Despite our hotel being dated and due for an overhaul (lack of power sockets, USB and a crummy bathroom) we both slept like logs, even the growling and nocturnal singing failed to interrupt my slumbers...
As we're in the bullseye of today's risk, miles to target will be relatively low, so it's an unheard of 10:00 start; today's breakfast is at Ye Olde Pancake Station in Amarillo. Our elderly waitress knew her stuff with a lifetime's experience of patter to keep us entertained; the breakfast was good.
Overnight the SPC issued a bimodal enhanced risk (3/5) being over two separate areas, Lubbock and the Oklahoma Panhandle/South West Kansas. After some cogitation we select the southern area draped over Lubbock which looks to have the better payoff.
We head south on I27. At 11:30, the SPC issues an upgraded risk, still maintaining the bimodal enhanced threat though over larger areas, but crucially, significantly improved the tornado risk in the southern area to 10% hatched. The 10% represents the chance of seeing a tornado within a 25 mile radius, the hatched meaning that tornadoes may be EF2-EF5 i.e top end.
It's always worth reading the text annotation that come with these forecasts. Today's notable comments in the summary mention "thunderstorms are expected" with "several tornadoes (some possibly strong)" and "large to very large hail". The forecast also mentions dew points in low 70s, impressive moisture, strong instability, (upwards of 3,000 J/KG), 60-70 kt effective sheer all favouring discrete supercells. That's everything you could ever really hope for, we'll see what actually materialises. I think that vindicates choosing the southern target. We continue south on I27 approaching Plainview; it's 12:15 and initiation is expected in the next 2 hours or so.
We stop at Plainview for a Starbucks. SPC mesoscale discussion has a 95% probability of a tornado watch being issued. We continue south towards Lubbock; a thick mist hugs the landscape. It’s 13:10.
A tornado watch is issued at 13:19 and we’re dead centre.
At Lubbock we head south west on US62 past the Texas Tech football stadium. The sun is now out and it’s 25c. At 13:50 we have a blip on radar to our west. Temp is now 28c.
We stop at Brownfield for gas station snacks, dozens of chase vehicles are congregating. It’s starting to be a circus (vuvuzalas really?) so we head west on US Highway 82 for a bit of peace and quiet waiting for the cap to break.
We stop near Tokio, repositioning away from the guy with a huge “No Trespassing” sign adorned with a skeleton. Towers are going up testing the cap, then fading as they hit the glass ceiling. It’s 31c and 16:15.
The cap is strong so we move north on a farm road towards Whiteface. There are two severe warned storms about to collide north of there. Both go tornado warned and both have confirmed tornadoes. Shortly after the northern most storm dissipates, we head north to intercept.
We stop west of Morton, Texas and have the road to ourselves. There's massive rotation right in front of us and a shaggy tornado touches down, not quite fully condensed but with dust swirls on the ground. This first tornado of the day quickly lifts, but shortly after a second touches down; there is massive rotation and the tornado touches down with massive swirls but again not fully condensed.
By this time hundreds of chase vehicles are charging down the road south past our position making it impossible for us to turn round. Eventually the metal snake clears and we set off back from where we came. Unfortunately the curse of the Lubbock red dust is back which is sucked into the storm and reduces visibility to practically zero. Reed Timmer in Dominator 3 wizzes past at a rate of knots. We have to stop and are just south of the hook echo on radar. Suddenly we are slammed by the outer circulation of a tornado with dust and mud splatting into the side of the Jeep. I video the impact, the whole incident being slightly alarming due to the lack of visibility.
We continue south, with ongoing circulations above us. A doplar truck is parked up measuring wind speeds. Reed Timmer posts a number of videos from his custom built intercept vehicle including a large dusty wedge tornado.
This supercell recycles a number of times and the hook echos and velocity signatures on radar are insane. Our phones go off numerous times with tornado warnings. This storm is PDS warned - a Particularly Dangerous Situation - and is headed directly for the city of Lubbock, which is also the location of tonight's hotel. We head south on Inler Avenue to let this beast past then south west on US82 to Wolfforth for pit stop. The garage has shut as it's under a tornado warning, there's also a number of emergency vehicles being marshalled. We continue to Ropesville where the truck stop is open and we get overtaken by outflow.
We do an about turn and head back towards Lubbock and our hotel. A flash flood warning is issued and in the gloom we drive straight into a lake of water with spray everywhere.
We check into La Quinta at 09:30 and order some beer and snacks via Uber Eats which fails to turn up and most of the evening is wasted try to cancel it and get a refund. Tedious. As we're sat in the hotel reception another severe warned storm passes just to our north with some great cloud to ground lightning.
So our celebratory meal for this fantastic day of chasing...Snickers, Doritos and water...
Tomorrow is our last day. The SPC has a slight risk but we need to get back to Denver. Luckily the western edge is viable, so we have an 08:00 start and a 6 hour drive to our initial target of Lamar, Colorado.
Total Miles:TBC
