Setup and Expectation of Goals. After reading the models, Craig Maire and I thought that this chase would be primarily a hail/structure threat, with short-lived tornadoes as a possible side treat. Holding firm to the "late afternoon/night" scenario also predicted by others, we set out from Wichita, Kansas at 1 P.M., believing that area to be dry until the early morning hours.
We targeted the Guthrie, Oklahoma area originally, centering ourselves between both the southern potential and the northern triple point setup. After learning from a weather update that southwestern oklahoma had the remaining daytime threat, we set out for that area in general and, later upon a nowcaster call, Corn in specific. We reached our first destination in Corn at approximately seven in the evening.
First target: Corn. At the time, we were heading south of Corn to chase the cell that everyone else was on. However, the cell north of Corn developed a wall cloud in a field, right in front of our eyes. After stopping and shooting brief footage and photographs of this storm, Craig judged it to be too high-based and lacking in rotation, so we headed south and gave up the northern storm.
Second target: Gotebo. We headed approximately thirty miles south/southwest of Corn to chase the more promising cell. We flanked the storm and ended up in perfect view north of Gotebo of a nice wedding-cake structure with some low-hanging scud and a possible small funnel. Judging that the tornado potential was high enough to warrant staying a few miles east of the structure, we observed the entire formation as a whole and found ourselves in perfect position to pick up some hail.
After watching and recording the cell for nearly half an hour, we headed north to the tip of the hail core at sunset and snagged a few shots of baseball-sized droppings.
Third target: more night terrors. Minco. After a brief break at an I-40 gas station, we headed thirty miles east to a tornado-warned storm. We took the 281 South exit from the interstate, took a farm road detour, and ended up in a situation much like Abilene two weeks ago: a forested area with hills out in the middle of nowhere at dark, with a tornado-warned cell approaching. Upon losing our phone signals, we were left on our own, eventually finding our way to Minco before reconnecting with the nowcasters.
Fourth Target: Guthrie. Although we attemped several times to intercept the storm, we could never get a perfect marriage of reliable cell coverage and sturdy positioning. Judging that the cell had taken on HP characteristics, we decided to pull back to more reliable cellphone territory and chase the beast as it moved north of Oklahoma City.
We observed the newly exploded cells and flanked them north, and ended up back at Guthrie when the tornado warning was issued for Edmond. Since we had Level 3 working on Sprint Wireless at the time, we spotted the rotation over the city of Edmond and growing possibilities for the outer edge of the same cell to produce some massive hail, so we decided to shelter up at the Guthrie Best Western, where we hoped to watch the hail come through.
That edge itself ended up rotating strongly, enough to produce a tornado warning for the Guthrie area and set off the sirens in that town. Although the cell reduced in power as it approached our area, we observed nickel-sized hail while interstate travelers (barring truck drivers, of course) scurried and scrambled inside the local gas stations.
Fifth target: Tonkawa, and Conclusion. After my own faulty and poor positioning later on a northern storm that had previously produced a tornado warning near the Enid area (and getting cored in punishment), we decided to call it quits on the chase. Due to my experiences, I have gained an increased respect for night chasing situations. This one in particular was an incredibly heart-pounding and dangerous night chase, and I was thankful to have Craig Maire in the passenger seat and Fabian Guerra as our primary nowcaster throughout the event. Thanks go out to all of the others who called in with help!
Videos and photos. A video of the cake structure and photos of our captured hail may be found
here.
