3/21/05 NOW: TX, OK, AR, LA, MS

[George Tincher]

OK, we have storms firing already SW of Dallas and severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect, so I figured I might as well go ahead and get a NOW thread started for today's action.

 

[Billy Griffin]

BIG CLUSTER OF STORMS AROUND THE DFW REGION CURRENTLY. Some have well defined signatures on radar, but it's all a cluster of storms right now. About 50-75 miles behind that, the squall line forms with storms rapidly going up all along the line.

 

[George Tincher]

Reading through some of the AFD's, San Antonio is saying that there will be a second batch of storms generated later today along the dryline, while it sounds like Norman is saying this morning batch will be the show. I really hope the main show isn't the stuff that's ongoing right now, otherwise I'm afraid there won't be much of a show. There will be lots of severe weather I'm sure, but I doubt it'd be a chasers paradise exactly.

 

[Gabe Garfield]

I definitely think that this current batch isn't the main event...I think the Norman AFD writer is in error. SPC forecasts new storms to form this afternoon in the form of discrete supercells with tornado potential...so I think the thinking is still the same (I am not sure what the AFD writer was thinking).

At any rate, good clearing associated w/ the dry slot has occurred. So, barring any unforeseen convection, we should be in good shape as far as insolation is concerned.

Gabe

 

[Dan Cook]

Yea it looks like this stuff already fizzled out. No new warnings in almost a half hour; Radar returns showing just rain for the most part.

 

[Chris C Sanner]

I definitely think that this current batch isn't the main event...I think the Norman AFD writer is in error. SPC forecasts new storms to form this afternoon in the form of discrete supercells with tornado potential...so I think the thinking is still the same (I am not sure what the AFD writer was thinking).

At any rate, good clearing associated w/ the dry slot has occurred. So, barring any unforeseen convection, we should be in good shape as far as insolation is concerned.

Gabe

I'd bet he is seeing as the OUN HWO mentions a second round of convection later today as well

As for me, I'm leaving in about two hours for North Central Texas it looks.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

This early stuff was just the first round of convection ahead of the approaching system and was referenced in the outlook language as only preliminary activity prior to the expected show later this afternoon as the dryline becomes active. Chasers should watch the dryline and work their way a few miles ahead of the bulge. This thread should probably either die and be resurrected with the real show later, or go bye bye for now.

 

[George Tincher]

OK, just checked the Norman AFD and HWO's again and that wording I saw earlier has been changed. The way it was worded earlier made it sound like this morning's batch of storms that were developing would form a line and start moving east, being the main round of storms for the day. Glad that isn't the case!

That stuff now seems to be dying down, especially in TX and with any luck we'll get some nice heating and insulation taking place.

BTW, sorry if starting this thread early has created any problems. I just figured it was justified being there was severe weather in progress along with a watch being issued. That's seems the usual procedure around here.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

This is just a reminder to review that special Target Area forum guidelines and rules at http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1039 ... While all copied/pasted NWS products above have been cut down to include only the relevant information, it is Target Area policy (and generally good practice) to make a comment on the information being copy/pasted. All of us reading the NOW posts are most likely already aware of things like SPC outlooks, watches, etc... So, there probably isn't a big need to post NWS products (warnings, watches, severe weather statements) unless it's really something to talk about (e.g. a warning mentioning volleyball-sized hail, or an AFD mentioning 110mph wind potential, etc).

(3) Prohibited content. Stormtrack strives for a very high signal/noise ratio in Target Area since many chasers use this forum on the road and can't sift through pages of fluff. These items are prohibited and will result in Target Area privilege suspension:
-- NOAA/NWS products or bulletins posted in their entirety. If you post such a product, trim it to the bare minimum and always include informational comments.

 

[Jay McCoy]

Tornado watch issued for Oklahoma from the Kansas border to the Texas Border. Looks like folks who chose the NW target near the low will get 1st shot at storms.

 

[J.B. Dixon]

Towers trying to go up on the west edge of OKC at 1905z. I think it's officially on.

 

[Jason Branz]

Towers are going up like gangbusters (1915Z) just east of OUN. They look crisp and sharp from the WNI office on Highway 9.

JB

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Yeah - it's definitely time to bring this thread back to life! ... Note the CU fields now appearing in N-S orientation throughout the length of the watch box ... I'm primarily interested in the southern half of this box right now, where the dryline is bulging to the east. Minis are about to break out down there. The line also extends into Texas, so I wouldn't be surprised by an additional watch soon.

 

[Lance Maxwell]

Sitting here in Norman about to bust east on Hwy 9 as I observe some beautiful towers quickly shooting up east of here in the vicinity of Shawnee.

 

[J.B. Dixon]

Yeah - it's definitely time to bring this thread back to life! ... Note the CU fields now appearing in N-S orientation throughout the length of the watch box.

Yeah, I think it's safe to say we've got our instability taken care of. LOL