The three days from May 11 to 13 were slow, unfortunately. I will include some iPhone pics from this timeframe below this May 14 chase entry.
Here is some travel information for posterity:
May 11 Begin: San Angelo/lunch: Cielo Mexican in Snyder, TX/End: Turkey/232 miles (reposition day)
May 12 Begin: Turkey/lunch: Big Texan in Amarillo/End: Dumas/220 miles (down day/reposition day)
May 13 Begin: Dumas, TX/brunch: Big Country Cafe in Dumas, dinner in Springfield, CO/End: Liberal/384 miles (high-based junk convection)
May 14 Begin: Liberal, KS/lunch: Tom’s Kountry Kitchen in Kinsly, KS/End: Kiowa, KS/293 miles/account below
Chase account by Bob Conzemius
We had to wait a few days for moisture to return to the Plains, and by the 14th there was enough for some marginally severe storms in western Kansas. However, the temperature/dew point spreads were far too large for a tornado risk. 101 over 47 at Medicine Lodge —- not ideal! We would have to be content with marginally-interesting high-based storms.
We were just east of a storm, north of Coldwater, when the lightning activity perked up. Some of the strikes started fires. The region was drought-stricken to a large extent, so fuel moisture was on the low side. A little later, a cell near us along 183 was starting fires east of the highway. An impressive smoke plume was pushed southward due to storm outflow, and was then sucked up into a storm base (see first two images below). Storms pushed southward to the OK border but struggled to impress.
Award-winning video still below:
iPhone photo dump below
May 11 pics! Well, just one, in Turkey.
May 12 pics, group pics at a Palo Duro Canyon overlook.
May 13 pics and Bob’s account, which includes our route into the Black Mesa area around Branson to Kim.
This was more of backcountry scenic drive than it was a chase, as moisture levels continued to be meager. We did manage to get a few lightning strikes in southeastern Colorado.
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