Tony Cook
EF2
Drove West from Austin on Highway 290 to I10. Passed a decent looking cell along the way that was still in the organizing stage. Here's a cap of that cell (looking south):
I left this cell, opting instead for a quasi-line with a tornado warning at its southern end a couple of counties further west. Data was scarce, so I did not realize that soon thereafter, the cells to my east (possibly including the one I drove away from) were strengthening. Hit the main line at Ozona, TX on I10. Huge wind shift and rapid temp drop. Some nice Mammatus at a very distinct and turbulent boundary on the line's gust front (lloking NE):
I left this cell, opting instead for a quasi-line with a tornado warning at its southern end a couple of counties further west. Data was scarce, so I did not realize that soon thereafter, the cells to my east (possibly including the one I drove away from) were strengthening. Hit the main line at Ozona, TX on I10. Huge wind shift and rapid temp drop. Some nice Mammatus at a very distinct and turbulent boundary on the line's gust front (lloking NE):
However, the severe and tornado warnings at the line's southern end (Where I was) had went away. The line developed a nice shelf cloud as I turned back east and raced back into the warm air. Here's a vidcap of the arcus, which stretched from NNW to SSE far beyond the range of my image here (note that the apparent tornado under the shelf base to the left of center of the image is an internal reflection from something in the car):
Continued East and got data at Sonora, TX- doh! Cell with tornado warning 120 miles east of me close to where I had been 2 hours earlier (This could have theoretically been the stoirm first the first shot above). Continued east towards home. New cells developed along and south of Hwy 290 in Gillespie County in my path. I collided with one of these after sunset, which went severe west of Fredricksburg, TX. The southern flank stayed just north of 290 for a while, and I get some decent, lightning-illunminated footage of a persistent, wall-cloudish feature (looking N, just above the treeline):
This storm then moved NE away from 290, and I continued home through moderate and occasionally intense downpours. Fun but frustrating chase on a day I didn't expect much. If it hadn't been Sunday, I would have sat this one out, but I did get to some explore some new geography, and do 80 mph legally on I10.
Miles: 465
Quarts of oil: 1
Hours: 9
This storm then moved NE away from 290, and I continued home through moderate and occasionally intense downpours. Fun but frustrating chase on a day I didn't expect much. If it hadn't been Sunday, I would have sat this one out, but I did get to some explore some new geography, and do 80 mph legally on I10.
Miles: 465
Quarts of oil: 1
Hours: 9
Speeding Tickets: Zero!
TonyC
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