• While Stormtrack has discontinued its hosting of SpotterNetwork support on the forums, keep in mind that support for SpotterNetwork issues is available by emailing [email protected].

5/15/09 REPORTS: TX/OK/KS/MO/IL

Intercepted the central IL HP supercell and followed it (or let it chase me) from NE of Griggsville to Champaign. It was one of my longest pursuits of a tornado warned storm as I was on it for almost four hours. Thank god for IL roads. Almost all the roads in the grid were paved so it was easy to stay ahead of the fast moving HP sup without getting munched.

At the initial intercept I was completely unconvinced about the storm and its longetivity. It was behind the boundary and it appeared be bowing out. There was almost nothing happening under the base. After following it for a few miles I dropped back down to 72 and headed east to Springfield to catch something new. A new cell formed south of 72 but the base of this storm was elevated and unorganized. However, when this storm merged with the original tornado warned storm, a real HP beast developed. I was able to get into the notch a few times noting a very dramatic base, make-you-stay-in-your-car CG, and an attempt at a wall cloud. Unfortunately, this stom was mostly bark and no bite. It seemed perpetually gusted out and on the cold side of the boundary. I finally let it core me when I got to Champaign county noting winds approaching severe level and some half inch hail.

09051505.jpg

09051506.jpg

09051507.jpg
09051509.jpg

09051510.jpg
 
Chased the same storm as many others (like Chad) and had some of the same views. We wanted that storm to ride that outflow boundary so badly, but it got sucked into the line before it could really do anything. Considered chasing the storm to the north of Topeka, as it looked like it had a hook on it for awhile, but no strong rotation and we didn't want to drive through the initial line to get there. 670 miles and nothing but some quarter-sized hail back up in Cameron, MO when we drove through the early-day MCS to get to NE KS. I call that a chase FAIL :(
 
Pictures as promised from NE of Pampa...
 

Attachments

  • May 15 Tornado.jpg
    May 15 Tornado.jpg
    4.1 KB · Views: 90
  • May 15 Tornado2.jpg
    May 15 Tornado2.jpg
    4.3 KB · Views: 86
  • May 15 Tornado3.jpg
    May 15 Tornado3.jpg
    15.2 KB · Views: 90
  • may 15 storm.jpg
    may 15 storm.jpg
    8.6 KB · Views: 80
  • DSC_0234.jpg
    DSC_0234.jpg
    8.5 KB · Views: 121
LIke many others chased the Pamap tornadic storm and saw at least 2 seperate tornados. 1st one was NW of hwy 60 just east of Pampa and then again south of hwy 60 as it heade towards Lefors. Damage reported on the east side of Pampa and also a few trailer houses hit in Lefors along with power lines and trees down. Still about 6000 without power last I heard. Followed it down to McClean where a storm from the south merged with it and killed it in minutes or I think it was about to proiduce another tornado very close to McClean on I-40.

Hope to get some video up soon as a figure this new Sony Vegas 9 out.
 
Started out late - left OKC at 2PM. Went west on 40 then north at Clinton and moved in on the Pampa cell. Got almost to the notch and was pulled back into the state. Went to Hollis for food and fuel the back up 30 to 9 and flew east to try and meet the tip of the bow-echo. I found it... along with numerous gustnadoes. I drove through one of them (not at 115) here is the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAfCLfhSiA

Paul
 
My experience with the C IL storm for this day was not far off from the others except I stayed conservatively to the SW for having my nephew along and was intently focused on his safety. Our closest intercept was at Illiopolis along Mt. Pulaski blacktop which is a terrible N/S option so once we were overtaken by rain, we dropped S to the interstate and enjoyed the show from a distance. Suffice to say I feel this was an incredibly photogenic storm from no matter what view point one was able to see it. Noted a couple chasers who went by including a mini van with what appeared to be an acrylic dome on top housing some kind of equipment. I have to hand it to you Andrew, I am positively amazed by your ability to nail down such a small target long before the first CU even went up. Full report on my blog.

IMG_5830b.jpg


IMG_5841b.jpg


IMG_5872b.jpg


(and congratulations to all who were out both here and down S.) :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Texas Panhandle chase

Good chase for us. Were streaming that one from the beginning. Here are some pics we took between Miami and Pampa in Roberts & Gray county.

IMG_5220_k.JPG


IMG_5298_k.JPG


vid04.jpg


IMG_5318_k.JPG


IMG_5375_k.JPG


tor13_k.jpg


All the rest can be found here:

http://www.meteomedia.ch/usa09/20090515/20090515.html
(texts mostly in geman, but you will get it, check out the animations)

Greetings

Markus Pfister, Mark Vornhusen
 
Brian Stertz and I were also on the Ottawa storm. We had hopes for it initially, as it formed out ahead of the line and had isolation from the OFB ... but it could never get turned far enough off the boundary and the cool air kept it from doing anything more interesting than producing a couple of wall clouds (with discernable rotation for a bit). Lightning last night was easily the best so far this year.

010.jpg


008.jpg


004.jpg
 
Kansas City to Lawrence, KS and back weather

It was my stepson's graduation at KU. So could not chase except watching the sky whilemy wife drove us to Lawrence and back to the Kansas City area for a rendezvous at a French restaurant called Tatsus later that night.

Some mini shelf cloud and more along the way, little wall cloud wanna-bees but no rotation.

It was raining and humid. It wasn't raining . At 3:19, a few yards from the entrance to the Leid building (where the graduation would take place) , the air really became much , more colder . Either a front came throug but it was very noticeable. So I knew something was about to happen.

Later I could here the thunder inside the graduation area. Coming outside after, it was pouring cats and dogs. There was a warm rain and spectacular lightning and we were soaked somewhat having run to the car (along with everyone else).

Lots of rain and water piling up the streets. I knew how to take the backroads and we skirted much of the traffic and but you could not escape the water which was piling up everywhere.

Best lightning display of the year. I did not really have a good shot with my camcorder. If I did catch anything I will post.
 
I caught the big beast near Pampa, TX after getting there about 15 minutes after the visible tornadoes. I had hoped to leave work a little earlier. Ugh. Still, this was one helluva HP supercell that was rotating like a merry-go-round. There were all sorts of mid level bands streaking cyclonically into it. Pretty impressive!

This was about the time of the last reported tornado. I was looking north into the wrapping precip core so if it was in there, I couldn't see it. The lower cloud mass was rotating pretty good.
IMG_9451.jpg


Looking west as Pampa was under assault form high winds and baseball hail.
IMG_9452.jpg


IMG_9454.jpg


IMG_9455.jpg


Approaching Lefors, Tx.
IMG_9457.jpg


Just north of McLean as it tries to organize one more time...good rotation to the right of the green hail core.
IMG_9458.jpg
 
I also was on the HP beast near Pampa. Followed it from west of Canadian. I swear this storm moved SW at times. As it got near Pampa, I saw a brief funnel, but wasn't in position to see a tornado. I eventually went to Lefors to check on my parents. They were ok. There was a lot of tree damage along with power lines down. A trailer house got it's roof blown off, and another trailer house got turned upside down. Luckily nobody was in it at the time.

img2860.jpg


img2874.jpg


img2875.jpg


img2882.jpg
 
our primary target of Pratt, KS turned out to be pretty good. Got onto the first cell in that area - this relatively small cell erupted on the front..we watched the frontal boundary turn from a fluffy line of cumulus to bludgeoning supercells within less than an hour.

We headed south to Medicine Lodge, passed near a tornado warned cell just to our east, stopping and starting all the time to take pics...finally getting to near Alva we were close to a rotating wallcloud with raised dust. From here we continued east preceding outflow boundaries and strange bow shapes in the gust front....we surfed the gust front east all the way to Ponca City, watching multitudes of gustnadoes and brilliant arrangements along the outflow boundary. When you think things can't get better they do.....we've never seen storms so dynamic than we have seen in the last 2 weeks.

Report and more images
http://www.stormchasers.au.com/usa150509.htm

Gustnado south of Alva


Astonishing gustfront west of the I-35 (near Medford)


Complex gust front near Medford


Clyve Herbert & Jane ONeill (AUSSKY)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Made the decision to chase near Amarillo and it paid off. I scored my first tornado of the season. One super insane mothership meso took the prize for me. Personally I got more enjoyment out of that. Cell produced a large wedge tornado followed by a stove pipe.

Mothership Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N27XBR7PMk

Wedge Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4m0I6nOa20

Stove Pipe:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOTenUmhJAI

H.P. Supercell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PEC9CojKps


This large supercell became outflow dominant and at the left edge I captured a super thin spin up.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLeCBK-nGWY

This was by far my best experience this year. No more than 30 minutes after arriving in Amarillo this cell exploded. Timing was perfect. The tornado was in an isolated and unpopulated area which was also a huge plus.

33ehlk7.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top