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2019: A Chase Odyssey

The following posts detail the Great Plains Travel Study for 2019.

Before you start reading, know that this is a work in progress. As more images come in from the students, I will be updating the blog. I appreciate the contributions of the students.

On behalf of the group, I would like to thank:

The College of Agriculture and Applied Science. Particularly Dr. Todd Winters and Debbie Hunter for helping us to secure funds for the students.

Mrs. Evelyn Blythe, for providing those funds.

The Department of Agriculture, Geosciences, and Natural Resources, (Dr. Wes Totten, Mrs. Carrie Arant) for their assistance, both monetary and administrative, with the trip.

The folks in the Travel Study office (Lorrie Jackson, Jewel Franklin, Mike Sudzum) for their assistance and support.

Dr. Malcolm Koch and Dr. Joey Mehlhorn for giving us the green light for the trip.

Enjoy the read! Contact me if you have any questions.

Day 1 - Yukon Ho! - May 10, 2019

   On a brisk Friday morning, seven students and two instructors set out from Martin on the first Great Plains Travel Study offered by the University. Despite the cold weather, all were excited to get on the road for this ten-day adventure across the flatter parts of our great nation. Our initial destination was Yukon, OK.

    The goal of the trip was to forecast for, pursue, and observe severe thunderstorms. We were in search of all the hazards associated with such storms: large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. We were not going out there for thrills alone; this would be a unique opportunity to experience the things described in the textbooks. After all, it's one thing to read about inflow into a severe storm, quite another thing to feel the wind at your back.

    On days where there were no storms to observe, we would look for cultural and natural landmarks to explore. Given the overall weather pattern, we would get to see more than our fair share of such for most of the time. A large upper-level trough covered the country east of the Rockies. That explained the colder than normal weather which, in turn, would inhibit the development of severe weather for much of the next 7 days. After that, the models were hinting at a pattern change.

    We left Martin equipped with internet access, two iPads, and a SiriusXM radio. Internet access is critical for storm chasing; it provides the data necessary to find the storms and stay ahead of them. We would use the iPads to both display radar data and navigate the road network. The radio would help to pass the time; you see, just to get onto the cusp of the Plains, we were looking at a 10-hour trip. The Great Plains are too far away from Martin.

    While the overall pattern was quiet, that doesn’t mean the sky was empty of wonders. We saw several interesting clouds along the way. We saw asperatus clouds; these are gray, wavy clouds which indicate the presence of turbulence. This is one of the newest clouds officially designated by the World Meteorological Organization.

     Next up was mammatus. These pouch-like clouds typically develop in the vicinity of severe thunderstorms, but they can also form in other, less turbulent conditions (like today).

     We also saw some cumulus forming from the emissions of nuclear reactors in Arkansas.

     At long last we reached the Holiday Inn Express in Yukon. This chain is a favorite with chasers as the hotels are clean, comfortable, offer free wi-fi and a hot breakfast each morning. This particular hotel was undergoing renovation while we were there, but it did not impede us in any way.

    Most of went to Rib Crib for dinner. As the name suggests, ribs are their specialty. And they did not disappoint.

Day 2 - The Scenic Route to Lubbock - May 11, 2019

    Saturday dawned much as the Friday did; cloudy, cold, and moist. These are the antithesis of severe weather conditions. I am sure the fine people of Yukon were fine with this; Oklahoma gets more than its fair share of severe weather this time of year.

    One thing to clarify: we don’t come out here hoping, or cheering, for severe weather to occur. We are not bloodthirsty maniacs, after all. However, it tends to happen out here regardless of what anyone does. Since that is the case, we came here to see it and, more importantly, learn from it. It is my fervent hope that the things the students witness will make them better meteorologists, determined to provide ample warning to the public.

    Our ultimate destination for this day was the town of Wolfforth, TX; a suburb of Lubbock. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC), and the weather models, were hinting at the possibility of some marginally severe thunderstorms in SW Texas, from Lubbock towards the Trans Pecos region (see map). We felt that the Lubbock area was a good staging area. We could either chase around there or move quickly to the south should the threat area shift.

SPC Outlook for Sunday

    But our first stop for the day was the National Weather Museum and Learning Center in Norman. The museum is a hidden jewel for weather folks, featuring numerous exhibits which detail the origins and growth of the science of meteorology. We were escorted about the premises by Mr. Forsyth who worked at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). He was a great guide, providing insight into many exhibits.

Mr. Forsyth shows off the computer associated with the first Doppler.

How radar data used to look....

Various weather instruments

What's left of a car. Always seek sturdy shelter when tornadoes approach

    Mr. Forsyth related a story about the first attempts to sample the upper levels of the atmosphere. The story was excerpted from Savannah Tennyson’s chase journal:

 “when the first meteorologists were testing the upper atmosphere and learning about how the atmosphere works they would fly to about 19,000 feet; however, there is a lack of oxygen that high in the atmosphere which caused some people to die. To resolve this problem the pilots would bring their small animals up with them and when they started getting drowsy they knew the needed to go back towards the ground because they were in the zone of thin oxygen.”

    The Museum also featured a “green screen”, or chromakey wall, where students could practice reporting the weather as it is done on television.

Keith Gregory stretches his TV legs in front of the Green Screen

Shannon Sullivan at the Wall. The cape adds an interesting effect. Now you see her...

Now you don't.

    We made our way to the library, which featured one of the largest collections of weather books I have ever seen. Fortunately, we had time for a few stories.

Story Time (Photo: Greg Nordstrom)

   Finally, the Museum is in the process of restoring a plane used for thunderstorm research. Similar to the Hurricane Hunters, there was once a plane designed to fly through severe thunderstorms..

Panorama of the museum. Thunderstorm plane on the left. Photo: Savannah Tennyson

Savannah at the helm

    We left the Museum and made our way towards Lawton for lunch. We traveled Interstate 44, which is a toll road through Oklahoma. For some of our students this was their first experience on a toll road. Other than the increased speed limits, there isn’t much to recommend it. Though we did pass the Elmer Graham Turnpike Station. You can learn about this extraordinary man here:

https://legacy.newsok.com/obituaries/oklahoman/obituary.aspx?n=elmer-graham&pid=143605572

    From Lawton, we worked our way south and west towards Lubbock. Somewhere along the way, we (okay, I) took a turn towards the south. We nearly made it to Abilene before realizing the mistake. Our detour cost us about an hour but it did give us a chance to see more of the extraordinary landscape of Texas. Basically, aside from a few random buttes and windmills, it’s quite flat and largely unpopulated. That makes it perfect for chasing.

    After dinner, we settled in for the night.

Day 3 - Actual Storms - May 12, 2019

     The calm start to the chase was about to end. The SPC had placed an area a few hours to our south in a Marginal risk for severe weather. Marginal indicates that some of the necessary ingredients for severe thunderstorms were coming together, but it wasn’t a significant threat. We interpreted the data to mean there was the potential for a supercell thunderstorm or two, but it wouldn’t produce much in the way of severe weather (NWS defines a severe thunderstorm as one that produces hail > 1” in diameter, wind gusts > 58 mph, a funnel cloud, or a tornado).

     In other words, we were prepared to drive quite a distance for a photogenic storm and maybe some small hail. Such is chasing; you play the cards you are dealt. And with a pattern expected to remain calm for the next five days, we threw our chips into the pile and drove south.

     As we drove south we noted some development. One particular storm started to exhibit severe characteristics on radar, but it fell apart on its approach to Hobbs, NM. This showed us that the potential was there but something was missing, possibly the necessary instability to sustain the storm.

     We stopped for lunch in Odessa, TX then moved south towards Ft. Stockton. Another storm formed to our southwest. This was enough for the SPC to upgrade a Slight Risk and issue a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the area.

We moved into position to intercept the storm. The storm was not severe, but it was interesting to look at it. We found a place where we could view the bulk of the storm. It was an opportunity for the students to observe the mechanics of the storm and the parts which make it up. For example, we saw air rising and condensing as it moved into the updraft portion of the cloud.

Storm in the Sierra Madera astrobleme. Low clouds are rising into the main updraft. Photo: Hunter Reeves

Closer view of the storm. Lighter colors above the base might (might) have been some small hail. Maybe. Photo: Maddie Bernabei

Watching the storm.

But that was about it. We did manage to get rained on, which was an achievement in itself. After a few minutes of heavy rain, and with intensity trending downward on radar, we left the storm behind. We took a restroom break outside Odessa and made our way to Midland for dinner. Cracker Barrel was the choice for tonight. They think highly of their dumplings and will be more than happy to serve them to you in abundance. They also believe it is a vegetable....

The dumplings would turn out to be more plentiful than the storms for the next week.

Day 4 - In Search of the Truth - May 13, 2019

After doing some chasing, we were confronted with several more calm weather days. Well, not entirely. The day dawned with a Slight risk in far south Texas, closer to the Gulf of Mexico. But our analysis suggested that the threat for this day would be much like the day before. Further, we thought our resources would be better allocated for later in the week.

So, what to do? The answer: tourism. Specifically, a journey into New Mexico with an “otherworldly” destination. We were on our way to Roswell, NM.

For those who may be unaware, in July of 1947 an unidentified flying object was spotted in the skies near Roswell. Later, reports emerged that an actual spacecraft had crashed just outside the city. Further, alien bodies had been discovered in the wreckage. But, just as quickly, the military moved in and announced that an experimental weather balloon was the object and that there were no bodies.

Cries of conspiracy echoed across the country then and continue to this day.

Unfortunately, not all trips are smooth and easy. We encountered a long traffic delay west of Tatum, NM. There were multiple cars involved in the wreck and it took 45 minutes to clear the road. The students got out of their van, stretched their legs, and got acquainted with fellow travelers in the vehicles nearby. We also met a nice young man dribbling a basketball along the side of the road.

On the roadside in New Mexico. For the brand...

The road cleared and our journey resumed. We marveled at the flat terrain, which was covered in dry grasses and scrub brush. Occasionally, we would see hollows and gullies where the soil and rock strata were more susceptible to erosion. And then Roswell appeared on our horizon.

After a delicious, and nutritious, lunch at the local Dairy Queen, we went to the International UFO Museum and Research Center. The museum is intriguing and well organized. It presents the “incident” and the events surrounding it in great detail. It also describes other encounters throughout history. It makes a strong case that humanity has been visited by living beings from other worlds.

The Truth is Here

Everybody remember where we parked....

Or, you can view it as a tourist trap built around an easily explained military operation over 70 years ago. Both outcomes are possible.

After acquiring souvenirs from local merchants, we were back on the road. Along the way to our ultimate destination, we passed through several small towns in eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. Many of these towns, including Hereford, TX, were home to massive feedlots filled with cattle as far as the eye could see. Even if we had been able to bypass the towns, we would not have escaped the signature smell of manure. Local folk refer to the scent as the “smell of money”.

We checked in to the Holiday Inn Express in Canyon for the first of three nights. We wanted to stay in this area ahead of a growing risk for Friday.We went into town for dinner and then called it a night.

Day 5 - Canyon Shenanigans and the Big Texan - May 14, 2019

Another day without storms to chase. That meant more tourist activities, but this time with a more geosciencey twist (I think I just created a word).

We left the hotel and drove down the road to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro is the second largest canyon in the United States and is a fantastic treat for Texas Panhandle enthusiasts like me. It has stunning views and scenery which rival any other geologic feature on the Plains.

After receiving free admission to the park because of our education affiliation, we drove to the overlook and surveyed the landscape. You could very easily see the effect of erosion on the landscape. Several different layers of sediment were on display beneath the water-resistant caprock. The vegetation was remarkably vibrant as well, thanks to a rainy Spring.

Palo Duro. I never tire of this view.

Skyhawks at Palo Duro

A map of the prominent features at Palo Duro

From there, we ventured down the hill to the gift shop. Many more souvenirs were purchased. We also spent some time learning more about the geologic and human history of the canyon.

Savannah, mesmerized by the geology of Palo Duro

Found some meteorology in the gift shop!

We descended the curvy road into the canyon admiring the strata along the way. We parked next to the start of the Sunflower Trail, a moderately challenging 1.2 mile path along the base of the canyon. We saw plenty of interesting sedimentary rocks, plants (including cacti), several 5th graders (on a field trip) and even a black widow spider. Despite the general greenery of the canyon, the stream flowing along the trail was about halfway up its banks.

We were treated to several lovely views of the canyon.

Palo Duro Panorama. Much greener than normal. Photo: Hunter Reeves

At the bottom of the canyon, looking up

Looks like the Old West. Photo: Maddie Bernabei

After completing the walk, it was time to return to town for lunch. Some of us dined at Fat Boys BBQ and, let me tell you, it was a fine meal. Some of the best brisket I have ever had.

The afternoon’s agenda included a tour of the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum. It is located on the campus of West Texas A and M. It is one of the finest museums I have ever had the pleasure of touring. If there is anything you wish to know about the Panhandle region, you can learn it here. Exhibits included video recreations of a bison hunt (not one piece of the bison went to waste after it was downed), a scaled-down version of a frontier town, information about Route 66, and some older model cars which traveled along it.

Water extraction. Windmills are versatile

Native Americans processing a fresh kill..

Classroom of the 1880's. The tools may change but the concept stays the same.

This was adjacent to the schoolhouse. Just sayin'.

There were some displays devoted to the geology and paleontology of the area. For example, did you know that a mountain range once ran across the Texas Panhandle and into Arkansas? Over time, it was buried by runoff from the then much taller Rocky Mountains. The Amarillo mountains, as they were called, are buried several miles beneath the surface and are a source for much of the petroleum products extracted from the area.

Diagram of the Amarillo mountains. They outcrop in Oklahoma.

Exhausted from the dizzying array of history we had just witnessed, we returned to the hotel. In order to remind ourselves that the weather would change, and quite likely for the worse, Greg and I had a briefing in my hotel room to discuss the severe weather outlook for Friday. It had the potential to be a significant day if the capping inversion would break. A capping inversion is a layer of warm air aloft which prevents surface air from forming into thunderstorms

Hungry from the days’ events, it was time for dinner at the Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo. Its chief claim to fame is the “free” 72oz steak. If you can consume a 4.5 lb sirloin steak, salad, baked potato, roll, and glass of sweet tea in one hour, your meal is free!

An institution and a mandatory stop in Amarillo

I have been to the Texan many times and have yet to see anyone successfully complete the challenge. It is daunting, especially when you see the actual meal on display in the lobby. I have never thought of trying it considering that I am always there when I am chasing. The thought of carrying that much beef with me while trying to track storms makes my insides hurt.

None of our students were in the mood for that much free steak, though. They did try some of the smaller steaks for sale and agreed that they were quite good.

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks

The night wrapped up with a visit to the gift shop and general enjoyment of the restaurant. Besides the food, the Big Texan is a really cool and fun place to hang out. I recommend that you stop in if you ever find yourself in Amarillo.

The big stage at The Big Texan. Photo: Greg Nordstrom

Day 6 - More Canyon (is not a bad thing...) - May 15, 2019

     As with any job, you are given days off. Storm chasing is not unlike a job as you have to work hard to forecast the threat and then chase after it. Even with the lack of storms, we had been pretty active with exploration and long drives. So, with that in mind, and still no storms in the forecast, we elected to take the day off.

     We had lunch at Braum’s and went back to the hotel. Braum’s is a combination burger joint and grocery store. They are well known across the southern Plains for their delicious ice cream. Fun fact: they only allow franchises within 300 miles of their dairy farm in Tuttle, OK.

     We returned to the hotel and assigned the students the task of developing a forecast and potential chase target for Friday. It was an opportunity for them to put their knowledge to the test. Then, Mr. Nordstrom and I retreated to a nearby movie theater to watch “Avengers: Endgame”. A fine film and well worth the three hours we invested.

     Then it was time for the students to present their cases. They were divided into two groups. Both chose targets in the proximity of a dry line bulge. A dry line is a boundary which separates dry air from moist air. It is a frequent generator of thunderstorms in western portions of Texas and Oklahoma during April and May. A dry line bulge is an area where part of the dry line has moved ahead of the rest; it is known for generating rotating thunderstorms due to changes in wind direction along it. 

    Both presentations were well done. We closed out the night with dinner and plans for more tourism the next day.

Day 7 - Volcanoes and Dilemmas - May 16, 2019

Thursday dawned and it was time to (reluctantly) bid farewell to Canyon. At least for today; there was a chance we would be back on Friday (or even the following Monday) depending on where the storms formed. But for today we were headed back to New Mexico to check out the Capulin (Cah-poo-leen) volcano.

Capulin

Capulin, which means “choke cherry” in Spanish, is part of a field of dormant volcanoes in the far NE corner of the state. As we drove, we saw a few of the other volcanoes. They stood in stark contrast to the otherwise flat land. In all my travels across the heart of the country, I had yet to visit Capulin. Seeing all those other cinder cones had me pretty excited.

We stopped at the visitors center to pay the entry fee. Then it was up a narrow, winding road to the edge of the caldera. We were nearly 9000 feet above sea-level when we arrived at the top. I could definitely feel the reduced oxygen content.

The views of the volcano and the surrounding flat plains were amazing. It made me wonder what it would be like to observe storms from there. Honestly, probably not the best idea because of lightning. We were at a high enough elevation to see the snow-covered slopes of Taos, NM in the distance.

Real and spectacular

View from Capulin. Photo: Hunter Reeves

In the Capulin caldera

Fortunately, the plumbing was stopped up while we were there.

There were two trails you could walk while at the top. One went around the rim of the caldera while another went down into the caldera itself. I guess I was the only one who did not complete the caldera trail; it was quite steep and I tired quickly after a short ascent. I returned to the parking lot and walked down into the caldera. It was a fascinating experience despite the physical toll.

Take the Capulin tour with Shaley Dawson:

Our adventure complete, we headed for Dumas, TX to spend the night. Dumas was a location which offered many possibilities. It was ideally located for any storms that developed in the Panhandle region. And if for some reason that possibility evaporated, we could still get up early the next morning and make our way either north (Nebraska) or further south (Ft. Stockton).

Outlook for Friday. Decisions, decisions

Probabilities of severe weather. The black hatching indicates the probability of significant severe weather (Hail > 2", EF2+ tornadoes, a/or Wind gusts of 65+ kts)

After dinner, Greg and I met to discuss look over the data and discuss the possibilities. It was clear to us that we had three possible options:

1) Get up and go north to the Nebraska Panhandle, where the capping inversion would weaken and tornadic storms would develop.

2) Get up and head south towards Ft. Stockton where the atmospheric dynamics weren’t quite as impressive, but there was a lot of instability.

3) Wait in the Panhandle. There would be plenty of wind shear and instability, enough to rival or surpass the other two, but a strong cap would be in place most of the day. The key would be the dry line and any uplift it could provide.

    Of the three, option one had the least risk. We felt strongly that there would be tornadoes in Nebraska. But that would take us out of position for chasing on Saturday. We thought there was a decent risk for storms in eastern Texas in the late afternoon on Saturday. Chasing in Nebraska would leave us out of range for Saturday.

     The same could be said for option two (Ft. Stockton). Tornadoes might be a little less likely there because of the weaker dynamics. But the weather models were showing only a storm or two developing; less competition  meant easier access to a greater amount of instability. But, again, chasing there would put us out of position for Saturday.

      Option three was the riskiest as there was no guarantee that the cap would break. It was entirely possible that we could sit there all day with nothing to show for it. But, if it did we would have three more shots at chasing, including Monday which was shaping up to be a full-fledged tornado outbreak.

     Rather than make the call ourselves, we contacted the students and asked for their input. After presenting all of the choices, they elected to stay in the Panhandle in order to maximize our chasing opportunities. With that decided, we all went to bed to see what Friday would bring.

Day 8 - Our Patience Pays Off - May 17, 2019

With the die cast for Dumas, there wasn’t much to do other than wait. Wait to see if the capping inversion could be overcome and supercells could develop.

The morning soundings did not paint a pretty picture for convection. From Midland, TX to Dodge City, KS, significant caps were in place, with lots of convective inhibition (atmospheric energy devoted to suppressing convection) above the surface.

Even North Platte, NE, which was in a highly favorable area for convection, had a lot of CINH. But storms were still likely there because the upper level flow and a warm front to help break the cap.

We set up shop in the dining area of the hotel in Dumas. Their hospitality was greatly appreciated. We spent the afternoon closely monitoring surface data (for evidence of the dry line bulge) and visible satellite imagery (for areas of cloud development). As we waited, storms developed in both of the other target areas.

This is where chasing gets tough. You spend most of your time waiting for things to develop. Someone described it as driving thousands of miles and spending hours upon hours for 30 minutes of action. Further complicating things were the reports and imagery of tornadoes coming from Nebraska. But, we stuck to our guns and stayed right where we were.

The waiting is the hardest part

The capping inversion held strong for most of the afternoon. Cumulus clouds would develop but could not grow very tall. The group was growing uneasy and increasingly frustrated. Near Childress, TX  one of the most pronounced dry line bulges I have ever seen (40 degree difference over a 30 mile distance, with strong southeasterly winds ahead of it) developed. Despite this, no storms fired in that area.

Finally, some cumulus clouds managed to develop in the vertical off to our north around 5:30. With the cap squashing everything else we had little choice but to go after it. Our initial destination was Perrtyon, TX.

Along the way we encountered the dry line. It was obvious, even without instrumentation. Behind it, there was hardly any dust or pollen in the air. Visibility was high. As we approached the boundary, you could see the haze and dust. It was most definitely a dry heat behind the boundary and a sauna ahead.

Green line is the dry line (radar is picking up dust and bugs). Returns west of Beaver became a tornadic storm. Returns near Cimarron, Montezuma, and Spearville are windmills.

Clouds struggled to maintain their depth in the capping inversion, but eventually one of them broke through and exploded into the vertical. With the wind shear present the storm rapidly transitioned to a rotating supercell.

Explosive development

We intercepted it west of Forgan, OK and watched a wall cloud develop at the base. A wall cloud is the precursor to funnels and tornadoes. It indicates that the circulation within the supercell is extending towards the ground.

The Wall Cloud

Within minutes, the wall cloud was rotating and a funnel cloud appeared. The storm was moving away from us to the north. We pursued it towards the Kansas border, watching as the funnel made its steady descent towards the ground. The contrast of the funnel with the background of the storm was fantastic. The condensation taking place within the funnel appeared white.

Finally, the funnel reached the ground. We had a tornado.

The Tornado

Savannah and friend (Photo; Savannah Tennyson)

While watching the tornado, we saw several pieces of severe-sized hail on the ground.

Oh, Hail. The alternating clear and cloudy portions indicate different types of growth within the storm. Quarter-size means it's severe.

We watched the tornado grow in size as it moved to the north. It was in an ideal location; there were no cities and almost nothing in terms of houses and farms in the area. The storm was carrying the storm away from us and we could go no further on the road we had taken. So we had to backtrack to highway 23 so that we could move north and reacquire the storm.

We reacquired the storm near Meade, KS where it produced another tornado. We watched that tornado disperse as it continued to move north.

Second Tornado. Photo: Greg Nordstrom

We continued through Fowler. Near Minneola, a tornado formed again. This time, it had a highly curved structure.

Third Tornado. Winds near the surface cause the circulation to bend. Photo: Greg Nordstrom

The sun was setting and visibility declined. But the tornado was still there and growing in size. We followed it for as long as possible before it became too dark to see. By that time we were 20 miles from Dodge City. Since it had been better than 8 hours since we ate, the group was quite hungry. We rolled into IHOP and put away quite a few eggs.

In the meantime, the chasing situation for Saturday had become much more favorable for us. A piece of upper-level energy was forecast to move across western Oklahoma late in the day. It might not spawn tornadic supercells, but it would produce storms. Plus, it was much closer than SE Texas.

After dinner, we made the trek to Woodward, OK. We got suites at the Holiday Inn Express and slept in preparation for the next day.

Besides the tornadoes and incredible structure, this chase was particularly satisfying. As a group, we stuck to our forecast target and did not deviate even though the SPC did not paint a very favorable picture.. Further, no one was injured or killed as a result of the storm which formed.

The NWS in Dodge City later rated the tornadoes as an EF3 and 2 EF2's

All three targets verified