5/27/2017 - Northeast NM to TX Panhandle Supercells

While a lot of chaser scurried over to the enhanced/moderate risk area of eastern Oklahoma and southern Kansas, I was reluctant due to the likelihood of having to play in the jungles full of haze and the inability of CAMs to lock onto a formidable daytime supercell threat. For a couple days, I had been watching the marginal conditions along the southeast CO into northwest TX corridor and that seemed to grow more robust the day of.  So, we targeted this area for a pure structure play.  This area had relatively solid upslope flow as the winds were forecast to veer from northerly to southeasterly.  With relatively nice NWFL aloft, this would provide enough shear for some robust supercells. Indeed, the only nice looking supercells on radar that day were across this region. We hopped on a supercell north of Clayton, staying ahead of it until we finally had to let it go north of Cactus, TX. The storm was beautiful, but hard to chase due to the fast southeastern movement in a relatively lackluster dirt road network.  I learned – again! – that I should try to stay well ahead of these type events for the structure play, rather than trying to get up underneath them to see the dangly clouds.  I should’ve given the storm more room early on, as that would’ve provided a better angle to shoot structure later. Alas, I was at the mercy of storm motion and road network, so we did the best we could in trying to remain ahead of the beauty.  Overall, not a bad chase, just wish I could’ve been about 10-15 miles out ahead of the beast.

Lapses from this day

Map of my travels during this first chase trip of 2017. The trip was with my good friends Laura Hedien and Paul Cross. Though not a trip full of good storm environments, we made the best of it. During off days, we visited Santa Fe, Taos, Sandia Peak, Rio Grande Gorge, Wolf Creek Pass, Great Sand Dunes, NP, Black Mesa, Palo Duro Canyon SP, and even a Omaha Storm Chasers ballgame. 

5/26/2017 - Eastern CO/western KS Supercell

Began the day in Ellis, KS with two targets in mind: 1) I-70/US-36 corridor east of Denver or 2) southeast Colorado.  After sliding west a bit, we decided on the northern play due to consistency in the CAMs.  We made it to Deer Trail as a set of three cells moved near and across the Denver International Airport.  Slowly, the storm got its act together north of Last Chance. Once it took on that supercell look, it turned hard right.  Though it was close a couple of times to producing tornadoes, it seemed to miss the low-level lapse rates and just a hint of juice to give it that low-level jump.  Eventually, the storm became an HP beast as it traversed the east-central Colorado Plains. We followed it to Goodland, KS where we finally let it go in the waning light. Overall, a beautiful storm.
  

   

Time-lapse of scenes.

Map of chase.

5/25/2017 - KS Supercells

Began the day in Alamosa, CO after the previous evening’s sunset at Great Sand Dunes National Park.  Target was for far eastern Colorado into western Kansas, where a slight risk was in place due to bulk shear in the 35-45 kt range and about 1000-1500 J/kg of CAPE.  Storms formed early-on between I-70 and I-76, yet I was reluctant to go after those as I wanted to be on the most southeast storm of the day (if it were to materialize).  Eventually convection did form just to our west in Burlington, CO.  We held tight with this storm as it slowly matured. Once it matured – right on the KS/CO border – it became a race to stay ahead of the relatively fast mover as it traversed the not so pleasant road network south of Oakley within the Smoky Hill River Valley.  We did manage to navigate the dirt road, staying ahead of the cell as it continually surged with little RFD punches. It was a real beauty, especially near Winona and Gove City. We continued with the cell as it grew upscale into a meaty MCS, eventually calling it a day near Brownell, KS.  We overnighted in Ellis.

 

Stitched panoramic

   

Stitched panoramic

DSLR and dashcam lapses

5/22/2017 - NM Supercells

Another marginal day in terms of ingredients on the southern High Plains that turned into a crowd pleaser.  Began the day in Dumas, with an east-central NM target in mind.  West-northwesterly flow aloft and relatively weak upslope flow below provided an environment conducive to some marginal supercells. We jumped on storms near Melrose, NM, but the environment was far more supportive of left-splits early on.  We patiently waited as new storms continued to form south of Fort Sumner. Eventually, one of the right splits held its own and marched southeast toward the TX/NM border. We remained ahead of this till northeast of Tatum, finally letting the transient supercell structure go, as new storms fired further west with far more deviant/southerly motions permitting more supercellular structure.  We got ahead of these pair of supercells near Caprock, just a they began a slow weakening trend.  Before the left most supercell died, though, we could take in a magical show off the westward flank of the caprock that stretches along sr-172.  This beautiful setting made for quite the land and cloudscape as the supercell shriveled in the sunset light off the edge of the ridge.  A few minutes later, as the supercell died, a magnificent mammatus display lit up the sky to the east.  Definitely one of those scenes where it’s hard for your brain to comprehend the display – seemed almost Disney-like.  Ended the day in Artesia at the nice new Hampton Inn there.

An early right-mover that sustained for an hour or so.

Remarkable scene as the FFD of the LP keeps us wet -- edge of the Caprock. Horseshoe vortex in there if you look closely. 

Soon after the prior shot, the sky to the north and east lights up with unreal mammatus display at sunset.

Scene lapses for the day.

Map of travels for the day.

5/21/2017 - Storms in OK/TX Panhandles

Fairly marginal day, with only about 500-1000 J/kg CAPE and moderate westerlies atop southwesterlies. This led to the potential for high-based, multicell structures. We left Amarillo, targeting the area northwest of Boise City in the beautiful Cimmaron Valley at the NM/OK Panhandle interface.  Convection fired as we neared the valley floor. We watched the multicells strengthen and become warned for marginaly severe hail. Enjoyed the view in a stationary spot near an ol’ Santa Fe RR boxcar for what seemed like a couple hours. Eventually the cold pool strengthened and the storms began to shift south. The structure got very cool just northwest of Dalhart just as the light got “right”.  Ended the day in Dumas. Overall a relaxing a pleasing chase with some nice structure.

Timelapse of various scenes -- includes DSLR stills and a few DSLR "movie" tests thrown in.