May 31, 2008 Chase

The weather pattern was unpredictable, to say the least. We didn't really start chasing until about 6:00 p.m., after watching the discussions and SPC predictions through the day. My first pick for a theater was in western Kansas, around Medicine Lodge. The models

Looking to the NW at the wall cloud approaching.

were showing this area as the best spot for storm development.

Fellow storm chaser, Justin LeLaCheur, and I exchanged emails and telephone calls through the day and finally settled on the area near Cleveland as our theater. I left Tulsa, he left Owasso, and we both proceeded towards the target.

Radar was indicating a developing cell north of Cleveland on highway 99, with slight rotation. Once in sight, the storm looked promising. It was getting bigger and the indices were increasing in strength. As we got closer to the storm, we could see the well defined wall cloud.

A quick look at the spotter network map showed that Justin and I were alone on this one. Most of the other chasers had gone west. Well, we were alone for a while.

Wall cloud over us, rotating!

At the intersection of highway 99 and CR 2625, we could see the massive wall cloud moving east, southeast. It was rotating and, after a few minutes, it began lowering.

At 7:03, I called the storm into the NWS confirming the rotation and location. Within a couple of minutes, the sirens in Pawhuska were sounded.

The knowledge that this was "our storm" didn't last for long. Storm chasers and spotters came from all directions and converged on the area.

We had been tracking this storm for a couple of hours now, watching it as it crossed highway 99 in front of us and heading southeast and towards us. The hail core was causing concern, so we retreated south to highway 11, turning east to stay in front of the storm. It looked like it was dissipating, but it kept building and falling apart and building again. Separate cells merged, separated, and merged

The wall cloud tried to drop. Fortunately for Pawhuska, it didn't.

again. Another wall cloud on the trailing edge of the system was trying to develop, then it was gone.

We decided to abandon this weakening storm and search for another one, travelling westward. But, it was over. Although thunderstorms were still dropping heavy rain and hail, the potential for more super storms was declining. After stopping a couple of times to look at the movement of the system, food was on our minds and at 10:30 PM we stopped in Ponca City to eat.

After eating, another quick look at the radar showed us that the chase was over. We returned home.

Justin had commented earlier, "Not bad for our first time [chasing together]." I have to agree.

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