April 22-23, 2004 Storm Chase | SW MO and NW TX, respectively   Images finally here...one year late!
 
 April 22
I departed home Thursday afternoon in anticipation of the ejecting speed maxima over OK/TX for Friday.  While heading west on I-44 near Rolla, MO, I couldn't resist giving in and chasing an elevated HP supercell that developed southwest of KSPI at 5pm - it was on my route anyways so I went south on HWY 65 out of KSPI after seeing a jaw dropping image from the local TV station in the gas station.  Upon inspection, the base was definitely high enough so I felt relatively safe about the tornadic threat despite the TVS warnings.  About 14 miles north of Branson is where I entered the core with several blasts of wind/hail from the northeast initially (wrapping hook) which then evolved to golfball size hail and calm winds.  No structure or visible meso was apparent when I looked up at this time, but off to my southwest was a dense shield of precip racing towards me which prompted me to slow down and pull over fearing a biblical RFD blast.  Outside of some est. gusts to 45 knots, it wasn't as bad as it could have been given this cell's evolution on radar.  Possibly the only advantage of chasing in the Ozarks is that the vast tree network will give you a heads up of any severe convective winds!  Anyways, I had crossed through to the south side of this beast and turned ESE to get closer to the inflow sector/RFD interface, but fading daylight and winding roads convinced me to let this one go and get as far west as possible for Friday's setup.  This opportunity chase hindered my progress to Tulsa so much that I gave in to a motel at Joplin.
Driving through the core of an elevated HP supercell w/several 1-1.5in hailstones
HP core to my north
Holy hook echo, Batman! This is one of the largest hook appendages I've seen up to this point. This is what I was navigating through in the previous image!
Lightning-illuminated HP core
Finally through the HP core and viewing the base of the flanking line.
Timed exposure from one of the few good viewing spots around the MO Ozarks. I chatted for a while with the local SKYWARN spotter in the foreground.

                                                                                                                                                                                          April 23 
Near OKC w/stratus and fog north of the warm front
Ancillary convection ahead of the primary cells
A bit later...just south of the warm front near Lawton, OK
This storm's done! Broad arcus cloud.
My initial target cell not far from Chillicothe, TX
An interesting roll cloud popped up below the shelf cloud.
The 00Z model run Thursday evening confirmed my worst fear...a further drive than anticipated for Friday!  I left early Friday morning for KSPS after checking the sfc obs and satellite along w/SPC, but didn't even have time to wait for the 12Z RUC!  The surface warm front was lying just south of Lawton by noon, but I decided to continue south for a data stop at KSPS's library (my cell modem card literally broke the week prior).  While there, a SVR cell had blown up well to my NW near the dryline and warm intersect, but I opted to play a lone supercell about 130 miles to my SW given its more consistent structure.  Now on the road again, I heard reports of a multi-vortex tornado near Grandfield, OK but I stuck to my guns which ultimately backfired on me!  The supercell I targeted had now morphed into a cluster.  Long story short, a TVS-warned meso did make it to near Throckmorton but was gusting out by 5pm.  I then headed towards a tail-end Charlie NW of KABI but didn't have any luck as its cold pool took over resulting in some serious rainfall.

This has been a very difficult (or realistic?) early chase season so far with almost 2200 miles logged and no interesting storm structure shots to show for it.  Recall that one can only lick their wounds for so long!
All photos copyright 2004 © Matt Ziebell
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