Supercell storm at dinner adds unique twist for 2012 storm chase trip
Monday was a legendary day for the Virginia Tech storm chasers. We drifted across southern Missouri knowing there would be some threat of severe weather, but our two main objectives were (1) seeing the damage path and rebuilding efforts at Joplin from the deadly May 22, 2011, tornado and (2) eating at Lambert’s Cafe in Sikeston, Mo., the home of the “throwed rolls” in the southeast part of the state. We entered the restaurant with a storm to the north — looked like it could be a decent storm, a little wind and heavy rain, nothing extreme. But in the time our dinner was served, it ramped up into an intense supercell, with extremely rapid and vivid lightning illuminating striations and wall clouds the equal of any storms we would see in the Great Plains. And we were perfectly positioned from the parking lot to observe it — for a little while. Once it became clear that a second cell with large hail was moving directly toward us, and the original storm had been given a tornado warning, we hurriedly finished our meal, got some takeout boxes, and took to the road to position ourselves better to observe the storms. I hope to get up some of the video and/or video stills in days to come.
We stayed in my hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas, overnight and plan to return to Virginia this evening. I hope to resume regular Weather Journal blog coverage by Thursday.
June 5, 2012 - 8:10 AM
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I hope to resume regular Weather Journal blog coverage by Thursday.
Which has been missed! Habit forming.
That definitely sounds exciting Kevin! I love watching thunderstorms, but I’m too chicken to stay out in them or chase them LOL
We have since learned there were 3 fatalities in what likely was a tornado northeast of Sikeston, Mo. We’ll be reviewing video carefully and providing information to the weather service investigating the storm. Not really surprised it may have spawned tornado. Very violent storm.
Did your group have the chance to catch some throwed rolls before dashing out the door???
Jp: We were 12 for 12 in catching the throwed rolls. I downed frog legs in record time and we got boxes and ate some stuff on the road.
NWS-Paducah Ky has confirmed and EF-2 tornado with 3 fatalities at Diehlstadt, Mo.
Kevin, I am very happy that you all got to spend last night in your home town (or former home town) of Jonesboro, ARK. I have been wondering if you would get a chance to visit/stay there during one of your two trips. In fact, they had some rough weather there either Saturday or Sunday evening, about 10:30 PM as I remember it. Saw it on TWC radar map. But I doubt that they were hit with any tornados …. radar did not look that nasty.
Meanwhile, I intended to post something very early this morning about conditions here at six-dog-fifteen AM, but ran out of time before having to get to work. Nothing near as spectacular as what you HSCs have been seeing, but it was still a rare and fairly neat scene. The entire sky from horizon to horizon was full of low clouds, and there was even a steady light shower going on. “Entire sky,” except for one little area ….. over the Peaks of Otter and Stewart’s Knob and perhaps Horsepens Mntn, ENE of here. Clear over there. And the sun came up over the right side of Sharptop (one of the two Peaks of Otter, in case a few of you don’t know … and care … LOL) and stayed out for the ten minutes while the two old males walked around here. A very early sun-shower. It was beautiful.
Back home in Roanoke tonight. Very tired after eventful trip.
Hit some heavy rain in the last leg tonight near Pulaski. Moisture banked on the boundary of the wedge, it appeared.
Welcome back Kevin. I know some bloggers missed you and probably a couple of people in the Myatt household. Job well done.
Total of “0.58″ inches of rain overnight (Tues. night). Don’t think we got out of the 60′s up here on the ridge yesterday.
Kevin, you drove right through the storm that dumped on our house last night, not as much as down toward Pulaski, Draper, and Dublin it would seem from the Radar, but a good heavy rain nonetheless. And surprising too…I had been mowing in the evening and maybe an hour after finishing there was a thunderclap like someone shot a Civil War cannon beside the house. My wife thought something exploded, then a few minutes later the skies opened up, and we got a solid 0.61″ of rain.
Glad to know the crew for the trip all got back safely, but saddened to hear of the fatalities from that storm ya’ll encountered in Misourri. I spent a few weeks one summer in central MO, in the little village of Auxvasse…just north of I-70 in Callaway County. I remember it being hot and humid as anything that summer, and getting woken up before 7am by tornado sirens was something I care not experience again.
Don’t know if you will see this, OJ, but here goes. You picked THE ideal time to mow your lawn ….. immediately before a big rainstorm. Nice going. And congrats to all you New River Valleyites who got a nice rainfall yesterday/ last night. Meanwhile, Khan and Kirk are playing there little games with me again, I am getting nothing but a tenth of an inch here, a tenth of an inch there.
Lawn color is still holding up half decently, but the emerald days are over for the time being. If I don’t get some decent rain (1/3rd inch at least) tonight or tomorrow, I have a feeling that by Sunday evening things will really start to look faded.
I saw it, Doug! I got lucky with the timing, I was just trying to make up for not having mowed in well more than a week, and it was the first evening I really had the time to get it done. We got an additional 0.11″ in some showery rain yesterday morning, so we’re still nice and green. We had gotten a tad toasty and brown during the spring hot spell, but rains to close out May and so far in June have kept it lush. But I have a feeling by late next week the grass closest to the road will be toasty again.
And also, Doug…while playing golf at The Meadows earlier this week, a few people gave solid recommendations for Draper Valley. For whatever reason, it’s a course I’ve yet to play…but I’ve seen you mention it regularly. I’m hoping to get out there sometime soon and walk it, since people have said it’s one of the flattest courses in the region, which is much more like what I was used to playing in Virginia Beach. I’m just amazed that I played the back 9 at The Meadows on Monday without losing a ball, after losing 6 on the front 9 the week earlier! Good weather and golf go hand in hand nicely…playing well is a bonus