February 10th, 2009
Colin Miller and I chase storms near Wichita Falls, Texas. Zack Biggs was our nowcaster, and was invaluable in helping us find the right storm to chase.
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Left Dallas with my friend Colin around 2 pm headed for Gainsville. Upon reaching Gainsville, a friend who was nowcasting for us instructed us to head up towards Wichita Falls, where it the sky was rapidly clearing. Our intial plan was to sample the cells moving along the almost completely stationary line. We noticed the cells firing to our South near Bellevue out in front of the line, but they were getting completely sheared apart. When we reached Wichita Falls, our nowcaster informed us of the cell that had formed that would later go on to hit Lone Grove.
We didn't have enough time to get to the East of the storm by heading back towards Gainsville, so we instead shot down 281 to approach the storm from the rear. Stopped near Scotland to shoot the amazing structure and storm motion on the back side of the storm. At Windthorst we turned East on 25 and came around behind the storm, which had an amazing structure at this point. Nearly continuous anvil zits, as well as many cloud to ground strikes. We watched the storm for a while while as it raced away to the North East, and also watched a second storm approaching from the south.
We continued on 25, and then turned onto 287 in Bowie, just getting out of there before the second storm clobbered the town. The Squall line was finally starting to push East at this point, and we stayed just ahead of it back to my home in Garland.
Upon arriving home, I was very sad to learn of the destruction and loss of lives in Lone Grove. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those effected by the storm.
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Left Dallas with my friend Colin around 2 pm headed for Gainsville. Upon reaching Gainsville, a friend who was nowcasting for us instructed us to head up towards Wichita Falls, where it the sky was rapidly clearing. Our intial plan was to sample the cells moving along the almost completely stationary line. We noticed the cells firing to our South near Bellevue out in front of the line, but they were getting completely sheared apart. When we reached Wichita Falls, our nowcaster informed us of the cell that had formed that would later go on to hit Lone Grove.
We didn't have enough time to get to the East of the storm by heading back towards Gainsville, so we instead shot down 281 to approach the storm from the rear. Stopped near Scotland to shoot the amazing structure and storm motion on the back side of the storm. At Windthorst we turned East on 25 and came around behind the storm, which had an amazing structure at this point. Nearly continuous anvil zits, as well as many cloud to ground strikes. We watched the storm for a while while as it raced away to the North East, and also watched a second storm approaching from the south.
We continued on 25, and then turned onto 287 in Bowie, just getting out of there before the second storm clobbered the town. The Squall line was finally starting to push East at this point, and we stayed just ahead of it back to my home in Garland.
Upon arriving home, I was very sad to learn of the destruction and loss of lives in Lone Grove. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those effected by the storm.
