklahoma from near Highway 81 and the town of Renfrow. The storm was a classic supercell thunderstorm that evolved to a violent HP storm that produced at least two tornadoes, both multi-vortex in nature, and one a wedge tornado west of Renfrow, Oklahoma. Both tornadoes were observed, one (near Wakita, Oklahoma) from a distance, and the multi-vortex / wedge from a few miles directly in its path. Large hail was also observed falling from the anvil of the storm, up to 1", with 50-60 MPH inflow winds. The main core of the storm was not penetrated. Light rain and frequent lightning was also noted with the supercell. Damage was anywhere from downed trees to major damage to homes in the tornados path, particularly near the town of Renfrow. The storms were caused by an intense (Colorado) low-pressure system, upper-level low, dryline and warm-front (triple-point) interactions, and surface heating. Documentation was digital stills and HD video. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storm. A PDS tornado watch was also valid for the area until 10 PM CDT.

2). May 10, 6:30 PM - Observation of an extremely severe and tornadic thunderstorm in Osage County, Oklahoma from near Highway 60 and from Ponca City to near Pawhuska. The storm was a large classic supercell thunderstorm with multiple areas of rotation. An indirect penetration was executed across the storm core and rain hook, and into the rain-free (mesocyclone) of the storm. Hail up to 2" was observed, with very heavy rains, lightning, and 60-70 MPH wind gusts. A possible tornado, although rain wrapped but weak, was encountered west of Burbank, Oklahoma. Leaves / tree debris was also noted falling from the sky. Farther east, two tornadoes were observed, one at a distance, to the east near Pawhuska, and another closer to the north of Highway 60 near Shidler. Tree damage and downed powerlines were encountered with this storm. The storms were caused by a strong low-pressure system, upper-level low, approaching dryline, and surface heating. Documentation was digital stills and HD video. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storm. A PDS tornado watch was also valid for the area until 10 PM CDT.

3). May 10, 7:30 PM - Observation and penetration of a very severe thunderstorm in Chautauqua County, Kansas from near Highway 99 and Highway 166 near the town of Sedan and eastward to southeast of Havana. The storm was a supercell storm, possibly formerly tornadic, evolving to an intense line segment as the dryline boundary surged in from the west. The storm had winds gusting near 60-65 MPH, torrential rains, lightning, and small hail. The storms were caused by a strong low-pressure system, upper-level low, dryline, and surface heating. Documentation was digital stills. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storm. A PDS tornado watch was also valid for the area until 10 PM CDT.

4). May 11, 5:30 PM - Observation of a short-lived but severe thunderstorm southwest of Cordell, Oklahoma along Highway 55 and towards Carter in Beckham county. The storm was an LP supercell developing ahead of a dryline bulge. During its high point, it probably had dime-sized hail and strong inflow winds (over 35 MPH). The core of the storm was not penetrated. The strong capping inversion, and lack of substantial forcing to over come it, caused the storm to quickly dissipate, leaving only an orphan anvil behind. The storm was caused by a dryline, upper trough, surface trough, and surface heating. Documentation was digital stills and HD video. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storm. A tornado watch was also valid for the area until 10 PM CDT.

5). May 11, 8:30 PM - Observation of an extremely severe and tornadic thunderstorm west of Vici, Oklahoma along Highway 60 in Ellis and Woodward counties. The storm was a supercell thunderstorm, starting out as classic (or even HP), and weakening to LP before dissipation. The core of the storm contained hail to 2", but was not penetrated. A tornado was observed in the rain-free area as well as a large RFD clear slot northwest of Harmon. Frequent lightning and 40+ MPH inflow winds were encountered as well. The storm had a very striking visual appearance (BWER "vault" and "barber pole" updraft striations) during its LP phase near dusk. The storm was explosively developing on the intersection of the dryline and warm-front boundaries, and was supported by strong winds aloft, an upper trough, a low pressure trough, and surface heating. Documentation was digital stills and HD video. A 2009 Kia Forte was used to chase the storm. A tornado watch was also valid for the area until 10 PM CDT.

6). May 12, 4:30 PM - Observation of a very severe and possibly tornadic thunderstorm near Kingman, Kansas in Kingman County near Highways 400 / 54 and east of Highway 14. The storm was an HP supercell storm, developing in a broken line / cluster of severe storms. The core of the storm, containing hail up to 3" was not penetrated, but hail ahead of the storm to golf-ball size was observed. Heavy rains, 60 MPH winds, and frequent lightning were encountered. A large wall cloud was observed near Kingman before the storm became outflow dominant. The storm was caused by a low pressure system / trough, upper trough, surface heating, and a frontal boundary / gravity-wave interaction. Documentation was still photos and HD video. The chase vehicle was a 2009 Kia Forte. A tornado watch was in effect for the area until 10 PM CDT.

7). May 12, 6:00 PM - Observation and penetration of another very severe thunderstorm near Spivey, Kansas in Kingman County near Highways 42 and 14. The storm was an HP supercell storm, embedded in a broken line / cluster of severe storms. The storm was indirectly penetrated, and a wall cloud / large rain-free base was observed. The storm quickly became outflow dominant, and produced winds to 70 MPH (blowing dust / gustnadoes were observed ahead of the storm gust front). Small hail, torrential rains, and frequent lightning with some close hits were also observed. The storm was caused by a low pressure system / trough, upper trough, surface heating, and a frontal boundary. Documentation was still photos and HD video. The chase vehicle was a 2009 Kia Forte. A tornado watch was in effect for the area until 10 PM CDT.

8). May 12, 11:30 PM - Observation of a very severe thunderstorm from a hotel along Interstate 29 and just east / south of Interstate 435 in the northern sections of Kansas City, Missouri in Platte County. This severe storm was observed from a motel while wrapping up the chase trip, and was an intense blow / squall line segment. Winds over 70 MPH with sideways torrential rains, small hail, and frequent lightning with some close hits were observed. A Mc Donalds sign was damaged across the parking lot during the storm. The storm was caused by a cold front and attendant low-pressure system, upper level low, and warm air advection (low-level jet aloft). Documentation was HD video. A 2009 Kia Forte was used in this storm chase. A tornado watch was also valid for the area until 12 AM CDT.

This concludes the Chase Log for the US Great Plains and Midwest storm chasing trip from May 8 through May 13, 2010. This chase summary includes a total of 8 interceptions with 8 severe thunderstorms observed. As many as 7 tornadoes (5 confirmed) were observed, two of which were very destructive. The main chase vehicle conducting all chases was a 2009 Kia Forte. is TBD. This information was prepared exclusively for the National Weather service and the team of Skywarn storm spotters.

GALLERY FOR MAY 8, 2010

Here is a picture of an intense multicell cluster of strong and severe storms north of the Florida / Alabama coast while flying from Orlando, Florida to Kansas City, Missouri. The airliner is circumnavigating the severe storms at an altitude of 34,000 feet, providing this great view of the storms (and lightning visible in broad daylight) from the right side of the aircraft (view is to the north).

GALLERY FOR MAY 9, 2010

Here is the SAME chase vehicle (a red Kia Forte) I used on my previous chase trip - Same color too - Ready to start chasing and equipment installed.
Interesting sign on the eastern part of Greensburg, Kansas. This was a town that was devastated in early May of 2007 from an EF-5 tornado. The entire town was rebuilt with energy efficiency in mind ... And a sense of humor too!
Although not a very active chase day, with gloomy and grungy weather most of the day, some fast moving elevated storms managed to show up on radar by early evening on May 9 in extreme north-central Oklahoma near I-35.

GALLERY FOR MAY 10, 2010

Here is a picture of the first major supercell storm during its very early stages of initiation. This storm was southwest of Vance, Air Force Base in northern Oklahoma. Beleive it or not, this small and innocent looking storm will eventually grow to a violent supercell and produce multiple tornadoes, including a multi-vortex / wedge tornado later on near the town of Rentrow.
This is the same supercell storm's updraft and anvil blow-off as it approached Wakita, Oklahoma and just when it started producing tornadoes. The view is to the southwest and I am about 10 miles WSW of Rentrow.
The supercell storm intensifies explosively and this dusty and wide wedge tornado develops to the southwest of Rentrow, Oklahoma. Getting this shot was literally a few minutes before the tornado, moving to the ENE at 60-MPH, would have reached my position.
Here is a view of the multi-vortex / wedge tornado just before it beared down on Rentrow, Oklahoma. At least two sub-vortices (smaller tornadoes) can be seen "dancing" within the main tornado circulation.
Doppler radar reflectivity image from Vance Air Force Base of the Wakita / Medford supercell during maximum intensity. This is got to be one of the most impressive radar images of a violent supercell I have ever seen. Note the "eye" like feature in the hook "knob" to the lower-left of the supercell!
Another violent supercell produces hail over 2 inches in diameter east of Ponca City, Oklahoma along highway 60. This storm also produced tornadoes, one near Pawhuska and another south of Shidler.
First view of a tornado on the ground near Pawhuska, Oklahoma off in the distance (image is enhanced, and the tornado silhouette is in the center of the image) from the supercell storm east of Ponca City. The view is to the east.
Another tornado from the supercell storm east of Ponca City and south of Shidler, Oklahoma. The view is to the north, and this tornado is NOT the one near Pawhuska above (this supercell had multiple mesocyclones / tornadoes).
Another view of the tornado in its later stages and becoming slightly rain-wrapped south of Shidler, Oklahoma.
Large wall cloud associated with the older mesocyclone to the west of Shidler, Oklahoma just as the tornado south of that area formed from the new meso.
Beautiful line of heavy cumulus, illuminated by the setting hazy sun to the west, associated with the passage of the potent dryline looking east north of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

GALLERY FOR MAY 11, 2010

Here are two of the University of Massachusetts DOW (doppler on wheels vehicles) headed down Highway 183 to an initiating LP supercell southwest of Cordell, Oklahoma.
This is a picture of an LP supercell storm that has initiated along a bulge in the dryline southwest of Cordell, Oklahoma. The small single updraft has an impressive anvil "crown" spreading overhead. The supercell updraft region is to the lower right. The view is to the west.
About an hour later, the LP supercell southwest of Cordell, Oklahoma basically evaporated into nothing. Convective inhibition / lack of forcing was the culprit leading to the demise of the LP storm. The view is northeast.
One of the storm chasing tour groups, with storm chaser Brian Morganti, second from right, scratching his head and deciding to go north after the LP storm southwest of Cordell "vanished".
Farther north into nortwestern / west-central Oklahoma, a triple point (warm front and dryline intersection) causes initiation of more storms in a focused region. Once developing supercell breaches the "cap" and explosively develops west of Leedey, Oklahoma. The view is to the west.
Here is a view of the same supercell undergoing explosive intensification near the dryline / triple-point. The view is to the west and northwest, and was taken a mere 15 minutes after the previous photo above.
The supercell storm moves northeast away from west of Leedey and northwest of Vici. This brief tornado was caught from along Highway 60 between Vici and Harmon, Oklahoma. The storm weakend to LP and dissipated about an hour later.
Here is the same supercell, still "anchored" on the triple-point, weakening to LP (low precipitation) with a spectacular "barber pole" updraft column at dusk about 10 miles south of Woodward, Oklahoma.

GALLERY FOR MAY 12, 2010

Damage to a farm stead near Wakita, Oklahoma. This damage was done by the edges of the circulation of the large tornado that went through the area on May 10.
Here are some of the TVN (TornadoVideos.Net) group headed north on I-35 into Wichita, Kansas. The "Dominator" vehicle, with Reed Timmer, is in the lead.
Here is a picture of my dewpoint / temperature sensor console, showing a dewpoint of at least 70 degrees F (lower left). Such high dewpoints indicate that moisture from the Caribbean / Gulf of Mexico has advected into the central US.
Severe storms, with embeeded HP supercells, explosively develop along a slow-moving cold front west of Wichita, Kansas. The anvil / mammatus can be seen overhead with agitated cumulus in the lower levels.
This is the inflow notch into an HP supercell storm, developing in the severe storm cluster, near Kingman, Kansas. A possible funnel is in the center of the picture.
The same storm, now northeast of Kingman, Kansas, during evolution to an outflow dominant MCS. The mescocyclone is still present in the dark area in the center of the picture, but cold outflow is undercutting it, precluding the development of any tornadoes.
The gust front and shelf cloud of the now outflow-dominant storm northeast of Kingman, Kansas.
The storms become outflow dominant, creating a large gust front and a microburst can be seen here kicking up a dust plume. This is near Kingman and west of Wichita, Kansas.
This feature, looking east towards Wichita from near Kingman, shows a possible gustnado (swirling dust picked up by a strong gust front).
Interesting RFD cleat slot on the "rotating head" cell on the north side of the outflow-dominant bow segment. The view is to the north.
A severe thunderstorm, associated with a bow-segment of severe thunderstorms, blasts through the area north of Kansas City near the airport (near my motel) during the late night of May 12. Some signs, including the Mc Donalds sign here, were damaged by the storm, with winds exceeding 70-MPH.

GALLERY FOR MAY 13, 2010

First light the next morning on May 13, after severe storms rolled through late at night, north of Kansas City and a damaged Mc Donalds sign.

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