{"id":15284,"date":"2016-04-20T00:00:06","date_gmt":"2016-04-20T08:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/?p=15284"},"modified":"2017-01-02T12:46:34","modified_gmt":"2017-01-02T20:46:34","slug":"april-20-2016-mertzon-tx-hailer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stormbruiser.com\/chase\/2016\/04\/20\/april-20-2016-mertzon-tx-hailer\/","title":{"rendered":"April 20, 2016 Mertzon, TX hailer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"160420_0795_mertzon\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chase start–Fort Stockton, TX; lunch–Fort Stockton (The Steak House); end–Lubbock, TX; 489 miles<\/p>\n

Fresh off of our successful tornado catch the day before, we headed east-northeastward from Fort Stockton to try our luck again in west Texas. \u00a0And, again, the Storm Prediction Center was lukewarm with regard to severe weather prospects, at least during the daytime. \u00a0A slight risk was painted up north from about Turkey to Abilene, but that was for activity expected after sunset, and where cooler air and low clouds were currently. \u00a0I was looking at the area around San Angelo, near a boundary with warmer low levels and sunshine.<\/p>\n

SPC Day 1 (20Z)<\/a><\/p>\n

spc-mesoscale-discussion-424<\/a>\u00a0(W TX 3 p.m. CDT)<\/p>\n

spc-mesoscale-discussion-425<\/a>\u00a0(TX PH 6 p.m. CDT)<\/p>\n

Like yesterday, shear and instability appeared to be more than adequate for a supercell. \u00a0A tornado certainly could not be ruled out, but SPC had the 2% tornado area farther north. \u00a0We observed some building cumulus clouds to our east as we motored east on U.S. 67 through Big Lake and Barnhart. \u00a0A storm developed near Mertzon, to our east, and we braved some hail near the core and managed to get south of the updraft base, on FM 915 perhaps 7 miles south of Mertzon (in Irion County). \u00a0This base was quite dramatic and it had a splendid wall cloud, but no low-level rotation was apparent with the wall cloud. \u00a0The storm drifted to the east and started to weaken gradually. \u00a0We had seen it at its best, at least! \u00a0The cell left a swath of hail in its wake south of Mertzon, with stones as large as two inches in diameter.<\/p>\n

We waved “goodbye” to the dying CB, but there were still several hours of daylight remaining. \u00a0We headed northward for the expected development towards evening, and got on a storm that was looming in the dark just north of Floydada. \u00a0We watched from south of Floydada. \u00a0 Occasional lightning and the lights of the town showed a lowered area beneath the base, and the storm was severe-warned. \u00a0It appeared to be somewhat outflowish, though, and we observed no signs of a tornado.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\t\t