5/12/04 Reports: KS,CO

[Shane Adams]

Yeah, it's like anything else. Believe me, I was digging the wifi camp out in Woodward; seeing things in the sky and then watching it on the computer on maps and satellites was really cool, kinda like the best of both worlds. Our online observation of the S Plains surface data showed a huge dryline push into NW OK, right over our heads.....looking away from the computer and up at the sky also told the same story; huge billowing cu fields were persisting N/NE/E/SE of us while the western and southern skies were becoming virtually clear.

It's a big help (and a deserved one as well) to be able to have technological assistance in the field once you've learned to do it from the hip. But it's always nice to have field experience to fall back on in situations where the technology just can't help.

J.R. and I had a cool conversation about this. Lots of kids coming right outta the box with the wifi and other technological wonders, robbing themselves of the much-important experiences of exposing oneself to the sky, naked and vunerable. After a few comments and shaken heads on this topic, we both then decided to step out of the hot sun and into the air-conditioned comfort of his chase ride, where we gawked over many screens of varying data :lol:

 

[Jim Bishop]

Now that I've finally got a few of my pics online, here's the link.
http://stormgasm.com

Sounds like everyone was successful on this day. Congrats to all. 2004 finally produced in the great plains.

We're working on video stills and video. Man, what a day!

Jim Bishop

 

[Earl Faubion]

Decided to edit out my rant since it was aimed at myself. This chase day can be summed up as one with a good game plan and poor decisions in the field. Live and learn.

 

[Tony Laubach]

I have most of my images up; just awaiting final locations and times before writing the lengthy entry! This is the blood and guts of it, so enjoy!

http://www.tornadoeskick.com/log040512.html

Also, anyone else on these storms anywhere in Kansas/Oklahoma please let me know so I can include a link to your report on my site!

Still reeling from the entire day :shock: ! It was absolutely incredible!!!
8)

 

[Dan Robinson]

Finally finished my full report with more photos, 35mm slides, digital photos and video captures:

http://wvlightning.com/may122004.html

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I have most of my report completed... It can be viewed at http://www.tornadocentral.com/chasing/2004...04/051204.shtml .

I'm still working on the synopsis, etc, but the bulk of it is there. I am awaiting the development of my slides that I shot, so as soon as I get them, I'll throw them up on the website in place of some of the video stills.

 

[Amos Magliocco]

Posted some new images of the tornado that approached State Highway 2 near the intersection of 160 which some of us saw a little too closely. This is how far behind on imagery I am. One day at a time, I guess.

http://www.blacklandprairie.net/chaseblog.html

 

[Andy Rice]

May 12th Storms

I know I am posting this very late... but just got my membership accepted!

First Storm Chasing Trip... First Tornado....

Me and one of my high school friends decided to take a one week vacation storm chasing, which is something we had talked about doing for two or three years.... Good chasing partners in the fact that I had the meteorology background and he had the navigation/HAM/gadgetry know-how...

We drove all the way out from Portland, Or which was grueling... making it in one day to Cheyenne WY on the 10th. On the 11th we spend the day chasing a cell north and west of North Platte, learning a little of the ropes. We made some dumb choices, and after a little struggle caught ourselves a minor downcropping. Learning Experience.... that you don't have to be always driving to follow a storm.

The 12th was very different. Woke up in North Platte at 8AM and busted south towards Southern Kansas, Northern OK. Since I work for one of the major weather data providers for TV... I have an office full of nowcasters with access to amazing amounts of data!!! I made it to Pratt, KS at about 3PM and felt the wind change from N to S and the humidity grow in less than a minute. Saw a bunch of chasers but being the newbie I was didn't say hello like I should have! Went W on 54 and then S on 183 and then E on 160.... Sat on the top of a hill on 160 halfway between Coldwater and Medicine Lodge for 2 hours.... A decent cell started up to our West and another to our SE.

After some adventure with my buddy almost getting bitten by a snake... some Austrailian guys showed up on the hill and we talked with them for a little while. Decided based on the VILs that the cell to my SE was going to have a lot better access to the moisture and we should track it.... As we drove E on 160 and through the rain and light hail I REALLY questioned my decision, especially since the DOW's were going N and W from the hill we were on and a TOR was issued for the storm they were chasing. But we came out of the rain and a tornado was just touching down S of Sharon. This one was on the ground for 10 minutes.... Then around 8 we saw the tornado form to the S of Attica and just miss the town. There was another brief spin up and then a bigger one that was near the intersection of 2 and 160. Finally saw one just to the south of Harper.

The rest of the trip took me on a set of storms that lined out on the 13th south to Fort Worth... to two Royals-A's games on the 14th-15th (I am a big A's fan so this was the 2nd highlight of the trip). A nice wall cloud in North Central Nebraska on the 16th(missed 2 tornados due to some poor navigation choices on my part)... then back to Oregon on the 17th-18th (I have never seen so many Billboards for WALL Drug!).

But I'm hooked.... see you next year!

 

[John Gnuechtel]

Color me extremely lazy, or slow, or whatever. I'm gonna go with "busy at work". But I finally got around to posting pictures from this event. They're directly at my web site, www.amazingcheese.com/051204. I haven't tossed the bad ones yet, so minor sifting will be necessary.