Day 2 - The undiscovered country…warp speed not available…

Last night we arrived at our hotel tired and ready for bed, the 6 hour time zone difference from the UK still doing its thing, it certainly felt more like 4 a.m. than 10 p.m. so time to grit the teeth and do the housekeeping. While backing up the photos, I noticed Alex had managed to get a fleeting glimpse of a tornado from the middle seats of the Sububan, subsequently confirmed by a spotter report. We’re absolutely counting that. 

As it’s Memorial Weekend we picked up a flag so we can fit in with the locals, essentially a cloak of invisibility. 

Today we’re heading east, still some cogitating to do, but likely through eastern Kansas, Missouri and Arkanas which, even after eleven chasing trips is virgin ground for me. The SPC has an enhanced risk with a 10% tornado risk but that is quite far east. We’ll see where we get to in the time available. Breakfast was at the Doo Dar Cafe in Wichita last visited in 2019. Great service and uniformly excellent food, we both had the basic breakfast, Alex the jalapeño bacon and me the maple syrup. Delicious. 

We’re going to have trundle down to Joplin, Mo and see where we go from there. Joplin was hit by a huge EF5 tornado in May 2011 that caused $2.8 billion damage making it the costliest tornado in US history. Sadly, more than 150 people lost their lives.

At 11:40 the SPC updates the forecast which shows the 10% hatched tornado risk moving significantly westward into southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. We continue travelling south east on US400 towards Joplin as I tuck into Murica junk snacks that Alex insisted on buying. We stop in Independence, Ks for some lunch at Uncle Jack’s. I’d better get a salad. 

We head south, over the Oklahoma border to Welch. It’s 14:45 and towers are starting to stir as we enter the watch box to our east where storms are expected in the next hour or two. We head west on Oklahoma 10 to have a look at a cell that has bubbled up. At 15:08 it goes severe warned, a tornado watch box springs up to our east and the SPC upgrade the warning further east to moderate. We say hello to a Canadian film crew. 

We stop at Vinita and our storm loses its warn box, and the HRRR has lost some interest in tornadoes in our area. Sigh. While we park up and consider are options, the  previously fallen apart storm gets a second wind and is one again severe warned. We’re now on the wrong siide. One option: head east then drop south and try and get in front of it. 

This isn’t great chasing territory (actually completely terrible) but it is extremely picturesque with large lakes and green trees. We persevere,  crawling through small towns with boats, jet skis and kayaks at the side of the road and make it as far as Grove. Our storm has strengthened at 55,000 feet with some rotation as it heads east serenely at 28 knots gently mocking our forlorn efforts to get anywhere near it. 

We cross into the far south west of Missouri with Arkansas directly to our south, the greenery continues, like Blighty on a summers day. Very pleasant. We’re still just on the western tail of our storm, its path leaving a trail of shredded leaves where the hail has fallen, the river swollen and a dog clearly spooked cowers under a bench with some lightning ahead of us. The roads have been cooled by the hail, they in turn cool the warm, moist air directly above them which causes condensation and a phenomenon known as hail fog; mist is all over and, to be fair looks very cool. 

We pass into Arkansas, yet more mist and shredded greenery, endless windy country roads. Our storm, still severe warned is now disappearing over the horizon and has left more presents behind as trees are down, roads closed, traffic jams at every turn and the emergency services in attendance. A truck took a corner too fast and lost its trailer, an upturned boat now blocking yet another road. A chase this is not. We manage to cross the road back into Missouri. I’ve got no idea where we are. We stop for a break at…somewhere. We’re staying in Springfield with a Texas Roadhouse in our near future. There were tornadoes but they were at…somewhere else…

We head north on Highway 37. A storm pops up in front of us out of nowhere and immediately goes severe warned. Mad. 

Highway 37 goes through Monett and we join the I44 east towards Springfield. How we could have done with an interstate a few hours ago. D’oh! The Steak Prediction Centre has just issued a high risk for all categories of rump, sirloin and fillet so we’re booked on the wait list at the Texas Roadhouse. Steak was nice and it’s off La Quinta Inns in Springfield, Missouri for the night. Early start tomorrow as we’re off to Texas. 

Total miles: 405