2-22-05 Brownwood Chase 'Tuneup'. That's right...it's February and I said 'chase'! BTW looking around yesterday I noticed it was about
85 degrees, and some of the Red Bud trees already have their purple flowers out. Plus many of the
trees around here in Central Texas are budding leaves! What's with the weather?
Anyway, I took a fairly brief review of the weather situation this morning and picked the area
bounded by ABI/JCT/SJT. However due to other commitments I was unable to leave until after 5pm. I
actually left about 5:25 knowing it would most likely be dark by the time I got to my destination. I
decided I didn't care because I wanted to see some weather and lightning again and I figured I'd
check out all the equipment.
I shot up to Brownwood and arrived just after dark - about 7 pm or so with some drops of rain
falling. Along the way I tested my analog cell connection via Verizon and Earthlink and STILL no
analog connects. I don't know what the deal is. I think it may be an Earthlink issue. Perhaps their
modems won't answer on such low speed settings i.e. 4800 baud.
I figured it was dark so I thought I might start heading back, but first I decided to check out the
new Brownwood Starbuck's. That's right..Brownwood is now uptown. They have a Chili's too.
I knew the cell was further west and took up about a whole county. However there wasn't much
visibility and it was very dark. Otherwise I might have 'bee-lined' to it. When I was sitting in
the Starbuck's parking lot about to leave the NWS radio went off with a tornado warning for Leaday
just to my west.
742 PM CST TUE FEB 22 2005
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
SOUTHWESTERN COLEMAN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
NORTHEASTERN CONCHO COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
NORTHWESTERN MCCULLOCH COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
* UNTIL 830 PM CST
* AT 738 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR LEADAY...OR
ABOUT 16 MILES EAST OF PAINT ROCK...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
ALSO...THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE GOLFBALL TO BASEBALL SIZE HAIL.
LAKE IVIE WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS TORNADIC STORM.
* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
STACY BY 745 PM CST
VOSS BY 755 PM CST
GOULDBUSK AND MOZELLE BY 805 PM CST
I thought of going straight for it, but I had no radar. For some reason Brownwood appears to have
only analog cell towers. My cell was constantly reading Analog Extended Area. I've had plenty of
hair raising night tornado encounters so I told myself without radar I should just head home.
I proceeded down 183 SE to Mullen. However there was a west road there and I thought of all you
chasers out there that couldn't chase this one and I thought 'Darn It, I know so many of those
guys/gals would just love to have a shot at this and I just pass it up'. SO, out west I went down
all the farm roads. I made it all the way to Trickham which was east of the previous path. There
was some fairly significant lightning to my north and due west not too far. Warnings of very heavy
rain and flooding with golfball or larger hail...'This is a DANGEROUS STORM!' - You know the
routine. So, I pulled over and set up the camcorder. I hung the tripod out the window and put the
cam on it. I never got out. I did this until it starting raining. I think I got some OK lightning.
Probably some good bolts, but nothing extreme. I next raced NE to Brownwood again and stopped at
the Taco Bueno - it was pseudo bueno but I was hungry. For a brief moment I thought I'd have a race
with the hail to Brownwood, but ended up not having a problem. (Although right now I see the thing
appears to be a bow echo.) From there I headed home.
I may post a short clip of the lightning tomorrow. I'll make a few notes of some issues with the
vehicle and equipment. That's why these early 'tune up' chases are good. I feel pretty good that
the only torn warning of the day ended up being in my small box. Not sure if there was anything to
it cause I couldn't investigate, but a warning I suppose is better than nothing.
