A final pictorial look back at the 2012 storm chase
There isn’t much time to blog or organize photographs when you’re driving late into the night dodging storms in the Plains states. So only in the past few days of dry, calm weather here in Southwest Virginia (expected to continue through the weekend) have I had much of a chance to look back at the two 2012 Virginia Tech storm chase trips. We were out 16 days — 7 on the first trip (May 15-21), 9 on the second trip (May 28-June 5) – and had 8 storm days — 2 on the first trip, 6 on the second. While a few days fell short of expectations and felt a little like “busts,” we did not fail to observe a severe storm on any day we chased. By far, our May 29 chase in Oklahoma was the most intense, as we followed 2 supercells starting at initiation, saw numerous wall clouds and other cloud structures signifying rotation, and spotted a tornado after dark. Late-afternoon/early evening storms became the signature feature of these trips, with six of the eight chase days featuring storms right at sunset and/or after dark. On both May 19 in Beatrice, Neb., and June 4 in Sikeston, Mo., (the famous Lambert’s Cafe, home of the ”throwed rolls”) our dinner stops had to be hurried as new storms fired close by. Lightning was often so intense with the supercells –particularly on May 29 in Oklahoma, June 2 in the Oklahoma Panhandle and June 4 in southeast Missouri – that we could see almost as much cloud structure at night as we would have in the daytime. The photo gallery below captures many of our best storm intercepts — plus tourist stops at Monument Rocks in Kansas and Palo Duro Canyon in Texas. (You can click on “Show info” on each photo for photographer and caption information.) Virginia Tech and Southwest Virginia can be proud of how these young people represented you, and Middle America can be proud of the generosity and appreciation with which we were received.
June 15, 2012 - 6:50 PM
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Well, almost as the little girl exclaimed in Poltergeist or Poltergeist 2, “I’M BAAAAAACCKKK!” Our computer system got knocked out of commission by our virus protection system for all of last night and into this morning. Did any of you also get a nasty surprise yesterday evening? Nancy got to the bottom of it this morning and we are back online. But supposedly tons of households got the same treatment.
Trevar, you tasked me to entertain …. OK, how is the following (please be kind in your reviews):
I am reminded of a stupendous quote by Michael Caine in the classic movie, “The Man Who Would Be King:” He exclaimed, “DETRIMENTS!! DETRIMENTS YOU CALL US?!?!? WELL, I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS DETRIMENTS LIKE DANIEL AND I WHO BUILT THIS BLOODY EMPIRE!!!” And I exclaim, “BORING?!?! BORING YOU CALL IT?!?! I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS ‘BORING’ WEATHER LIKE WE HAVE BEEN ENJOYING THAT PERSUADED ME TO TRY MY LUCK AS A LETTER CARRIER BACK IN THE MID-90S!!” This weather is boffo, spectacular, stupendous, fabulous, etc. etc. etc. Robin Reed came on at 6:18 or so this evening and said that the temp at either RRA or his tv station was 76 with a dew point of 55!! In the middle of June??? With very sunny conditions?? I will take this until the cows come home. Yesterday’s high was 78 and today’s was 79 here in ROA, with normal highs of 83 for each day, I think. But what is so great is that it wasn’t a cloudy, drizzly, or muggy 78/79, but sunny days with low humidity.
Ok, sorry for the rant. I plan to do a little review either later tonight or tomorrow, comparing the first half of June this year with a couple of others.
Absolutely great Kevin. A fine tribute to the professionalism you bring to view. And a trip I’m sure your younger friends will remember for a long time. And hopefully take into their careers of weather work. After all, they learned from the best. Thanks. You wear a lot of hats.
I just looked at the NAO and AO “GFS Outlooks.” The NAO is in the process of increasing to a level very close to neutral, with the outlook for the next two weeks to drift along slightly negative. Looks like the days of the very negative NAO have ended, at least for a while. The AO is worse for Jared and me and others who like cool summers …. it is in the process of making a sudden surge upward into positive territory. Then it will drift along in slightly positive territory.
And Robin Reed is “outlooking” a big surge in temps, starting next Wednesday, and to a lesser degree on Tuesday, too. Something like highs of 91-92-91 for Wednesday through Friday. Warm enough then, AH? At least I (am supposed to) get one of those days off ….. Wednesday.
I just looked through the storm chase pictures, KM. Very, very impressive. Tell me …. how many times did someone spot the reincarnation of Margaret Hamilton on a broomstick (You know, “Surrender Dorothy” scene from Wizard of Oz ….)? I think I can make out her image in a couple of those spectacular pictures.
Yes it does appear there will be a warmup next week as the high bringing the cool air shifts eastward and we start getting southwesterly wind flow. There’s a pretty good chance Roanoke finally sees its first 90-degree high of 2012 (having hit 89 four times already, it’s something of a fluke it hasn’t already happened). I’m sure I will post new over the weekend about the coming week ahead, including any possible tropical activity in the Gulf — models still have some possibility of that late next week.
Doug, it’s interesting you reference “Wizard of Oz”, which had for its time was amazing tornado special effects (complete with the “rear flank downdraft” hitting Dorothy’s family’s farm, when such a feature wasn’t really scientifically uncovered for another 40 years). So many of the young folks today refer to “Twister” — a movie with a great many factual flaws about tornadoes, but nonetheless, one that has seemed to inspire a generation of severe weather-interested young people.
WD: Thanks for your kind comments. Many of those folks will be headed into weather-related careers, some for the National Weather Service or in private meteorology. But some will go into other fields, too — hopefully enlightened by this trip, not only for its storm aspect, but for getting to see daily life in another part of the country.
Kevin…. are those models showing that possible storm to affect Myrtle Beach next week…. headin there Thursday for a golf trip and really hoping for some decent weather….
No, Flutie, they’ve been keeping it in the Gulf of Mexico — maybe bringing it ashore next Friday or Saturday. Placement has varied widely from Texas to Florida, and a lot of the modeling is not intensifying it much. Myrtle Beach looks really good for golfing next week, as of now.
Thanks Kevin…. I know you probably hate those questions, but I just had to ask…. we are there until Sunday and really hopin for good weather…. and as always, you were the first person I’d ask…. thanks again….
Our temps in far sw VA have been slightly warmer than those to our east. Low 80′s have been common. I went to Kingsport, TN today and I am sure it was in the mid-upper 80′s and they are dry, dry , dry. We could use some rain here but near as bad as them. I have hay down so I hope any rain will hold off till late next week. We can enjoy a warm, dry father’s day weekend.
Great photos Kevin!
June 2010 through the 15th: +6.4 degrees here in ROA. NINE days !! that were already at least 7 degrees warmer than the normal mean. Only one cool day, a minus one (if you can call that “cool”).
June 2011 through the 15th: not quite a +6.0. 4 days that were at least 11 degrees warmer than normal. If it weren’t for the 14th and 15th of June 2011 being a -6 and a -5, the first 15 days would have been at least a +7 or +8.
This June: -2.1 degrees vs. the mean!! 8 days that were below normal, another one at normal, and only one day (the 12th) that was more than 2 degrees warmer than normal. This morning is still another morning in the 50s (56* dog-walking degrees 40 minutes ago). LOVE IT!!!!
Doug, I am with you on loving the weather. Weather like this week is part of why I will never move back to my home state of SC, and what helps keep living in SW Virginia one of the best kept secrets around. But, even with a warmp up, as long as it cools off at night I can live with that. Kevin, it looks like that was quite a trip.
One thing I should emphasize is that most of the photos in this slideshow are not mine. I only had a cell phone camera this year. They are a mix of those taken by me, Kathryn Prociv, Courtney Potter, Dave Carroll and Chris White.