The incredible outburst of storms this spring continues in the central U.S. and V2 has been along for the ride. We've intercepted numerous supercells over the past few days in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The final count from last Monday's outbreak in Oklahoma tallied 24 individual tornadoes, the 4th highest single day total in the state's history. Yesterday's outbreak (the 19th) had 16 tornadoes including one supercell that V2 intercepted from the near beginning. Today we traveled 7 hours NW to far northwestern Kansas where we have a good chance to make a play on the triple point tomorrow as another trough moves in.
I'll just take a second to post a few more pictures that I've snapped along the way.
A storm broke out just west of the highway as Matt and I were trying to avoid cells to our south in New Mexico. The hail on this day was incredible. For the record - we made it north of the cell before it crossed the highway and cored our vehicle.
Another hail storm on the same day. If you look at the far right edge you can see the cold pool start to gust outward from the downdraft and kick up dust.
Our faithful leader George Bryan preparing to give an interview to the NCAR publicity crew as we wait for a target to be declared in the Texas panhandle.
Matt and I had a few minutes before our next launch so we snapped pictures while underneath the forward flank of a supercell near sunset. This cell produced multiple tornadoes and will probably be one of the cornerstone data sets of V2.
View from the SW of a supercell that went on to produce a tornado near Stillwater Oklahoma. In the foreground you can see another towering cumulus bubbling up.
Matt and I got a little too close to the updraft of a developing cumulonimbus as we blindly navigated back to the hotel after losing internet and radar during Wednesday's outbreak.
That's all for now. I'm only in the field for four more days before I head back to Raleigh NC and the comfort of my own bed.
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