Storm Chase Details
Miles Logged: 176
States Chased: OK
Severe Risks: SPC Outlooks
Severe Reports: Storm Reports
Forecast
Another well forecasted event like the previous day, with a strong positively tilt trough coming out. Models forecasted a very sharp north/south oriented dryline across Oklahoma with a cold front crashing from the north in Kansas.
A strong, departing low level jet will characterize the warm sector throughout the day on Friday, especially east of the Dryline.
Departing Norman 3pm
We departed Norman around 3 and headed south on I-35 to Purcell, and then east on 39 through Lexington. Storms were zipping pretty fast to the northeast, and were raining into each other. We first got on a storm a few miles east of the prison in Lexington, and followed that until about State Highway 9. With the traffic, we were unable to keep up with the fast storm motions.
Hanging in Seminole
We headed to Casey’s in Seminole and contemplated our next move. I actually considered just dropping south on US377 and heading straight to Texas. Everything looked like garbage on radar. However, there was one lone storm northeast of Paul’s Valley that was heading our way. KFOR had a couple chasers on it, so we pulled off the road near Maud and watched the stream while also watching the storm coming at us.
We’d follow the storm through Seminole and north to 99A which we took east to Cromwell. Headed towards Okemah from there, getting caught up at the construction zone across the North Canadian River. Luckily we had gotten a bit ahead of the storm by this point, so we were able to spare the few minutes waiting on the green light.
Continuing the chase North of Okemah
As daylight was quickly fading, I found myself on some back roads north of Okemah. We zig-zagged over to OK-56 and then headed North. A storm was smashing into the south end of the storm, and caused it to produce a very night wall cloud right at dark. I followed 56 north and gave up near Nuyaka on a back road near the river. A number of chasers had caught up with the storm, and I did not feel comfortable continuing with the terrain, traffic and loss of visibility at night.
The storm would go on to produce a killer tornado about 10-15 miles later near the town of Beggs. The NWS rated that tornado EF-3.
Breaking off at Dark and heading for DFW
The TESSA event was the next morning in Arlington, TX and I had a hotel reservation in DFW Metro that night. Not very often I have a trip down the Indian Nation turnpike, so it was a unique drive for me.
