2014-09-01 REPORTS: KS/OK/MO/IL

[James Gustina]

Wow was yesterday unexpected. Noticed the little confluence zone where the outflow boundary intersected the dryline at the sfc cyclone. After mulling our options (and checking the 17Z LMN sounding) we rolled out for Blackwell around 4:45. For the first time this year, we timed it perfectly where initiation coincided with when we arrived, and we had a developing supercell undergoing a cell merger just across the state line in Kansas to our north near Arkansas City. We hopped north on 35 then east onto US 166 before turning north towards Gueda Springs and watched the first RFD surge/attempt at tornadogenesis.

We then dropped south onto a road that parallels the state line (it was stupid dirt unfortunately) and weren't able to maneuver properly after it's third or fourth occlusion with awesome structure. We missed the tornadoes but still got a photo of the setting sun under another storm's updraft to the west followed by lightning shots just east of Mulhall.

 

[John Farley]

Mods, can MO and IL be added to the thread title? A visually-impressive supercell moved through the northern part of the St. Louis metro area last night. Looking northwest from Troy, IL as the storm moved across Madison County, IL, I was able to get some nice lightning shots and a good view of the meso, which was illuminated by lights from the business area along IL 159:

Sorry this one is a little shaky; with the lightning as close as it was, some quick hand-held shooting was all I dared. Here is a radar image of the storm around the time these shots were taken:

This storm was at least slightly elevated which limited its tornado potential, which is fortunate since it moved over heavily populated areas. Another supercell that formed later, farther to the south, was more surface-based and did produce a brief EF-1 tornado in Jefferson County, MO.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I was on the same storm as John, slightly earlier as it was passing north of Pontoon Beach. Very frequent and intense lightning!



I later got on the second (previously tornadic) storm as it approached Freeburg, IL. Stout inflow into the storm at this stage with a huge hook/notch on radar:



The storm rapidly fell apart as it approached.

 

[Jeremy Jones]

2014-09-01 REPORTS: S. KS

A little late getting my chase log in, but here it is.

I started the day off in extreme N. OK watching the first couple attempts at initiation fail to materialize just N. of Caldwell, KS.
Hopped on the first storm in my target, at that same location. Followed this storm to East of Arkansas City. Amazing structure
pretty much the entire time I was on it! Below is a couple of shots plus my timelapse.



Watch video >