Brief:
Drove overnight/pre-dawn hours from Kalamazoo, Michigan to eastern Oklahoma, dropped south of Tulsa upon arriving (with little to no sleep) around 2pm and viewed cb'O'genesis occur to my southwest/overhead. Watched/shot video/slides of the Broken Arrow cell from birth until tornado genesis before dropping south to intercept the next SUP down the line near Bixby/Leonard. Waited and waited for tornado genesis before dropping S again (now meeting up with Tim Jones and his friend Chris). At Haskel; we dropped southwest of town and got up close and personal to the intensifying meso/wall cloud. Apx. 1/2 mile from our location, observed a picturesque tornado just to our SW for about three-five minutes. (See report below).. eventually getting within 100 yards from it (too close for comfort). Eventually dropped S to the next cell, then headed E on I-40 towards Muskogee around sunset. What a show; my only complaint was that I had no chase partner (thus created navigation problems here and there).
Full:
I still haven't had a chance to write up *last* weekends chase; so I'll sum that up here. Broke my long standing Iowa curse on Saturday, April 17 with a high-based tornado warned supercell W of Mason City. Spectacular lightning display, marble hail to the eye -- it was great... and in Iowa! Stayed overnight in Albert Lea Saturday; with more convective debauchery transpiring after dark (arriving to tornado sirens in Albert Lea). Chased north of the Twin Cities Sunday; numerous high-based SUPs that went TOR warned but didn't produce. Back for exams on Monday; chased the unexpected IL/IN outbreak Tuesday, exams all day Wednesday... then after a 1 hour nap, departed Kalamazoo for Oklahoma Thursday morning at 1:30am ET.
Wednesday (in-between exams) was a mad-scramble to get Thursday-Friday off from work and round up a chase partner(s). No luck with the later; everyone, except a tempted Jim Leonard, was able to chase. Unfortunately sky rocketing air fares and the last minute nature of departure prevented Jim from flying into OKC. Okay, no partner -- except the potential of meeting up with one on the road later... alas, departed Kalamazoo (as previously noted) around 1:30am. Reached Litchfield, IL by dawn, where I was forced to pull off and get a one hour nap in. Carried on, grabbing some sickly Burger King from breakfast and continued the haul across Misery.. ahem, southern Missouri.
Keeping myself awake by doing Roger Hill laughing impressions/other tomfoolery, continued the drive; stopping for stretch breaks here and there before entering NE. Oklahoma. Was informed of an MD from one of the two Chris's nowcasting for me (Novy or Gullikson), which highlighted my target region of Pauls Valley to Seminole. Still pressing on thru the strat'o'soup, finally broke out of it at Tulsa. Thru the widespread Strato/fracto CU, noted towering CBs to my S/SW. I dropped S on HW75 and sat at Glenpool; watching (what would be) the Broken Arrow/Tulsa tornadic supercell approch my location from the SW. Another base developed overhead (will have to go back on the video log and see if *this* was the developing Broken Arrow cell), and moved slowly NE at 15. Received a call from Jim Leonard, informing me of better CAPE and instability to the S... yet, the dilemma was blow off the developing Broken Aarow cell (which looked to be getting it's act together visually) and head S; or stick with these first cells in the backed E/SE winds. After some harsh debate and tasty beef jerky, I decided to commit to the Broken Aarow storm.
Dropped S to HW67 taking that E to Bixby; before heading N on 64/169 into the bussling town of Broken Aarow. The meso which was broad to begin with really started getting it's act together just to my E/NE. Driving E on 101st/New Orleans St., the wall cloud rapidly intensified and tornadogenesis occured. I was unable to view this as trees/buildings/school buses obscured my view... in fact the only way I knew a tornado was on the ground was from the frantic sounding spotter on Channel 8 (KTUL?) screaming "TORNADO ON THE GROUND!!!" several times on live TV. Lots of traffic, but attempted to get E as quickly as possible. Wall cloud was in view as I eventually intersected with EW69 (was New Orleans St.) and HW51. 51 took me on an E/SE jaunt, before I choose a random "local road" (heading E then N). Tripoded and shot stills/video of the large meso/possible tornado (low contrast) to my N. Became bamboozled with Joe Sixpack local yokels before packing up and dropping S to the next cell down the line near Bixby.
I had visual on the new storm/base to my W/SW; thus backtracked and headed W on "local road" (EW71 RD???) towards the new meso/wall cloud. Wish I had a chainsaw while on chase, but eventually found a good spot on the Tulsa/Wagoner Co. line. Tripoded and let the meso move E towards me. Wearing sandals, I proceeded to sink/get briefly stuck in apx. 1 ft of mud.. nearly loosing my once clean (yet smelly) Ralph Lauren sandals. Allowed the meso to get just overhead before darting/backtracking back E on "local road". The meso/wall cloud really began to wrap up and tornadogenesis was once again imminent. The road dead ended, but fortunatly had a S option (NS 414 RD)directly to Coweta. Sirens blared in Coweta as a new meso developed to my SW. Tripoded and let this come at me; before shooting E on the convient HW51 towards Wagoner.
Met up with Tim Jones and his friend Chris; whom had real-time radar/GPS in their vehicles. Being that I was working with "Roads of" like the old fasion, budget savy (just call me cheap) chaser I am; decided to caravan with Tim/Chris through the jungles. Dropped south to a new and promising SUP near Haskell. Meso/wall cloud structure looked nice while heading S on HW64; then W on "local road" (???). Passed TAMU team and a few others before heading S on another "local road" just prior to tornadogenesis, Tim and Chris continued S into the trees (why???) as I stopped and videotaped the tornado less than 1/2 mile to my SW (moving E). Tripoded, but didn't shoot any stills (darn); then decided to get a bit "Pitrowski'esque" and head S towards it. Now, this was very foolish, as I lost visual of the tornado momentarily as I headed into the trees (just to the N of its eastward moving path). Tim and Chris were just to my S; and fortunatly were stopped by a flooded roadway. I peaked the hill just in time to see debris pass within 100 yards of Chris/Tim (300 from my location) before turning around and getting out of there.
Blated N and noticed multi-vortex action (or was this my imagination) -- before backtracking and pulling off on the E-W road. Wow... I was estatic at this moment. Okay, this post is long enough... sooo... summing up. Stayed with the Haskell storm and encountered a plethora of chasers, locals, and little children runing rampant across HW62 near Jamesville before stopping off E-W HW 64/62/16. Tripoded and shot slides of the meso as it was phasing; yet Tim, Chris and I all agreed to commit to the storm just to our S. Headed back W and dropped S on HW62/72. Stopped again briefly as the base of the Haskell storm lowered to a bowl (did another tornado occur???). Continued S and got slammed by wrapping precip/hail. Called off chase after following the cell to Muskogee.
Ok --- Red box just went up W/SW of here; so Gary Wellman, Melissa Moon, and I need to get on the road.
*MANY* thanks to Chris Gullikson, Jim Leonard, and Chris Novy for the helpful forecasts/nowcasts while chasing Thursday!
Departing Norman shortly.
..Blake..
