Chase Report - August 28 - TX PH
Did I ever mention how much I love living up here now? ;-) With a nice outflow boundary and a small, distinct surface low, and some upper air support, shear and instability, I had a nice little chase yesterday!
Throughout the day, I watched a surface low traversed the I-40 corridor from around Tucumcari to around Pampa. This helped to reinforce an outflow boundary from around Dimmit to Borger. With the approach of the upper trough and disturbance along with overall shear of 30-40 knots and decent instability, I was eager to head out the door after work..especially as I saw some amazing, rock solid explosive updrafts from my office window to the south...which went severe quickly.
I headed east and dropped down to Claude where I saw a left-split updraft coming towards me. It produced a very nice updraft base which was a nice sight to behold. I kept watching storms to my NE as they continued to look mushy, but I knew were in a better environment and close to the little surface low. Sure enough, they started exploding too.
I lazily headed up towards White Deer watching radar along the way. I started eyeing the cells north of Miami which soon developed a nice hook and strong velicity couplet. I plotted an intercept course. As I headed up 61, the updraft from the Miami storm was awesome! Soon a TOR was issued on it and I was elated. But, as I headed towards it, another even more incredible updraft was erupting in NE Hutchinson county. This baby was one of the most jaw-dropping and incredible updrafts I have seen. I'm kicking myself for not stopping and grabbing a picture of it. The entire updraft structure was rock solid and crisp with curling/backshearing segments that were impressive. The updraft velocities had to be like 200mph on this sucker.
The Miami cell's updraft soon waned by comparison. ;-) I moved north of Pampa on 70 to set up for the show. As it moved slowly towards me, a big wall cloud rapidly developed with some noted vertical motions and weak, broad rotation. This cell was latching onto the outflow boundary from the Miami storm clearly indicated by a small line of stratus clouds. I called Jay McCoy at this point and said I thought it was a good candidate to drop a tornado. He passed it along to the TV station.
However, the Stevoid reigned supreme and the storm quickly transitioned into an outflow dominant beast. As it did so, the outflow ripped into the wall cloud and sheared it off from the storm's base. The result was a nice little shear funnel. I moved back into Pampa as the storm picked up speed and produced ping pong sized hail just north of Pampa. That was pretty much it for the day as it began to weaken and gust out with loss of daytime heating. I enjoyed a nice crawler show on the way home courtesy of the big storm cluster towards Tulia/Happy.
Speacial thanks to Jay McCoy for a couple of nice updates and passing along my reports in the field.
I'm monitoring data this morning and trying to determine a target area. It is a bit messy and now not looking as great as yesterday. But, some things could still come together and provide another good chase opportunity. By lunchtime, things should start to become more apparent. Here at 9:00am, I'm thinking Hereford as a setup point, but also beginning to think perhaps SW of Amarillo too towards Hereford/Dimmit. I need more cowbell!! :-)
Ok...some pics!! Here is the updrafts I was watching to my NE near White Deer/Pampa.
The left-split updraft near Claude.
The same updraft before the Stevoid smacked it down.
Nice wall cloud NNW of Pampa.
This little appendage suddenly appeared. What the heck is it? I dunno. I couldn't make out any rotation and it was kind of ragged looking.
The little shear funnel.
A closeup.
The last gasp of the storm trying to get a wall cloud going again. The outflow was winning the battle.
Throughout the day, I watched a surface low traversed the I-40 corridor from around Tucumcari to around Pampa. This helped to reinforce an outflow boundary from around Dimmit to Borger. With the approach of the upper trough and disturbance along with overall shear of 30-40 knots and decent instability, I was eager to head out the door after work..especially as I saw some amazing, rock solid explosive updrafts from my office window to the south...which went severe quickly.
I headed east and dropped down to Claude where I saw a left-split updraft coming towards me. It produced a very nice updraft base which was a nice sight to behold. I kept watching storms to my NE as they continued to look mushy, but I knew were in a better environment and close to the little surface low. Sure enough, they started exploding too.
I lazily headed up towards White Deer watching radar along the way. I started eyeing the cells north of Miami which soon developed a nice hook and strong velicity couplet. I plotted an intercept course. As I headed up 61, the updraft from the Miami storm was awesome! Soon a TOR was issued on it and I was elated. But, as I headed towards it, another even more incredible updraft was erupting in NE Hutchinson county. This baby was one of the most jaw-dropping and incredible updrafts I have seen. I'm kicking myself for not stopping and grabbing a picture of it. The entire updraft structure was rock solid and crisp with curling/backshearing segments that were impressive. The updraft velocities had to be like 200mph on this sucker.
The Miami cell's updraft soon waned by comparison. ;-) I moved north of Pampa on 70 to set up for the show. As it moved slowly towards me, a big wall cloud rapidly developed with some noted vertical motions and weak, broad rotation. This cell was latching onto the outflow boundary from the Miami storm clearly indicated by a small line of stratus clouds. I called Jay McCoy at this point and said I thought it was a good candidate to drop a tornado. He passed it along to the TV station.
However, the Stevoid reigned supreme and the storm quickly transitioned into an outflow dominant beast. As it did so, the outflow ripped into the wall cloud and sheared it off from the storm's base. The result was a nice little shear funnel. I moved back into Pampa as the storm picked up speed and produced ping pong sized hail just north of Pampa. That was pretty much it for the day as it began to weaken and gust out with loss of daytime heating. I enjoyed a nice crawler show on the way home courtesy of the big storm cluster towards Tulia/Happy.
Speacial thanks to Jay McCoy for a couple of nice updates and passing along my reports in the field.
I'm monitoring data this morning and trying to determine a target area. It is a bit messy and now not looking as great as yesterday. But, some things could still come together and provide another good chase opportunity. By lunchtime, things should start to become more apparent. Here at 9:00am, I'm thinking Hereford as a setup point, but also beginning to think perhaps SW of Amarillo too towards Hereford/Dimmit. I need more cowbell!! :-)
Ok...some pics!! Here is the updrafts I was watching to my NE near White Deer/Pampa.
The left-split updraft near Claude.
The same updraft before the Stevoid smacked it down.
Nice wall cloud NNW of Pampa.
This little appendage suddenly appeared. What the heck is it? I dunno. I couldn't make out any rotation and it was kind of ragged looking.
The little shear funnel.
A closeup.
The last gasp of the storm trying to get a wall cloud going again. The outflow was winning the battle.
posted by Steve Miller TX at 8/25/2007 08:48:00 AM
5 Comments:
Wish I was out there with ya instead of nowcasting but the daughter comes 1st. Man she is soo mad. She got the meanest teacher in her whole school. I have heard about this lady from many people. Going to try and get her moved to another clas next week. lol
I really wish we had been up north of Miami when the tor warning went out. Not only was it one of the most incredible hooks I had ever seen on GrLevel3 but it actually had a return void in the hook. A perfect blank hole showing exactly where the tornado was. Since it was in BFE and nobody else was chasing it there wasnt a repot but I can say without almost any question that it was on the ground at that moment. I have seen f4's that didnt have radar presentations like that. It reminded me alot of Greensburg even though I seriously doubt it was near that big but big enough to leave a donut hole in the center of the hook.
I am really disappointed in how today is starting to look. Hopefully things will fire on a boundary close by but with high pressure starting to move back in and a stronger cap it may not be as good as yesterday. At least the second season is just getting started so we wil have more shots.
I am so stinkin' jealous.
I believe that little appendage you mentioned is what has become known as a "scud bomb". There was a very dramatic picture of one floating about a couple of years ago, was even mistakenly called a tornado (no rotation).
Very nice chase you had there.
Jay, shoulda been there man. Maybe you coulda used that 2x4 to pursuade me to get to Miami sooner. LOL! That could have been my first ever August tornado.
Dew, we'll save some for you come next chase season! :-)
David, I figured it was something like that. It just appeard so quickly at first...like a tornado/funnel emerging from the rain curtains. But alas, it was just too ragged and no rotation. *Some* stormchasers out there though would have logged it as a score though. ;-)
A nice chase indeed considering it was August! Hopefully we can get in a couple of good chases this fall.
WOW! Nice structure, been months since I've seen a supercell. :(
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