JamesCaruso
Staff member
Been home over a week but still catching up on chase reports...
I tried a different approach to my chase trip this year, a mix of remote work and chasing so that I could stay on the Plains longer and use PTO more productively. I began the day in Midland, expecting a short drive to the target and assuming I would be able to work a solid half day or more before heading out. The hotel wouldn't give us a checkout any later than 12:30, so I booked the room for a second night, so now I was committed to returning from wherever we ended up.
My target was roughly Lamesa to Big Spring. The last data I checked was 18z. I went back to my work and hit the road at 2pm, planning to take a work call from the car. Pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road, I was surprised to see the eerie yellow light of blowing dust. Knowing something was up, I checked radar and saw popcorn echoes all around, from northwest of Lubbock to south of Midland. I realized that a tornado watch had already been issued. I was dismayed to find that my target was between two different MSDs, and on the northern edge of the Severe Thunderstorm Watch instead of inside the Tornado Watch. I wasn't sure why - see my post in the Events thread.
We picked up a weak LP cell near Odonnell. Nothing much to look at, but I enjoyed the moment with my son at an intersection in classic, pancake-flat chase terrain, with wind blowing eerily through the power lines. This is some of the absolute best chase area, with an extensive road network superimposed on excellent terrain.
![IMG_9314.jpeg IMG_9314.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42834-6fcc27be570cb270345974d60467872b.jpg)
This storm died, so we intercepted another that we chased for hours from north of Brownfield, to Tahoka. It exhibited a decent, rounded rain-free base at times, but it looked better on reflectivity than it ever did in-person. At one point we were getting some sporadic large hailstones, falling individually from the sky like meteors and hitting the road with a splat. Fortunately, we were able to drive between them as we continued east, bailing south as soon as we could.
We bailed on the storm around 8:15pm to head back to Midland. In retrospect, we should have checked out of that hotel; it would have been much easier to stay in Lubbock.
![IMG_9315.jpeg IMG_9315.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42830-7962d8fe4e8ba3db3f62f22d8f47679a.jpg)
![IMG_9316.jpeg IMG_9316.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42831-57025747cec3ce1acb35b7e1fe4dc294.jpg)
![IMG_9317.jpeg IMG_9317.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42832-3e3c90ebac4f7bc10b1db253745426bf.jpg)
![IMG_9318.jpeg IMG_9318.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42833-61a127c02055bc0c530317cfb3012089.jpg)
I tried a different approach to my chase trip this year, a mix of remote work and chasing so that I could stay on the Plains longer and use PTO more productively. I began the day in Midland, expecting a short drive to the target and assuming I would be able to work a solid half day or more before heading out. The hotel wouldn't give us a checkout any later than 12:30, so I booked the room for a second night, so now I was committed to returning from wherever we ended up.
My target was roughly Lamesa to Big Spring. The last data I checked was 18z. I went back to my work and hit the road at 2pm, planning to take a work call from the car. Pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road, I was surprised to see the eerie yellow light of blowing dust. Knowing something was up, I checked radar and saw popcorn echoes all around, from northwest of Lubbock to south of Midland. I realized that a tornado watch had already been issued. I was dismayed to find that my target was between two different MSDs, and on the northern edge of the Severe Thunderstorm Watch instead of inside the Tornado Watch. I wasn't sure why - see my post in the Events thread.
We picked up a weak LP cell near Odonnell. Nothing much to look at, but I enjoyed the moment with my son at an intersection in classic, pancake-flat chase terrain, with wind blowing eerily through the power lines. This is some of the absolute best chase area, with an extensive road network superimposed on excellent terrain.
![IMG_9314.jpeg IMG_9314.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42834-6fcc27be570cb270345974d60467872b.jpg)
This storm died, so we intercepted another that we chased for hours from north of Brownfield, to Tahoka. It exhibited a decent, rounded rain-free base at times, but it looked better on reflectivity than it ever did in-person. At one point we were getting some sporadic large hailstones, falling individually from the sky like meteors and hitting the road with a splat. Fortunately, we were able to drive between them as we continued east, bailing south as soon as we could.
We bailed on the storm around 8:15pm to head back to Midland. In retrospect, we should have checked out of that hotel; it would have been much easier to stay in Lubbock.
![IMG_9315.jpeg IMG_9315.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42830-7962d8fe4e8ba3db3f62f22d8f47679a.jpg)
![IMG_9316.jpeg IMG_9316.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42831-57025747cec3ce1acb35b7e1fe4dc294.jpg)
![IMG_9317.jpeg IMG_9317.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42832-3e3c90ebac4f7bc10b1db253745426bf.jpg)
![IMG_9318.jpeg IMG_9318.jpeg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/42/42833-61a127c02055bc0c530317cfb3012089.jpg)