Summary:

 

This day will sting for a bit until we score a nice tornado this year. We left Clinton and targeted Sayre because SPC meso analysis showed a bullseye over the area. Went after first storm that went up south of area noting wall cloud. Intercepted storm which looked good but eventually went shelf-ish and decided to head back to target area. Left after sitting for a couple hours for storms heading into Roll. Made a fatal error at Sweetwater direction wise that cost us the tornadoes. Chased the storm that was behind the tornado producer through all the same towns only minutes later. Caught a nice rope funnel south of Roll that never touched down. Ditched tail end charlie as it began to bow out to race south after 2 long lived supercells heading towards OKC. Storms died on our way down. Attempted to shoot lightning before calling it a day. Contemplated suicide as tornado pictures started pouring in before heading back to Wichita.

 

Stats:

Tornadoes: 0

Largest hail: 1.00" [quarter]

Highest wind: Non t-storm surface winds gusting to 50mph.

 

Detailed account:

 

A high risk day that wounded up a huge letdown for many. We awoke in Clinton and I spent about an hour going over the obs and models to figure out the days target. SPC meso analysis had a solid bullseye around the Sayre area so I chose that. Suddenly a guy running down the hall starts yelling ITS A HIGH RISK! Sure enough we call him into our room and SPC put out an MD saying it would go high risk with long track supercells and tornadoes likely. I pretty muched jumped outa my skin from excitement. Mistake #1

 

We departed for Sayre with crapvection going up all around us. Normally this concerns me but surely the issuance of a high risk meant it wouldnt affect the days setup. As we drove down I-40 a storm went up to our south that went warned so we went after it. From a great distance we could see a wall cloud. We intercepted the storm about 30 minutes later and it was starting to look good. Before long though I noticed it began to take on a shelf-ish appearance and sure enough it had lost its tornadic potential. We again met up with the Illinois chasers who were also on this storm.

 

I love the gray shelf with the green core behind it. Truly makes a storm look mean.

 

 

 

On our way the distant anvil looks really impressive.

 

 

 

Shortly after this photo we stopped near Sweetwater, Oklahoma where a fatal error was made. Danny wanted to go north and Matt was screaming in my ear to go west because he had the maps and working radar. Me not taking time to think and wanting to make things quiet in my ear just kept heading west. SUNUVABITCH! shortly after the storm went tornado warned and I guess at this point is when many chasers were treated to a tornado fest consisting of 2 tornadoes. We got on the storm behind it.

 

The storm behind it began to look really good. Since this was a high risk day we felt any storm could go nuts...and often times the southern most storm does. It began to ramp up and soon produced a wall cloud right in front of us.

 

 

It had a hard time getting its rotation together though. There were allot of turbulent motions but no real rotation to make us believe a tornado would drop. If only it would have we would have been the only ones to witness this show, so of course it didnt want to happen. A few more pics:

 

 

 

 

We jumped back on the chase and followed it through all the same areas that the 2 tornadoes tracked through. We didnt really note any damage though. It would re organize itself a bit at random times...each time making us believe that what we were after would happen. We stopped on Highway 33 just south of Roll where a bunch of chasers had gathered and we observed it for awhile. A moment of excitement came when I looked out the window and saw a long rope funnel emerge so we all jumped out to take some pics.

 

 

It would never touch down though and lasted only for a minute. We decided to head north before the rest of the convoy and the storm still looked like it was getting its act together with a new wall cloud forming, this time with a bit of rotation to add to the excitement level. Danny got some video of it as we crossed the Canadian river.

 

 

Forgive me for yelling there. I was not wanting to get read ended by the convoy in my rear view mirror which I guess is a strange concept to some people.We observed the storm some more and the colors and motions were pretty wicked...but again, nothing that looked like it was going to produce. Some pictures:

 

 

I really like the area of green emerging in this pic.

 

 

Another wall cloud wannabe trying to tease us.

 

 

Well we kept pursuit for a couple hours but nothing ever came of it. Eventually a squall line developed north of the cell making it a tail end charlie. Tail end charlies are your best bet for a tornado but to me this one looked like it was cold and mushy and wouldn't produce. We decided to blast south towards OKC. All day 2 supercells had been in progress and were slowly moving that way. There weren't many reports coming from them but on radar they looked better than any storm we were on and that was going. My hope the high risk would reward us were almost gone and this was the last ditch effort.

 

Sure enough, as if a storm knows we are coming, they began to weaken. The setting sun was beginning to tell me I would be going home with a huge rain cloud over my head. Some grungy low clouds and dust along with the setting sun tinted the sky a strange orange-greenish color. It was eery and a look I have never seen before.

 

 

 

Since the storms began dying we didnt bother with trying to intercept. Nightfall was coming soon so we thought we would position ourselves to shoot some lightning and maybe eventually get cored. Now my camera is not at all suitable for taking lightning pictures. I did however find the fireworks setting can get some decent lightning shots if I can keep the camera still. However even the lightning didnt like me today and would wait till I was in between shots to show itself. I managed to get one shot though, but the foreground being blurry kind of ruins it.

 

 

The whole time we sat there for maybe 45 minutes there were some good CG strikes with some loud thunder which was spooking some nearby horses. It was a bit creepy at first because we could hear them in the dark but couldnt see them. Then all at once we saw their eyes rushing towards us across the street. Had to be well over a dozen of them.

 

Once the lightning and core passed [with pea hail] we called it a day and began to head for home. Chasers were already boasting their stuff on StormTrack. It really stung knowing it was a bonehead call that ruined it. I take part of the blame for not stopping to analyze why one person wanted to go north and the other was so passionate about going west. Major lesson learned and I feel like ass for it. However thats part of the game, we will not win every time and if anything it will make me more determined to succeed.

 

Conclusion:

Missing the tornadoes by minutes really stung. If not for the funnel, some good photo ops and multiple run ins with quarter size hail cores [which i failed to mention] I would have driven home an angry chaser. However I accept that failure is part of the game and I never expect to win every time. Ive missed tornadoes before...but never like this. It also didnt help that the high risk did not verify at all and the forecast setup straight up busted. I am not the only chaser who didnt score today either, and some were worse off than I was and barely got anything. Also, 2009 is still ahead of 2008 by far. Ive got scores of awesome pictures and video. At this point last year I had only a few crappy pics and video that is barely worth showing. 2008 ended up being my best year and I am ready to kick it into high gear for the rest of the year! My more aggressive chase plan is paying off...just not with the motherload yet.