01/08/08 AR/TN/MS/KY Discussion

[Heidi Farrar]

I was out three seperate times today, each time within 20 miles from home. Not a significant chase by any means, but with storm motion, conditions, and lack of impressive storms, it wasn't worth trying to make a huge day of it. The highlight of the day came at around 1:30 PM, when I was able to get into position to intercept the gust front. Because of the usual issues with terrain, roads, motion, etc., I've found that intercepting gust fronts is not only an easy way to get a storm fix, but it's actually do-able here, and therefore is pretty satisfying. Here are a few photos, taken southeast of Franklin, AR on a high flat grassland -- a favorite spot of mine for storm photography, given that there are relatively few trees, and it's only a few miles from home.

This was looking southwest -- I forgot to put the polarizing filter back on my lens (17-35 mm) after it got water droplets on it earlier this morning.

Looking northeast, taken from the same position. The cows were hoping I was going to feed them.

Also looking southwest ... the tail end of the gust front was closer to me here, and these clouds were pulsing into the main line. (Geez I wish I'd had my polarizing filter on here!)

 

[Heidi Farrar]

Okay, now for some clarification ... something just didn't seem right to me about this being called a gust front, so for those of you who saw this and said to yourself, "Hey, that's not a gust front but I'm not going to bother saying so...," I agree. This was kind of a peculiar-looking line, and I have experienced several *real* gust fronts from this exact location, so I think the characteristics it was exhibiting that DID look like a gust front are what led me to call it one. This was, upon reflection, caffeine rejuvenation and a good night's sleep, a secondary line of weak, moisture-starved, highly sheared (low-topped) storms that fired behind the main line of severe and tornado-warned storms in east Arkansas. I think that the line probably formed because of outflow from those storms, but it was not the leading edge, so I guess it wouldn't be accurate to call this a gust front. Even though it looked and acted somewhat like one.

... And we'll all sleep better tonight knowing of this ... right? RIGHT?!?!

 

[Danny Neal]

With the risk of posting this is the report thread, and not discussion thread, it seems like those pictures are of a flanking line.

 

[Heidi Farrar]

With the risk of posting this is the report thread, and not discussion thread, it seems like those pictures are of a flanking line.

Now for what will hopefully be the very end of my "report." Sorry it has taken this much.

After consulting with our chief met., as well as another met., as well as realizing and accounting for the duh factor, I can now state once and for all that the line of clouds visible in the photos I originally posted is the cold front. Yes, yes, okay, I know. It should have been easier and far, far less painful than I have made it. With minimal lift and instability remaining after the passage of the pre-frontal, more intense line of storms, this was the result as the front finally pushed through. This line was clearly visible on radar and stretched for probably 60 mile at the time the photos were taken.

In conclusion, this chase was obviously an absolute disaster, and I will probably be made to stand in line for quite some time if storm chasing should ever become a regulated pursuit requiring a license.

(That was a joke. )

 

[Martin North]

Please use this thread for discussing photos and not the reports pages.