Chase Log: May 31st, 2007
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.
Total Distance: 0 miles
Target Area: Elkhart, KS, to Boise City, OK
Chase Area: Elkhart, KS, to Guymon, OK
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
With stronger northwesterly flow aloft and deeper moisture in the low-levels, there was better hope for tornadic supercells across far eastern CO, western KS, the OK panhandle, and TX panhandle this day. By the time we made it to Guymon, OK, a couple of cells were developing in far southeastern Colorado. Given easterly storm motion, we headed northwest to Elkhart, KS to await the approach of the storms. We deployed and collected data from this location with the MWR-05XP, before we had to head southward as the eastern-most cell developed a significant mesocyclone and took a hard right turn.
Anticipating continued southeasterly motion, we set up shop between Eva and Goodwell, OK, off Hwy 95 south of US 64. Well, as luck would have it, the supercell stopped moving southeastward, which left us scanning and looking through a very large amount of precipitation in the RFD of the HP supercell to our north. After realizing that we were losing the supercell to our north, we packed back up and headed east on US 64. We tried to get north on Rd 22 east of Unity, but we quickly retreated as we realized we wouldn't have time to deploy and collect much data before the cell was upon us. This ended up being a good decision, since we observed a tornado a short time later while deploying a 3rd time a few miles west of Guymon. Again, though, we didn't have time to fully deploy and scan, so we packed up and headed to a location a couple of miles east of Guymon. The strongest winds associated with the RFD must have occurred just a hair north of our location east of Guymon, since we noted only ~40 mph winds, while the GUY airport reported >60mph winds. I also saw a strong power flash approx 1 mi to our north, which likely demarcated the area of severe-level winds.
05-31-2007 Chase Pictures
Click on any photo to see a larger version
