2012-06-12 Reports: NM, TX, CO

[Marcus Diaz]

**UPDATED WITH NEW PICS**

We basically chased down in southeast NM and got a couple of nice supercells near Hobbs.

The storm east Eunice, NM went tornado warned but there was no way we would catch it due to the core. So we opted for the lightning ops near Jal, NM

But after those storms clustered up and dived south, we blasted north to intercept the tor warned supercell near Clovis, NM. We were graciously treated to a once in a lifetime photo opportunity. Best strucure in my life (at night no less), and a tornado to top it off. The tornado can be seen on the bottom right-hand side of the base. This was when the storm was near Dora, NM. We let the storm approach us and it was clear it was weakening.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

Just fyi, I May have drowned my engine going through Clovis in the flood waters. So getting all the likes and thanks make the trip almost worth it, lol.

 

[Eric Birch]

I finally stopped watching some soccer and doing some studying that night just in time to see the tornado by St Vrain, NM as the hook appeared and it became torn warned. Unfortunately, I was unable to get my camera out in time by time I could figure out I was looking at the tornado. I also recently got a new dependable truck to do some chasing in but not willing to sacrifice it to the hail god yet. I did get 5-10 good dents through down in Portales, NM where they had those 4.5 '' stones. I just wish I had gotten out of town sooner and set up waiting and having some beer or something.

As far as flooding in Clovis, I can believe it especially if you came through with the storm that left hail drifts all over and blocks of ice floating down the street at 11:30 at night. Yet again, I had to stay up monitoring the storms to make sure I moved my truck in the garage.

I saw one of my fellow pilots flying into base in a CV-22 when I finally decided to make my move and it looked so nice silohuetted against the storm. The lighting out of the storm west of Clovis that went through Muleshoe was amazing and more reason I wish I wasn't trying to do so many different things at once in my life but oh well.

 

[William Reid]

My chase account for the House/Melrose NM supercell (west of Clovis) is here.

Watch video >

William Reid
Westlake Village, CA
[email protected]

 

[jaredleighton]

Left Lawrence, KS with Josh Boustead very early in the morning with the intent to get to W. Texas Panhandle, but as we drove west the target migrated west with us. We ended up near Ft. Sumner, NM at initiation. The supercell took a while to get organized, but around sunset it became one of the most unique and picturesque supercells I've seen, highlighted by the saturn-like rings that surrounded the updraft (these rings put on a pretty impressive display in the timelapse). Photography took a hit when the 40-50 mph inflow caused a lot of dust to get kicked into the air. At this point we called off the chase near Clovis, as it produced a couple brief tornadoes south of town. Instead of the tornadoes I was able to capture a rare lightning-lit storm structure photo with clear skies and stars surrounding the storm. Anyway.......

For a full chase summary and pics: Slight Risk - June 12, 2012

Youtube - Clovis, NM Supercell timelapse; June 12, 2012

 

[Ben Holcomb]

Had high hopes for the day and chased down by Jal, NM with David Drummond. My recap can be read here http://www.benholcomb.com/Chase-Accounts/20120612

Photo gallery is here http://www.benholcomb.com/photos/stormchasing/20120612

Cool point of the night was the huge oil flare flame as the high winds came into Goldsmith. Either they turned it up or just the high winds fanned the flame, but it light up the sky like day.