Chase Log: November 29th, 2006

Click on any of the SPC products below (Convective Outlooks, Watches, or MCDs) to see the SPC's "Severe Thunderstorm Events" page pertaining to this event.

NO CHASE MAP EXISTS

Total Distance: 360 miles
Target Area: Denton to Gainesville to Paris, TX
Chase Area: South of Gainesville, TX (Bust)
Maximum SPC Risk category: Slight
Watches: Tornado Watch 869
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs): 2235, 2237, and 2241

Not much a log necessary... Very intense cold front was to come plowing through the Plains. Sufficient moisture had returned to the area (Tds >60) to support marginal to moderate CAPE (~1000-2000 j/kg) in the warm sector, while strong wind fields at all levels created rather substantial shear. However, the cold front moved quick enough, and the storm motion relative to the front was aligned, such that the front undercut any cellular convection that tried to persist in the warm sector. A couple of discrete cells did develop near the DFW metroplex, but they dissipated or moved behind the front, killing any tornado threat.

I met up with Phil by chance between Denton and Gainesville, and we had a nice chat (I don't see him much now that he lives in the Metroplex). The FROPA was quite amazing as well, with a ~30F temperature drop within a couple of minutes of the frontal passage, which was also accompanied by 40+ mph winds. We both called it quits rather quickly as a cell we were watching briefly took on good structure (moderate mid-level rotation with occasional low-level rotation) conglomerated with nearby convection to form a mess. By the time I hit Paul's Valley, the temperature dropped below freezing, and I had to content with moderate freezing rain. A strong storm moved over Norman from the southwest shortly after I arrived in Norman (I stopped for ~10 mins to let it catch up to me). I have never experienced a freezing precipitation event like that one... Very heavy convective rainfall (huge drops, frequent lightning, and everything else you expect from a strong storm) while the surface temperature is below freezing. The freezing rain stopped by the time I made it to Moore, but it was very slow going on I35 for a while. Between the +FRZA and FROPA experiences, I was not very disappointed with the chase, despite the lack of supercells. And hey, I know it was the last time I was going to chase before March 2007, so it was worth a shot.