June 10 Storm Damage

Here are some pictures of storm damage.  We think it was a very weak EF-0 tornado that came through the area.  This shows just how fickle weather can be.

June 10 Moccasin, MT supercell

Our starting point was in Glendive, MT, and we needed to head west about 3-4 hours.  Lewistown, MT, was our intended target, so we ate lunch at Harry's Place when we arrived.  They were very happy to accommodate our large group, and they were quite friendly.  We lounged on their outdoor patio area after lunch and decided to head west out of town to monitor any potential storm development.  There was a rest/camp area about a mile out of town, so we lingered there for a while.  Patience would be key today, because the road network was very sparse.  If we got suckered on an early storm, our chances of being in position for a play later in the day would go down the drain.  There were a couple storms to our north, but chasing them would not be possible due to the aforementioned road network.  While we were waiting, we decided to stop at a convenience store for ice cream, and that seemed to do the trick.  A very nice storm went up, and we were able to intercept it near Moccasin, MT.  As we were following it to east of Roy, MT, it gave us multiple wall clouds and came close to producing a tornado.  It was difficult at times to see the base, because there were lots of hills in this area.  When that storm began turning into an outflow producer, we latched onto another one that had awesome structure.  We stopped along the road to watch the storm approach us, and the shelf cloud was very picturesque.  As we were taking pictures, outflow from other storms came through and drastically reduced the air temperature.  We followed the storm into Roy, MT and stopped near what appeared to be an abandoned fueling station.  A few of the guests needed an emergency pit stop, and tree cover would be the perfect place to do it.  After milling about and watching the storm, we herded the guests back into the vans and got blasted with wet RFD winds as we were leaving.  Along the way, the tour guide noticed a circulation in a field next to us, so we were wondering if that was a weak tornado.  After we emerged from the RFD winds, reports started coming in of a rain-wrapped tornado very close to the area we were in.  Damage reports also began coming through, so we returned to the scene of the crime.  Golf ball sized hail was also present, and we noticed some damage to the buildings.  One of the walls was bent outward, and multiple branches were snapped.  In addition, a signpost was snapped at the base.  After poking around, we decided to start our drive to Billings, where our motel was.  Total mileage for the day was 525 miles.

Moccasin, MT

June 9 Circle, MT supercell

Fortuna, ND

US/Canada border

Circle, MT

We began today in Weyburn, SK, and we were looking at 2 possible options.  There was a potential play along the warm front, which was about 2 hours north.  However, tornado potential seemed to be better in southeast Saskatchewan (SK).  After heading north out of Weyburn, prospects looked bleak for isolated supercells.  We did a pit stop in Francis, SK, and Chris looked at new data.  He decided to head back to Weyburn for lunch and figure out what to do from there.  After lunch, there were promising cells initiating in Montana (MT).  We needed to blast south and get back into the United States.  As we were getting processed at the border, one of the cells was looming over us, and the border agents were asking us how bad it would get.  We explained that it would most likely be a lot of rain and small hail.  They brought our passports back to us and sent us on our way.  We stopped just outside of the border crossing and checked out a small wall cloud that was forming to our west.  As we continued south into Fortuna, ND, we got blasted by golf balls and torrential rain.  It was intense!!!  After we emerged from the core unscathed, we stopped near a quarry and took pictures of the storm that passed.  The structure was decent, but there was another storm about 2 hours to our southwest that was begging to be chased.  It formed near Lewistown, MT, and it was moving east at 15-20 mph.  We blasted west on US 2 to Wolf Point, MT, and we continued south on MT 13 to Circle, MT, where we finally intercepted the storm.  Even though the road network was sparse, we still managed to intercept the storm due to its eastward motion.  As we got closer to Circle, the storm had a very nice base, and it looked like it was going to produce a tornado.  The structure was the best I saw my entire trip, and it eventually had a mothership appearance.  We followed the storm all the way to Wibaux, MT, with stops in-between to take pictures.  Hoping for a view of mammatus clouds, we drove south out of town to let the storm pass.  Due to debris cloudiness, the sunset was not great, and we were not able to see mammatus clouds.  We found rooms in Glendive, MT for the night after driving 454 miles.

Mothership approaching

June 7 and June 8 (positioning day and small storms)

Ardmore, SD

Need a car?  Go to Ghost Town Ed's
Used Car Lot in Ardmore, SD!

Pretty storm east of Weyburn, SK

On June 7, our plan was quite simple.  We needed to head north towards Saskatchewan in order to be in great position for June 9, which was progged to be a great severe weather day.  This death ridge has been causing a lot of headaches, because severe weather cannot develop and stay sustained in this type of pattern.  We got rooms in Spearfish, SD, and we stopped along the way in Ardmore, SD, which is a ghost town.  There were many old cars to be photographed, and the old buildings added a certain charm to the unincorporated community.  After we spent about 25 minutes poking around, we continued our journey to Spearfish and found a small storm to photograph along the way.  We drove 405 miles today.

Crepescular rays

June 8 was pretty much the same idea as June 7.  We needed to continue our drive north to Saskatchewan to be in position for June 9.  Our tour director changed to Chris Gullickson, because Bill needed to be at his job, and he also was in much need of a break before the next tour.  Storms were predicted to fire today in SE Saskatchewan, but it seemed like they would be junky, high-based storms.  When we were at the border, the agent told us that we "dodged a bullet" with our passports because no one had a negative background.  Between you, me, and the fence posts, I think she was a bit disappointed that no one had any warrants or crimes on their record.  Either way, we all received a stamp in our passports, and we were sent on our merry way.  We intercepted a storm near Weyburn, SK, and it was very pretty with the setting sun.  It gave us some lightning, but it was not enough to get a good shot.  However, the rays of sun coming out of the clouds were splendid!!  After driving 454 miles, we got rooms in Weyburn for the night.

June 6 storms near Denver

Today began a new tour, and we rounded up the group at 10 a.m. for the orientation and weather briefing.  We left the base hotel after 11, and we ate lunch about a mile away.  Storms were predicted to go up near the Denver area later in the day, so we did not want to venture too far away.  On the other hand, we knew we would be chasing in Canada on Wednesday, so we also wanted to work our way north.  That being said, we noticed some perky cumulus clouds north and east of the Denver metro area, and they were near the Palmer Divide.  We drove towards the Cu field and noticed some were trying very hard to become thunderstorms.  As we headed into Greeley, CO, we latched onto one that was looking good both visibly and on radar.  We took a pit stop in Ft. Collins, CO, and the other van decided its alarm was going to malfunction.  The sirens, sounds, and flashing lights inadvertently caused people to pull over with confused looks on their faces.  We continued the chase for a bit until we came into Greeley, CO and stopped at an auto store to replace the batteries to the key fobs.  That did not work, so we found a Chevy dealership in town (our vans are from Chevrolet).  The mechanic could not pinpoint the problem, so he cut the wire to the sound, leaving only the flashing lights.  Now, the van's lights flash if it goes over a bump, shuts down, starts up, or a fly sneezes on it.  Anyway, there was a beefy looking cell north of the Denver metro area, and it was moving south at 20 mph.  We knew we could easily catch it, but this storm was dropping 2.5" hailstones.  Luckily, we just ran into small hail and torrential rain.  Even though the storm's shape looked good on radar, it eventually became outflow-dominant.  After staying with the cell near Watkins, CO, we called it a night and headed to Greeley after driving 304 miles.

June 3 to June 5

Pretty flower

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Nature Preserve

These next few days were quite uneventful.  On June 3, we continued our trip north from San Angelo, TX toward Oklahoma City.  We found a place in Meers, OK for dinner, and it supposedly had the best burger in Oklahoma.  Personally, I could make a better burger on my own grill, so the $15 was not worth the meal.  I suppose most of that price was paying for the atmosphere.  Anyway, we stopped a few times along the way to photograph wildlife.  I used my telephoto lens to take pictures of a bison in a meadow.  Some of the guests were brave enough to get within 20 feet of it, but I wanted to stay near the van in case it decided to charge.  As we continued, we came across another creature, but I was not sure what type it was.  Either way, it decided to lie down in the grass as we approached it, so we were able to take easy pictures.  When we arrived in Lawton, OK for the night, we checked into our hotel, and a few of us walked to the casino next door.  It was a fun time with great people!!  We drove 399 miles.

Bison

Twistex Memorial

On June 4, we drove the guests back to the base hotel in Oklahoma City.  Along the way, we drove through the path of the El Reno tornado that occurred on May 31, 2013.  At its peak, it was 2.7 miles wide and was packing winds of 295 mph, as measured by radar.  Seeing the damage from that storm was surreal, and we also passed by a house that looked "too new."  Looking at the storm's path, that house was directly in the middle of the damage path, so it was a safe assumption that the original house was obliterated.  Many trees were still damaged, and it was evident that there was no hope for them to grow back.  We also stopped at the Twistex Memorial.  This memorial honors the lives of Tim Samaras, Paul Samara, and Carl Young.  They were killed when the tornado suddenly changed its direction, picked up their cobalt, and threw it 100 yards with them inside.  These chasers were well-respected in the weather community, and they will be greatly missed.  However, their research has helped make tornado predictions better than before.  Between dropping off the guests at the hotel and beginning our drive to Denver for the next tour, I drove 445 miles and stayed in Ulysses, KS for the night.

June 2 Strengthening Ridge of Death

Small tarantula

Male peacock

Female peacock

Today was not looking too good for storm development.  A huge ridge was beginning to develop in the western part of the states, and this causes air to subside, or sink.  Storms need rising air to develop and strengthen, so this meant a ridge would effectively end our chase week early.  We left Del Rio, TX and began our journey north for Oklahoma City.  Our guests needed to be back by Saturday afternoon, and there was no sense in chasing in the southern tip of Texas.  Along the way, we stopped in Sonora, TX for lunch at a Mexican cafe.  The food was cheap and amazing!!  Bill decided to take the group to the Caverns of Sonora to kill some time.  We explored the underground caves and saw some neat wildlife.  Most of us were happy to emerge from the caves because the humidity was 98%.  There was a male and female peacock on the grounds, and one of the group members found a small tarantula under a rock.  Storms began developing when we were done with our cave tour, but they sputtered very quickly.  Bill was quite exhausted, so he found rooms for us in San Angelo, TX, and we had another very early night.  Our mileage for the day was 199 miles.

Caverns of Sonora

Caverns of Sonora

June 1 Marathon, TX and Del Rio, TX supercells

Shear funnel

New wall cloud

Hail shaft

Today's plan was very straightforward.  We were already in great position in Alpine, TX, where we spent the previous night.  That being said, Bill decided to head 30 miles east where better moisture was present.  We stopped for lunch at the Oasis Cafe in Marathon, TX, and the poor waitress seemed to be overwhelmed by our presence.  I am pretty sure they are not used to getting 16 people at the same time, but she did a great job handling our appetites!  Anyway, we continued east out of Marathon after lunch and saw a few cells popping up.  There was a cell very close to our original starting point that was showing signs of dropping a tornado or two.  We turned around in Sanderson, TX after a pit stop and blasted back west to investigate this storm.  As we got closer, we could see a very nice base, and the storm was rotating.  We stopped alongside the road to watch it, and a very defined funnel began to form.  Seeing this, we felt this was a good omen for the day, because another funnel formed shortly after the initial one.  Sadly, the storm was having trouble getting its act together until a wall cloud began forming...directly over our heads!!!  This was very exciting, especially with the warm RFD winds coming from the storm.  We encountered atomized rain, which is just like going through a spot-free rinse in a car wash.  This is indicative that this storm is rotating hard, and this type of rain generally occurs when tornadogenesis is imminent.  Like before, the storm began sputtering.  RATS!!!  Fortunately, we were watching another cell about 60-70 miles to our east that was looking very healthy.  We decided to give the group one last pit stop before blasting east to investigate this other storm.  Along the way, we kept monitoring the storms behind us, and we stopped a few times when they were looking like possible tornado-producers.  Sanderson, TX was nailed with baseball-sized hail, according to a report on GRLevel.  We were happy to be out of that town!!!  We continued east and began getting closer to the storm near Del Rio, TX.  Bill Reid, our tour director, stated that "This storm has 'that look.'"  In other words, he was seeing that it could produce a tornado with all the signs it was exhibiting.  We saw a very nice funnel cloud coming from the base, but it did not drop down.  As we got closer, we could see 2 distinct lowerings from the base of the storm.  This storm was hanging onto an outflow boundary from a previous storm, and we knew that if it could hang onto it without the boundary surging southward, we would have a very good chance at seeing a tornado.  Unfortunately, the boundary surged southward, and this undercut the storm with cold air.  We stopped at the Amistad Reservoir to monitor the storm.  It looked like it would try to cycle up and give us a show, but outflow was the final product.  We were getting blasted by torrential rain, so we decided to call it a relatively early night and head to Del Rio, TX to our hotel.  We drove 322 miles today.

Storm trying to cycle up after getting hit with outflow

5/31 Marfa, TX shelf cloud

Alpine, TX

Cactus

Marfa, TX

Near Alpine, TX

We began today in Alpine, TX, and we were in great position for the day's festivities.  Models showed storms developing to the west and moving east due to upper level winds.  Because of this, we decided to give the guests another grocery store run.  While they were shopping for more goodies, we took the vans to get vacuumed.  After we picked up the guests, we stopped at a local diner for lunch, which was called Reata's.  When lunch was over, we did a quick gas station stop to top off the vans and give the group an opportunity for a pit stop.  Storms are unpredictable, so pit stops might not happen once we get on a good storm.  We drove east out of town for 5 miles before finding a nice picnic area to wait for storm initiation.  There was a decent looking cell to our north that was trying to get its act together.  It's cloud tops kept increasing and decreasing, and it remained relatively stationary.  After lingering for a while, we decided to investigate this cell.  It gave us a decent wall cloud for a bit with a pronounced RFD cut.  For those of you who are not familiar with weather terminology, an RFD cut is a good sign that the storm is healthy and could possibly produce a tornado.  It occurs when rain-cooled air is pulled from the storm to the ground and helps initiate tornado development.  Unfortunately, this storm started producing outflow, which meant the storm was beginning to die.  We began working our way west towards Marfa, TX, because there was a storm in that vicinity that was showing promising signs.  Its base was pronounced and it was showing signs of rotation.  As we got closer, we were able to stop and watch it.  Like the previous cell, it started becoming outflowy and it gave us a photogenic shelf cloud.  We ended up in Alpine, TX for the night after driving 226 miles.

Marfa, TX

May 30 Big Bend storms

The Hudson Hornet in Marathon, TX

Neat truck

We began today in Lubbock, TX, and we were already in great position for the day's chase.  Our target area was 2-3 hours west, and storms were predicted to begin initiating early.  Along the way, we stopped in Seminole, TX for lunch at Dickey's BBQ.  The food was delicious, and I was able to get my BBQ fix in for the trip.  After lunch, we continued west and intercepted some storms near Ft. Stockton, TX.  As we continued to Marathon, TX, storms continued to fire, and we were trying to keep on the southern-most storm.  The goal of the day was to play the "tail-end charlie" to improve our chances of seeing a tornado.  Eventually, the storms became very messy and outflowish, so we settled on some lightning photography.  We drove south to Big Bend National Park to investigate some activity close to the border.  After driving within 13 miles of the Mexico along US 385, we headed back north to follow more storms.  As the evening wore on, 2 cells began to exhibit signs of rotation, but they were killed by outflow.  We spent the night in Alpine, TX after driving 466 miles.

Funnel east of Alpine, TX

Wall cloud south of Marathon, TX