Total Miles Today: 330[ Updated @ 0004 AM ] No word from Paul where we will be tomorrow. I suspect it is still the same as this morning based on a quick look at the SPC page. East central OK and points north or south. The morning briefing will probably be the most important of the trip so far. Bags are to be packed and in the van by 0930AM. [ Updated @ 0930 AM ] Everyones is heading to Denny's for breakfast and map analysis. [ Updated @ 1100 AM ] Rain-X is applied to the vans [ Updated @ 1110 AM ] Maps are done and discussions begin. Paul says today is a classic souther plains chase day. Probably the best "classic" day in the past several years. The problem is going to be figuring out where exactly the storms will initiate. Moisture off the gulf is being pounded into the southern plains with no evidence of it changing in the next few days. 3-5pm is the target time for initiation. We are heading to Memphis, TX and then reanalysis for fine tuning. [ Updated @ 1125 AM ] On the road [ Updated @ 1135 AM ] "BWER", the living atlas, reports no traffic issues in target area. Maybe some minor constructions. [ Updated @ 0200 PM ] Lunch at K-Bob's Steakhouse in Childress and a quick stop for data. [ Updated @ 0240 PM ] Latest data analysis seems to lead us south toward Paducah/Matador on the cap rock. [ Updated @ 0315 PM ] Towers are going up west of the dryline which should interact with the other storms in the area. Something should fire up shortly. [ Updated @ 0325 PM ] Lost cell data service about 40min ago outside Childress, TX [ Updated @ 0345 PM ] Stop in Matador, TX for gas and to film some TCU's [ Updated @ 0415 PM ] On the road again back toward Childress, TX [ Updated @ 0500 PM ] We've picked up a storm in the middle of a line of storms in Hall County, TX. It tries real hard but couldn't get rotation going in the wall cloud. LSR shows chasers reporting land spouts but we don't think so. The entire van calls BS when we see it show up on our GR3 radar display. [ Updated @ 0545 PM ] We break it off and try and get south of the line in Paducah, TX Both Verizon and Cingular service are out so we are flying blind. NOTE: CHARGE ALL BATTERIES EVERY NIGHT EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH JUICE IN THE ONE IN THE CAMERA Luckily Ashley is using a similar camera so her battery charger works for mine as well. Can't find mine in the van. Argh! [ Updated @ 0600 PM ] Entering Paducah, TX [ Updated @ 0630 PM ] Decision is to head east to Crowell and then north to the larger and leading storm in the string of storms we have been chasing. [ Updated @ 0700 PM ] North storm is dying so we are heading south to a cell all by itself but we may have made the decision too late. [ Updated @ 0710 PM ] Tire blow out on front passenger side. We may have been struck by lightning as everyone in the Van jumped and a split second later we hear thumping. Chase day is over! [ Updated @ 0830 PM ] Southern storm died out anyway so the tire blow out was of little concern..at least for those of us not driving or buying the new one We've got rooms in Childress, TX |
Videos
 137Meg Avi |
| Chasing the west texas pan handle | ||
| Holding up at a gas station in Paducah, TX that had a nice big gravel area off to the side in the direction of the storms. Just waiting for the cap to break and things to get moving. | ||
| Paul decides that with the free time we have he is going to try out his now famous mating dance of the peacock. | ||
| Kent, our driver..head mechanic...top tech nerd and safety officer. While everyone is looking at the storms Kent is looking the other direction. | ||
| Just taking pictures of our Transcore satellite tracker (the little white box on the top of the van). The transcore folks wanted to see it in action. | ||
| Hey! I think I see a wall cloud. Never seen one of those. Beats the pants off of rain wrapped squall lines. | ||
| Mammatus clouds. Never seen those either. Very cool! | ||
| Hey Kent! I think we just got struck by lightning and blew a tire..or that's one really great coincidence! Sure glad you can do 80 with only three tires! | ||
| Laura got some great pictures as usual! |
