STORM CHASE NEWS

NEW BLOG

2009-08-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I have a new blog that I'm going to start posting to. I got kind of bored with the name of this site. I wanted something fresh, and new. I'm not going to delete this blog, but new posts will be on the new one. Hope you like it.

NEW BLOG: WX ON FILM

SMART DOG!!!

2009-08-25T05:03:00.001-07:00

This is pretty funny! The dog has a lot of sense.

SMART DOG

A NICE SATURDAY MORNING TREAT

2009-08-22T05:47:00.001-07:00

I got off work this morning to a display of lightning from some decaying t-storms. I waited to see what kind of treat I might get when the sun came up, and this is what I got. God's way of saying "GOOD MORNING!"

8/17/09 FLOODING REVISITED

2009-08-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

I went out today to try to get some still shots of all the remnants of the flooding that happened between Panhandle and Conway TX on hwy. 207. I just wanted to get out and get some still photos shots, and I wasn't disappointed. I have never seen so many small lakes in the area that are usually dry as a bone. 10 days ago, we were 3 inches below normal in Amarillo. Now, we are almost 5 inches above normal. I got my socks and shoes soaking wet, but it was worth it.

I almost got carried away by hundreds of mosquitos near dusk. They were extremely thick.

Finally, special thanks goes to the 3 young bulls for making the shots a little more interesting. Thanks guys!!! Now to the photos:

FLOOD AND HAIL VIDEO FROM 8/17/09

2009-08-18T04:14:00.000-07:00

I went out today expecting to get some good flood video, which is exactly what I got! I ventured east of Amarillo near Panhandle and Conway on SR 207. Radar estimates in that area approach the 8-9 inch mark, and I believe it. When I got to Panhandle, 207 had a lot of water flowing across it just south of town. I ventured south toward Conway and saw more water on the roads. I then made it north of Groom, where I got sporadic hail the size of golf balls. Most of it was between nickels and quarters, but it hailed so much that it covered the road. After playing in the hail, I decided to head back to the station to get my video on air. I had time, so I ventured back on 207 to see if it was still flooded from earlier in the day. The road wasn't flooded, but there was a lot of runoff from culverts under the road. Lots and lots of water was flowing from these culverts, and it made for some great video. As I made it to Hwy. 60, there was about 4-6 inches of water covering the road for about a 150-200 yard span. This was very close to the Tyson meat packing plant on the extreme east side of Amarillo. I really can't believe were getting all this rain! Amarillo set a record for the most rain in a 24 hour period which was 2.30 inches. This breaks the old record of 1.65 inches set in 1904! Here is the photos and video from the day:

FLOOD VIDEO: CLICK HERE

09 SDS THERAPY SESSION

2009-08-16T03:38:00.000-07:00

Well, another great SDS chaser party was a success this year. Lots of great video, food, drinks and friendship was in store for this year's event. Thanks to Steve Miller (TX) for hosting it, and the others for helping to make the party successful again this year. I always love getting together with old friends, and making new friends at these events. That's what it's all about! Special thanks for the out of town guys for dropping by to help make this event a success. Now, lets hope we get some good video in 2010 for next year's SDS therapy session! Some new friends that I met at the party include:

Bob Hall
Scott Bennett
Marcus Diaz
Wesley Luginbyhl

SOME OF THE GREAT VIDEO WE WATCHED

STEVE MILLER TX (SKY BLUE SHIRT)
BEN HOLCOMB (RED SHIRT)

ALLAN GWYN AND HIS WIFE LORI

THE GUYS LOOKING AT UMMM...MAMMATUS PHOTOS. YEA, THAT"S WHAT IT WAS!
BEM HOLCOMB (RED SHIRT)
DAVID DRUMMOND (BLACK SHIRT AND TAN CAP)
JAY MCCOY (BLUE SHIRT IN BACK)
STEVE MILLER TX (SKY BLUE SHIRT)
MARCUS DIAZ (LEFT OF STEVE MILLER TX)
WESLEY LIGINBYHL (DARK SHIRT HOLDING RED CUP)
STEVE MILLER OK (DARK BLUE SHIRT SITTING DOWN)
BOB HALL (LIGHT BLUE SHIRT SITTING DOWN)

STEVE MILLER (TX) (LIGHT BLUE SHIRT)
WESLEY LUGINBYHL (BLACK SHIRT)
MARCUS DIAZ (SKYWARN SHIRT)

BEN HOLCOMB (RED SHIRT)
DAVID DRUMMOND (BLACK SHIRT)

A PHOTO A WEEK

2009-08-13T04:17:00.000-07:00

I'm starting something a little new to keep the blog fresh with content. I will post a photo a week (usually on my days off) starting Saturday the 15th. I'll even be open to photographing a subject idea from comments I receive. Obviously it will have to be something fairly easy and readily available. Give me some ideas!

By the way, we've received about 3-4 inches of rain here in Amarillo in the last 4 days! I love this wet pattern. We have rain around the area as of this post! (7am Thur morning)

7/18/09 REPORT

2009-07-19T02:02:00.000-07:00

I headed towards Dalhart after looking at radar data at Hartley. I noticed a T-storm warned cell east of Dalhart and headed that way. The cell looked ok, but I was beginning to get interested in the LP supercell to the north. I watched this beauty for a while, and it petered out after about an hour and a half or so. I then headed down 385 to catch the initial cell I had targeted. As I got to Channing, I saw a very small and brief landspout tornado about 10 miles to the southeast of Channing. I got what video I could while trying to drive because I knew I wouldn't have time to pull over. It was shaky video, but it was still a tornado, and it was on video. I then continued Se on 385 and ran into golfball hail that had already fallen. I got video of that and continued on. I then began getting pennies to an occasional ping pong hail falling as I made my way south. It let up after a few minutes, and I made my way into Vega where I met up with Steve Miller (TX). We chatted, as I handed him a bag of Dill Pickle sunflower seeds to munch on. By the way, these are addicitve. Anyway, we made our way west towards the TX-NM border to look at another nice looking LP supercell. Steve went on, and I pulled over near Adrian and watched it for a while before heading back to the station to get my video edited for the 10 news. What another great chase in July! Maybe today, I can make it 3 for 3 in July!

7/17/09 REPORT

2009-07-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Myself and KAMR Meteorologist Chris Martin headed north from Amarillo towards Dumas. Got gas in Dumas and headed west to get to the convection near the TX-NM state line. As I was driving west out of Dumas I looked over my shoulder to the north and saw a base of an LP supercell starting to develop. I quickly pulled over at a gas plant and watched it from there for a while. We streamed video back to the station for a while and moved north about 3 or 4 miles to get a better look at the now mature and gorgeous LP supercell. The cell evenutally died near Channing so we headed back home and got some damage from either a small tornado or straight line wind about 6 miles south of Vega. Again, a T-storm watch does it for me. I didn't get a tornado, but I saw one of the best LP cell's I have seen in a long time, and it's July!!!

AMARILLO IDOL

2009-07-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the day today at the All Star Ford dealership south of Amarillo. They were hosting the Amarillo Idol contest. FOX 14 was responsible for making it all happen. I think there were 40 contestants in all, and only 1 was chosen to go audition in front of the American Idol judges. The winner flies out Monday, and its all paid for by FOX 14 news here in Amarillo.

Most of the singers were actually pretty good, and I would have hated to have been one of the 3 judges. One singer was terrible right off the bat, and he pretty much knew that he sucked.

Anyway, I had it narrowed down to 2 guys and 2 girls. Boy, that would have been a tough call to make. All 4 contestants were really great singers, but only 1 would go to the real American Idol. The winner happened to be Anthony Johnson. I don't remember where he was from, but he sure did have a great voice. I think the American Idol judges will have nothing but great things to say about him.

Other than the scorching heat of 106 in the shade, it was a pretty nice evening to get out and hear some great singing.

Andy Justus and John Harris doing the news live from the event

I really thought she was going to win it. She had a great voice

The finalists nervously waiting for the results

The All Star Ford Amarillo Idol sign

Anthony Johnson singing his final song

Anthony Johnson is going to American Idol

THE HEAT IS ON!

2009-07-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

Summer is definitely in full swing around the TX panhandle. We broke the old record yesterday of 100 degrees. We officially hit 102 in Amarillo. High temps in Amarillo for Thursday may get up to 105 or so. Definitely not the time for the AC to conk out, that's for sure.

FINAL CHASE FOR A WHILE

2009-06-16T01:47:00.001-07:00

Due to the death ridge establishing itself over the area, Tuesday may very well be my final chase for a long while.

I'm going to target an area around Hugoton, KS for Tuesday. Td in the mid 50's along with strong heating should yield CAPE values around 1500-2000. The cap will be a major factor in determining if anything forms or not. The latest NAM forecasts around 10-12 degrees Celsius at 700mb. Strong daytime heating along with the moisture should eat away at the cap, but it may not. The NAM does not break out any precip for the area, so we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully enough lift and daytime heating will be able to possibly form an LP supercell or two. It would be nice, considering it may very well be the last chase for a long time.

6/14/09 REPORT

2009-06-16T01:35:00.000-07:00

Myself and Chris Martin met up with Steve Miller(TX) east of Happy, TX. We sat a few minutes and then proceeded to go south towards the storms that formed in the SW panhandle. Steve went SE and myself and Chris went to investigate storms near the Dimmitt-Arney area. They never got going, so we ditched them and made our way to Silverton where better storms were ongoing. We went south of town near South Plains and played in some rain, wind and small hail for a while. We then called it a day. Not much else to see.

STEVE MILLER (IN BLUE VEHICLE) AND CHRIS MARTIN GO OVER DATA

EXPLOSIVE UPDRAFTS LOOKING EAST

CLOSE VIEW OF UPDRAFT

STORM NEAR SOUTH PLAINS, TX

6/13/09 REPORT

2009-06-16T01:28:00.001-07:00

Got on the storm that formed near Tulia, TX and stayed in front of it until it got to Quitaque and died out. It displayed numerous wall clouds and 1 funnel, but I never confirmed a tornado. Lots of wall clouds would form with decent rotation, and then it would get wrapped in rain. I'm really surprised this cell was never tornado warned.

Met fellow chaser and friend Jay McCoy in Quitaque and we headed back to Amarillo after a bite to eat in Tulia. All in all, it was a pretty good chase, but I was expecting a couple of tornadoes today. Maybe next time...

STORM NEAR TULIA, TX

ANOTHER PHOTO OF STORM NEAR TULIA

STRANGE CLOUD FORMATION NEAR QUITAQUE, TX

EXPLOSIVE STORM NEAR PLAINVIEW, TX

PARTING SHOT BEFORE TULIA STORM DIED

6/8/09 REPORT

2009-06-10T00:57:00.001-07:00

Well, as I always say...High risk and I'm done, T-storm watch and I'll have fun. Today was no exception. I'm not sure why, but T-storm watch events have been some of my best days over the years.

I started off in Vernon, TX looking over data and noticed towers going up to my south. I headed that direction and intercepted the developing storm near Seymour. It looked good but never really got going, so I pursued other storms near Munday. By the way, it was very hot and humid down there at Seymour. The cow in the first photo had the right idea! At one point I wanted to join her, but I needed to move on and chase. Anyway, these storms looked ok, but they still weren't what I was looking for. I then noticed a monster cell erupting near Jayton, and the chase was on! It initially headed due east, but eventually right turned hard and headed for the Hamlin area. I made it to Stamford and thought I saw a pretty large tornado under the base. I still have no idea if it was a tornado or not, but it sure looked like it. I didn't call it in because I was too far too see if it was rotating and I sure didn't want to give a false report.

The cell was producing softball size hail at this time in Stonewall county. I continued west to the Hamlin area and the storm was looking to peter out. I was headed home, and the storm very quickly regenerated, and looked better by the minute. I went south out of Hamlin to the town of Noodle and took a few more stills. It was a massive beast at this time, and it was tornado warned. It was kicking a lot of red dirt up underneath the main meso. I stayed south and started making plans on returning home since it was getting dark, and I was still almost 4 hours away. I went west out of Noodle and North toward Sylvester. As I neared Sylvester, I had to stop dead in the road for 20 minutes due to lack of visibility and very heavy wind upwards of 70 mph. After this moved on, I headed for home. What a great chase on a T-storm watch day. I love a good ol' T-storm watch! Blah on the High risk days. Now to the photos...

UPDATE ON TODAY

2009-06-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

After looking at realtime data and RUC analysis, I'm headed to Vernon, TX. Road options out of there are pretty good. I think there may very well be a few supercells today, but they will probably be HP in nature. CAPE looks pretty high, so large hail will definitely be on the menu. The tornado threat will be low, but not out of the question, especially late this evening when the LLJ cranks up. I'll update with photos (if I have any) later on tonight.

TARGET: VERNON, TX

6/8/09 CHASE FORECAST

2009-06-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like some severe weather will be closer to home on Monday. Very high CAPE values around 3-4 thousand along with decent upper level wind fields will yield possible supercells. I'm looking at targeting the corridor from Vernon, TX to Seymour to Wichita Falls.

Forecast soundings are showing 0-6 km shear in north Texas which will help supercell potential. There may be some very large hail reports with any storms that can stay isolated and realize the high CAPE that may be in place. Tornado potential is small, but it's definitely not out of the question.

I'll update again before I leave in the morning.

MONDAY'S CHASE

2009-05-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

Severe wx is a possibility around the TX panhandle on Monday. I've been looking at models tonight, and I just can't decide where to target tomorrow. I'm thinking of maybe targeting around the Liberal, KS to Perryton, TX area, but I'm just not sure yet. Tomorrow morning, I'll get a better handle on how things are progressing. Also, Monday is the last day of my chase vacation! I better make tomorrow count.

I'll update again sometime late tomorrow morning.

FORT SUMNER, NM (BILLY THE KID/OLD WEST PHOTOS)

2009-05-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

I took a little day trip today to Fort Sumner, NM. It took about 2.5 hours or so to get there from Amarillo. I was just basically wanting getting out of the house, and since I had never been there before, today was a great opportunity to go.

The authentic grave of Billy the Kid was pretty interesting. There were a few other gravesites around too. The museum located near the gravesite was pretty interesting, but it was fairly small, and no picture taking was allowed. It was $3.50 per person to get in the museum.

I looked around a bit and decided to go into the town of Fort Sumner. There was another museum in town and I went in to check it out. It was $5.00, and pictures were allowed. This is definitely the museum to go to. The other one isn't bad, but this one is better. It was large, and it took me about 20-25 minutes to tour the whole thing. Not only did it have Billy the Kid memorabilia, but it had lots and lots of authentic items from the wild west, from old guns to wagons. It was definitely worth it!

I would absolutely love to take a metal detector around the old Fort Sumner area. I am an adventurer by heart, and I'd love to find old authentic western items. Now that would be a fun thing to do when the weather isn't cooperating! Now to the photos:

STORMS AND BILLY THE KID

2009-05-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm headed out the door for the New Mexico town of Fort Sumner. A little road trip for potential storms and a little Billy the Kid history. His grave is located in old Fort Sumner. I'll update with photos later tonight.

MEMORIAL DAY CHASE REPORT

2009-05-27T00:42:00.001-07:00

I started off the day near Pampa at my parents house enjoying a grilled steak with all the trimmings. I then poured over data and decided to head out. I initially started off in Shamrock thinking the CAPE and better moisture may do it's thing. Nothing happened, and I saw the storm near Canadian remain very persistent, so off I went. I got to Canadian, and the storm wasn't looking too bad. I pulled over and got some shots. I then see Warren, Randy and Russ drive by and pull over, so I went and chatted with them while taking in the storm. We saw 2 brief funnels, but never a tornado. Warren called it in to the NWS, and we continued taking stills. We then began going south out of Canadian to take Hwy. 33 east. We pulled over just south of town to give the storm a quick glance, and that's when I met Angie Norris and Justin Goldstein. We chatted a few minutes and I made my way east on 33. The storm looked pretty good but eventually became outflow dominant. I played in the rain and small hail for a while, and then made my way back west. I saw a developing wall cloud with a developing cell W/NW of Canadian. It eventually died off, and I met Warren and gang along with Steve Miller (TX) SW of Miami to take in the last few gasps of the storms. All in all, probably my best chase of the year. Just ask Steve...we had a honking good time!!! Now for the photos:

MEMORIAL DAY CHASE FORECAST

2009-05-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

First, thanks to all current and former military personnel for a job well done. Thanks for keeping our country safe and free!!! You are true heroes!

As of right now, I'm thinking of targeting the area of Clarendon, TX. I think this area will be the best bet today with the higher CAPE. Without the good dynamics, setups like today are best where there is the best mixture of T and Td for the best instability.

The tornado chances today are pretty small, but maybe the larger CAPE values can at least give us some supercell structures. I'm just looking to play in the hail and maybe at least get a lowering or two. I think a T-storm watch may be issued, and I bet the SPC goes slight on the next outlook.

DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES

2009-05-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

DEATH RIDGE! If I had a dollar for every time that's been said in the last week, I'd be rich! I can't believe were in this pattern during this time of year, and I'm on my chase vacation along with a lot of other chasers.

Things might look slightly more promising in the next few days. Nothing big, but at least there may be storms within reach. I'm going to take a little road trip tomorrow and try to get some convection forming off the higher terrain in NM. I'm sick and tired of sitting around the house feeling sorry for myself. If I get a nice little high based supercell, good for me. If not, at least I won't be at home twiddling my thumbs. Wish me luck, I'll need it.

5/15/09 REPORT

2009-05-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took me so long to post this. I've been taking care of a few things the last day or two.

I started off just south of Canadian, TX. As I neared Miami, TX, I saw a storm forming to my NW. I made my way to the target and sat for a few minutes. I then made my way up north of Canadian to see the storm a little better. The storm had great mammatus with it, but other than that, it wasn't that great.

I started noticing that the storm was moving more S/SE, so I headed back towards Miami. Once I got to Miami, the storm was tornado warned and the sirens were going off in town. I made my way a couple of miles SW of town and noticed a wall cloud developing. I kept going and met up with Jay McCoy. We sat and watched the storm strengthen quite rapidly, and CG's were popping everywhere. The storm had a very nice mesocyclone on it, but contrast wasn't the greatest.

We eventually left and headed towards Pampa as the storm became more and more HP'ish in nature. I did see a fairly persistent funnel, but never a tornado. I headed south out of Pampa, and watched the HP beast do it's thing. Really, I wanted nothing to do with that beast. The hook was amazing, and the couplet on it was even more amazing. I figured for sure there may very well be a large, violent tornado wrapped up in rain. I saw that it was heading towards the town of Lefors. Thats where my parents live. I tried to call them, but they were already taking shelter. I knew it because they didn't answer the phone. I eventually made it to Lefors, and there was some damage.

Trees were uprooted an large limbs were broken. The baseball field was damaged, along with other minor damage. I eventually made it to the NE side of town. This was the hardest hit area. A trailer house had it's roof blown off, and another trailer house was literally turned upside down. The chase pretty much ended here. After checking on my parents, I got video and headed to the station to get it on air. Now, to the photos:

TODAY'S CHASE OUTLOOK (5/15/09)

2009-05-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, after looking at a few things, I'm going to target just south of Canadian, TX.

The road options are terrible, but I'll have to deal with it. Storm motion should be slow, so that will help out a bit.

CAPE will be high in this area, but the upper level winds are pretty weak up through 250mb in much of the warm sector. I'm not expecting much today, but maybe I can see some decent structure before it congeals into a mess later this evening.

I really think there may be a threat for flooding later tonight due to training of cells and their slow movement. Anyway, good luck to all that venture out today.

5/13/09 REPORT

2009-05-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

First, congrats to all who scored a tornado today.

Got on the tail end of the line that formed near the cold front in OK. I made it to Bridgeport, OK around 6:00 or so. Stayed at the Love's truck stop and took a few photos of a developing wall cloud. I slowly made my way south and kept taking a few photos. I made it down to Binger, OK and had the dilemma of going south or west. It was getting late and I still had over a 3 hour drive, so I slowly went west and took a few more parting shots. The storm seemed to really speed up fairly quickly around dark. It almost seemed like it was going twice as fast as earlier in the day. Anyway, here are a few photos:

Ahh!!!

2009-05-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

ITS FINALLY VACATION TIME!!!

I'm off until June 2nd, so hopefully Mother Nature will be kind to me in the next 3 weeks. I just got off work, so I have no idea where I will wind up chasing today. Time for some forecasting and a little sleep!!!

I'll update later today...

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

2009-05-08T19:59:00.001-07:00

No, I didn't find a tornado producing majestic supercell with nobody around for miles. Wish that was the case, but no can do.

I went to Wildcat Bluff Nature Center today. I had wondered what I was going to do today since there were no storms to chase. I then remembered the outing Steve Miller (TX) took a few weeks ago. His photos on his blog were great, so I thought I would go out and see what the place had to offer.

It's only about 10 minutes from my house, but believe it or not, this was the first time I had ever been there. It's basically a wildlife nature center with trails and other things to do. The main office was closed, but the trails are open from Dawn to Dusk. I have to admit, I was pretty impressed. I ventured the trails down to the Bluffs. At first, the trails are boring with little scenery. After a .8 mile hike, the bluff comes into view, and boy is it pretty. There are a lot of photo opportunities, and I will be going again soon.

I saw some wildlife such as ducks, rabbits, and birds of all sorts. I'm really surprised I didn't see any snakes. That place is great habitat for snakes of all kinds, including diamondback rattlers.

As I was leaving the parking lot, I saw a few road runners. But, I failed to see his nemesis, the coyote. Here are the photos:

WELL, I TRIED (4/30/09)

2009-04-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

I tried for a chase today. I almost didn't go, but I decided to at the last minute. I thought hard about just going east toward Shamrock, but I decided to go SE towards Childress because of the better agitated Cu developing and better CAPE values. Wrong choice! I sat and sat watching Cu develop and fall apart. I headed home around 7:30, and what do you know, a lone cell developed north of Elk City. It went T-storm warned and then tornado warned very quickly. I knew there may be only one or two cells to catch today, but it just didn't happen. I took a few snaps of the distant cell while I was in Clarendon. It had a decent overshooting top on it at times.

I did make friends with some cows though, while eating beef jerky. Wait, maybe I didn't make friends with them. I wondered why they had such a sad look on their face. Oops...

THE RED BARN AND COW PHOTOS WERE TAKEN NEAR HOLLIS, OK
THE DISTANT STORM PHOTO WAS TAKEN FROM CLARENDON, TX LOOKING NE

4/29/09 REPORT

2009-04-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

Congrats to the ones who bagged a nader today. Jay, you're gonna pay for this one! LOL

Anyway, got on the storm that initiated SW of Tulia. Got in position and saw that it was right turning fast! Made my way down near South Plains when I saw a wall cloud form very fast. It organized very quickly, but it dissipated just as quickly. Tracked my way down a few miles north of Floydada and sat and watched it a while. I saw the rotation transfer to the NE in the precip core. Visibility was terrible due to rain and dust. I knew that the wall cloud was rotating, but I wasn't sure about a tornado. I did a phoner with the station I chase for and said there may very well be a tornado on the ground. A few minutes later a Floydada police officer drove up and handed me his radio! I was like, ok. He had his spotters confirming a tornado on the ground along with downed power poles near Cedar Hill. I relayed this into the station. I listened to his spotter for a while and gathered more information. I showed the officer the radar and he thanked me and left. He was a very nice guy. Kudos to the Floydada police department! Anyway, to make a long story short, no tornadoes for me today. I saw some great structure though, so it was well worth it. I guess my target area forecast for Matador played out pretty well, for once at least! Now to the photos:

UPDATE FOR TODAY

2009-04-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

I have a good feeling about today. Clouds cleared out, we have great daytime heating going, and the moisture is definitely there. For instance, Childress is 72 over 66 right now. Tulia is 80 over 60 right now and Clarendon is 72 over 61.

I think for now, I may target the southern panhandle around the Tulia-Silverton area. I'll update the blog later tonight if I get something interesting.

TODAY'S FORECAST 4/29/09

2009-04-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

I really don't see the clouds moving out much for tomorrow. The convection as of now (2am) will only increase in coverage like the trend for the last hour or two. If the cloudcover breaks up, I may target the SE TX Panhandle (just SW of Childress) or SW Oklahoma. If we can get the clouds to get out of here and get some increasing moisture, this may be a pretty good day. I think the NAM and GFS is overdoing the CAPE values. CAPE of 1500-1800 seems more likely. Target as of right now: MATADOR, TX

UPDATE FOR TODAY 4/28/09

2009-04-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well, after waking up a few minutes ago, the first thing I looked at was the satellite image. The whole area is socked in cloud cover. Not good at all! If there is some breaks in the cloud cover in the next couple of hours or so, things will improve. That being said, I really don't see the cloud cover breaking very much.

For right now, I'm just going to wait it out. If the cloudiness starts to break up, I'll head out. More updates later.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY RECAP

2009-04-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday and Sunday were pretty much a bust for me, at least tornado wise. Congrats to those who bagged a tornado. I had fun, even though a tornado didn't make it's way into my viewfinder. I still had a good time and got some decent storm shots. Fortunately, for me, I don't get upset or down when I don't bag a tornado. If I did, I'd need some anti-depressant medication throughout the spring! Sure, I like to see tornadoes like everyone else, but I love all aspects of chasing. It was great to see some friend in the field like Jay McCoy, Steve Miller, Shane Adams, Warren Faidley, Chris Nuttall, Jeff Bernard, Jesse Risley and David Drummond. Also, it was good to meet Ben Holcomb. I didn't bag a tornado but I saw good friends and met a new one. Doesn't get much better than that. Now, on to the boring photos.

PHOTO OF MY CHASE VEHICLE WITH STORM IN BACKGROUND ON 4/26/09

SUNSET NORTH OF ELK CITY, OK ON 4/25/09

ZOOMED IN SHOT OF SUNSET NORTH OF ELK CITY, OK

DISTANT SUPERCELL NEAR ELK CITY, OK ON 4/25/09

TORNADIC WALL CLOUD NEAR REYDON, OK ON 4/25/09

SUPERCELL NEAR MOBEETIE, TX ON 4/25/09

UPDATE FOR SATURDAY

2009-04-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

The NAM or the GFS, that's the question. If you believe the GFS, the play for Saturday will be in NW Oklahoma and the NE Texas Panhandle. Go with the NAM, and the play will be south of I-40 in western Oklahoma and SW parts of Oklahoma.

I'm really not sure which one to go with. I know that a lot of times the models underestimate the progression of a colf front. If that's the case, the NAM may be the best bet since it places the front further south than the GFS.

Of course, moisture won't be a problem. I think low to mid 60's will be in place in the warm sector by initiation time.

The LLJ ramps up at dark, so helicity will be pretty high at this time. If a supercell gets rooted in the boundary layer and stays isolated, there may very well be some tornadoes after dark. I think the storms may stay fairly isolated tomorrow too. For one, the cap may be a bit strong. Reason two...there won't be a massive low coming in with a lot of lift. There will be small impulses being ejected by the main low which may help to keep things a little more isolated.

All in all, it should be a good day. As for a loose target right now, I think I'm going to play a little further south of my original target of Laverne, OK. How does VICI, OK sound? Good!

VICI, OK IT IS!!!

UPCOMING WEEKEND POTENTIAL

2009-04-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

It appears that this weekend into Monday may hold some chase potential. It's still too far away to get into details, but the latest 0Z NAM sure paints a pretty picture.

A low pressure system is progged to move near the plains by Saturday ejecting impulses of energy which will allow storms to develop. Just enough energy should make it's way into the warm sector to allow isolated supercells to develop.

The NAM paints almost 3,000 CAPE in NW Oklahoma along with the Eastern OK Panhandle and NE sections of the TX Panhandle. It also hints at a very tight dryline gradient, but later runs have moved the dryline further west.

Like previous setups, moisture will finally be available for some big storms to get rooted near the surface. Td in the lower to mid 60's shouldn't be a problem with this event.

As for a loose target, I' really like the area in the East sections of the Oklahoma Panhandle. I like to stay on the NE side of my target area so I won't have to play "catch up" all day.

TARGET FOR SATURDAY: LAVERNE, OK

AN UPDATED LOOK TO THE BLOG

2009-04-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

Well, after about a year and a half or so of the same ol look, I thought it was time to revamp the blog. I was tired of the orange text on black background. I think it was a little hard on the eyes anyway. Hopefully this new look will please the few viewers that frequent this blog. Please let me know whether you like it or not. I'm definitely open to any suggestions.

4/16/09 REPORT

2009-04-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Whew, what a day! I'm kind of tired right now, so I'll make it short.

Made my way down to Tulia right after the T-storm watch was issued. Stayed in the general area of Tulia and Kress for much of the day. The storms just kept backbuilding and training over the areas of Tulia and Kress. The end result...lots of flooding and some crazy hail covering the road. I saw pea to dime size hail around 8-10 inches deep near Kress. It looked like a snowstorm in much of the area. As I made my way north of Kress, I saw some major flooding right beside I-27 in a culvert and ditch area. As I made my way a little further up I-27, traffic north and southbound was at a standstill on I-27 about 2 miles south of Tulia. I didn't know if it was due to flooding or a major accident. I shut off the vehicle because I didn't move an inch for about 30 minutes. As traffic started moving, it became evident that it was because of major flooding. Cars were going through at least 2.5 to 3 feet of water going southbound on the interstate. I've never seen an interstate flooded that bad. As a matter of fact, I've never seen hail piled up like it was today. Not bad for the second chase of the year. Everything went fine and the chase vehicle did great! Now, I'm off to get some grub and go to bed! Oh, here is the video of mine that the station used: STORM VIDEO

QUICK UPDATE

2009-04-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

T-storm watch has just been issued for the TX and OK panhandles. Hail to tennis balls and winds to 70 are possible in the watch area.

INITIAL TARGET: TULIA

Everyone have fun and stay safe today!

TODAY'S UPDATE (SEVERE WX)

2009-04-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't write too much here right now. Just got off work not long ago and have to get some sleep.

Again, today's potential isn't that great for tornadoes, but large hail and damaging wind seem like a pretty good bet. Moisture will be meager at best. We may see Td in the low 50's in the SE panhandle today along with upper 60's for daytime highs.

After looking at a few things this morning, I think I may target Silverton, TX. I'm not looking for much today, but it's still better than nothing at all. I'll update again later this afternoon.

CHASE POTENTIAL: THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

2009-04-15T03:21:00.001-07:00

Well, it looks like spring may have FINALLY sprung around here. Having only chased once this year (in February), I'm chomping and the bit to get out and see some storms. The later part of this week may solve that terrible aching in my heart. :-)

Thursday won't be a "knock em dead day" by any stretch of the imagination. It will be a day worth getting out nonetheless.

A low pressure system is progged to slowly make it's way into the plains starting Thursday. Moisture return won't be that great, nor that bad. Td's in the mid 50's can be expected through most of the panhandle with daytime high's in the upper 60's and lower 70's. CAPE will range from about 700 in the northern zones to about 1500 in the southern panhandle.

Again, it won't be a tornadofest by any means, but it will be a good day to get out any enjoy open roads and the smell of moist air once again.

I'll update as the possible chase closes in.

INTERVIEW #2

2009-04-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a little package that the station I chase for did on storm chasing. Please, no autographs at this time. :-)

STORM CHASING

INTERVIEW

2009-04-06T03:03:00.000-07:00

Ha, I just found video of the interview from about 3 weeks ago. This is the station I chase for here in Amarillo. I'm surprised my ugly mug didn't break their cameras!

INTERVIEW

TOY SHOPPING

2009-04-06T01:15:00.000-07:00

Well, after getting a new vehicle, I thought I better get busy and get another way to mount my camera in the vehicle. In my old vehicle, I had a monopod with a brace screwed to the floor. I didn't want to do any drilling in the floor this time so I looked around for other options. I got on Stormtrack and looked for ideas, and I found one.

Since I take mostly stills during chases, I really didn't see a need for a pricey mounting system for the camcorder. I ran across the Powrgrip, and it seemed to fit the bill pretty well. It has a pump suction cup system, and it's well priced. Seems like a good deal to me. I'll find out when I get it in later in the week.

Next, was finding a good wx scanner antenna. I'm tired of the cheap ol' antennas from radio shack. I wanted one that was well made, and didn't fall off when a semi passes me on a 2 lane road. Again, I'm not really into the drilling thing, so a magnet mount was the best alternative for me. After scanning posts on Stormtrack, I came upon the Valor ProAm PMM3B scanner antenna. I has great reviews, and it's only 13.5 inches tall! I sure hope this will fit the bill, and if it does, the toy shopping will be complete, at least for this year.

THE MONTH OF MARCH= NADA!

2009-04-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

I just got to thinking about this. If memory serves me right, this may be the first year in 10 years of chasing that I didn't go out in March at all! Zip, zilch, nada, no can do. Whatever you want to call it, it just didn't happen. I chased once in February, which was nice, but this is insane.

No, I'm not going off the deep end and calling off the season like some chasers. I know later on in the heart of the season, I will probably forget that I ever wrote this post.

I really think late May into the first half of June may be the ticket for prime chasing. Sometimes Ma Nature is early in arrival, and sometimes she's just plain late. Maybe she's late because she's fixing her hair and putting on her makeup. I don't know, but it sounds good to me.

WILDFIRES IN THE AREA...HERE WE GO AGAIN!

2009-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

A wildfire has burned areas of land and destroyed 2 homes and one business in Wheeler, TX. Other fires were ongoing near Clovis, NM and near Tulia, TX.

Winds have been clocked at 63 mph in Potter county. Estimates of near 70 mph have been reported in other areas of the panhandle. Visibility of near zero has been reported along I-40 near Amarillo due to the blowing dust. The blowing dust caused a 10 car pileup along with some 18 wheelers in Amarillo near Hope road.. We are also in a dust storm warning here in the TX panhandle. It's been a while since I have seen that.

I GOT MY VEHICLE STOLEN!!!

2009-04-01T05:46:00.000-07:00

Jeez...where do I start. I got up yesterday and decided to go run some errands. I went to go pay my Sprint bill, and then headed on over to walmart to pick up a few items. I went out after I had bought groceries and saw a vehicle just like mine driving through the parking lot. I thought great, my xterra isn't too original after all. I then went to where I parked my vehicle and I was confused. It wasn't there. I started looking around and after about 15 minutes it dawned on me. That was my Xterra that was driving off when I came out of walmart!!! I'm sorry if I'm not making sense right now, but I'm just very upset.

I'm just now putting this on the blog becasue I've been busy with police reports, trying to take care o finsurance and other stuff. I guess the Xterra wasn't right for me after all. I had my cell phone in there along with my ID card from work and about $200 worth of tools and other accessories.

I'm up because I simply can't sleep. I keep thinking about these idiots that stole my new vehicle. It just erks me that people think they can just steal someones hard earned things that they worked hard for. Enough of this, I'm going to get these people if it's the last thing I do!!!!!!

Now I'm afraid I won't have a vehicle to chase in this year. Maybe I'm worrying too much, but I can't help it. If only these fools reading this would realize that this is an April fools joke, then maybe they wouldn't feel too sorry for me now. ha ha ha!!!

GOODBYE SNOW/ CHASE POTENTIAL THIS WEEKEND

2009-03-30T01:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the 11 inches of snow that occurred last Friday is nothing but a distant memory now. High temps in the lower 70's on Sunday along with SW winds of 20-30 mph gobbled up nearly every bit of the snow. Now, let's get to bigger and better things.

This weekend holds the potential for a descent chase somewhere in the central plains. Obviously it's too far out for details, but the GFS brings a strong low pressure system onto the plains somewhere in the Friday to Saturday time frame. The best thing about this is, I'm off!!! I have been on one mediocre chase this year, so it's time for mother nature to ante up and bring me some good stuff to chase.

The SPC is already beginning to paint in areas that may be affected this weekend. They are basically saying that due to robust return flow and adequate winds in the atmosphere by day 6, the pattern is conducive to a potential severe weather outbreak over portions of the S central CONUS. That's pretty strong wording this far out!

I will definitely be giving updates to this potential chase, so check back often!

PHOTOS OF SNOW

2009-03-28T01:25:00.000-07:00

UPDATE ON MAJOR WINTER WX EVENT

2009-03-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

I will tell you this...If somebody says they didn't know about the winter event that is unfolding as I write this, they are living in a cave!

A major winter weather event is unfolding at this time in SE Colorado, NE New Mexico, and the OK and TX panhandles. Amarillo proper is currently in a BLIZZARD WARNING! No, no, there is no need for an eye appointment, you read it right.

A cold front blasted through Amarillo last night around 10pm. Also, a major low pressure system is now currently located in SE Colorado. These 2 ingredients combined will pull moisture up from the gulf, and the net result is a lot of snow.

All media outlets and NWS offices are calling for major snow and whiteout conditions all day on Friday. Snow rates of up to 2-3 inches an hour will be possible along with wind gusts approaching 55 mph, hence the blizzard warning. As it stands right now, the models have been very consistent with anywhere from 12-14 inches of windblown snow here in Amarillo. Further north, say into areas in the OK panhandle, snowfall totals may approach 18-24 inches. There will also be possible isolated areas with 30+ inches possible in the OK panhandle and SW KS.

The AMA NWS stated that due to the high amounts of snow and extreme winds, drifts of 10-20 feet do not seem unreasonable at this time. If this scenario pans out, the region will be totally shut down until Saturday afternoon. Every outlet seems to agree that this may be the biggest crippling snowstorm in recent history.

Now, this is another scenario. Some models have actually trended toward a more southerly track of the low pressure system. If this pans out, Amarillo may receive 18+ inches of snow.

I will definitely be out getting still photos and video for the station I chase for. I will probably update the blog Fri. afternoon with more information and some still photos. Stay tuned!!!

HERE IS A LINK ON THE NWS SITE WITH MORE INFO ON THIS STORM
CLICK HERE

HEAVY SNOW/BLIZZARD FOR FRIDAY TIMEFRAME

2009-03-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have to make this short because I'm going to work. The TX and OK panhandle could see some significant snow around Friday afternoon. A blizzard watch has been issued by the NWS for portions of the TX and OK panhandle. Heavy snow amounts of up to 12+ inches are anticipated for the western TX panhandle and the OK panhandle. Amarillo could see upwards of 6-10 inches. I'm off starting Thursday, so I will definitely be getting some photos of this event. Stay tuned!

BUSTOLA ON SUNDAY/ MONDAY POTENTIAL

2009-03-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I'm glad I stayed at home looking for trends on radar before I ventured out Sunday. I wasn't really hoping for much, hence the reason I stayed home until something popped on radar. Enough of that, let's talk about Monday.

Unfortunately, I have to work Monday, but I'm going to go ahead try to establish a target area. Also, my target area will be updated in the morning.

A potent low will emerge into the plains during the evening hours. This will help bring in moisture from the gulf, and I think Td of near 60 will be probable in the warm sector. Also, the upper level winds field will be very strong, and there will also be very good directional shear. Cloud cover may very well play a role in keeping daytime heating down, resulting in lower instability throughout the day.

Obviously, with the strong upper level winds, shear will be more than enough for supercells, but the aforementioned lack of instability may negate that condition.

Going over data, right now I would think about targeting PONCA CITY, OK

POSSIBLE CHASE TODAY

2009-03-22T11:37:00.001-07:00

It's looking like a possible chase day for me today. It's a pretty mediocre day, but I'm just aching to get out and get in open spaces again.

There are a lot of things that hurt today's chances, but I'm going to chance it. First of all, moisture is pretty shallow and limited. Td are in the upper 40's and low 50's in most of the panhandle. Also, the main area of energy is still pretty far west.

However, I have seen many surprises out of setups like these, and since I'm off today, I'm going to chance it. Hope to see some others out there today.

TARGET: SPEARMAN, TX to PERRYTON, TX

A NEW RIDE

2009-03-20T19:18:00.001-07:00

Well, as some of you know, I got an 08 Nissan Xterra 4x4 on Thursday. I had been looking around a little for a newer vehicle, but I was in no hurry because the Nissan Frontier I had was paid for. Anyway, while browsing the net late one night, I stumbled across a Nissan Xterra at a local dealer here in Amarillo. It seemed like a great price...17,980 for an 08 Xterra with 4x4 and only 16,000 miles on it. These vehicles are 24,000 brand new.

I went to the dealer the next day and looked at it inside and out and was very impressed. It was like new! No torn seats, no dents, dings or anything wrong at all. I went home and did some figuring and went back a week later. I test drove it and took it to a mechanic, and everything was great. The dealer gave me a carfax report on it, and it turned out clean and free of any flood damage, fire etc...

Now was the time to start wheelin and dealin. I got a great deal on the vehicle and got a fair price for my truck on the trade in. By the way, I got this vehicle at Bobby Duby motors in Amarillo. They treated me fair and they were professional the entire time. They made me feel comfortable the whole time I was there. I highly recommend this dealer if you're looking for a great used car at a fair price.

So, if you see a red Xterra under a storm in the great plains, stop and say hi! If it's not me, just know that they have great taste just like I do! Now to the photos...

IT'S STILL WINTER AROUND HERE

2009-03-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE AMARILLO NWS

Here in the TX panhandle, we are currently in a winter weather advisory. Yesterday, we didn't have enough moisture in the atmosphere for squat, but at this time (12:24 Friday morning) our dewpoint is around 29 with SE winds of about 15 mph. So, the upslope flow is in full force which will aid in the lifting for some winter precipitation.

Snowfall amounts will probably be around 1-3 inches here in Amarillo with slightly higher amounts to the west and southwest. North central NM (angelfire ski resort) may get as much as 7-10 inches from this system.

South TX got some much needed rain in the past day or two, so now it's our turn for some moisture here in the panhandle. It probably won't amount to much, but we'll take what we can get.

IT LIVED UP TO IT'S NAME

2009-02-25T18:36:00.001-08:00

After 3 wonderful days here in the TX panhandle, I just had to get outdoors. The last 3 days were great, but I think today was the pick day to be out. Conditions were 71 degrees and almost perfectly calm conditions. The wind may have gotten as high as 2 or 3 miles per hour! That's rare around here! For February, you can't beat that with a stick.

Anyway, I headed out to Buffalo Lake Wildlife Refuge, and I took the camera with me. I saw some beautiful scenery and some interesting wildlife. I walked around a got a few snaps of the blue sky along with a few tree scenes. I then walked west and immediately began seeing mule deer along the marshy area. I took a few shots and proceeded on. I then looked up and saw something in a tree. At first, I thought it was a large nest, but it just didn't look right. As I got closer, I saw that it was a large porcupine chilling out and enjoying the nice day just like I was. He was a pretty good size feller I might add. I called him "pokey" the porcupine because he didn't move a muscle the whole time I viewed him. He never looked at me so I could get a good facial shot. He was kind of being a prick. Wait, did I just say that? PRICK...huh, I guess it suited him well.

I kept on walking until I got to the end of the trail. I turned back, and a few minutes later I heard the eerie howl of a lone coyote. He was actually pretty close too. I made a few "injured rabbit noises" and low and behold he showed his face. He was a pretty healthy coyote too. I snapped off a few photos as he slowly turned around and walked off. I walked back toward the truck and snapped a few more photos of the mule deer.

I drove to a little outlook where you can see for miles. I took a few photos and remembered that I could drive back further into the refuge. I drove slowly down a dirt road and immediately saw no less than 5 mule deer bucks. They weren't extremely big, but they weren't small either. I took a few photos and then took one last photo of a windmill as I enjoyed the colors of the setting sun.

I couldn't have asked for a better day to go out on a photo shoot. Too bad my lens on my camera isn't good for wildlife shots. I really need to get a dedicated lens for this kind of stuff. Maybe next year. Now on to the photos...

PHOTO #1 ENTRANCE TO THE PARK
PHOTO #2 COMMON SCENERY IN THE PARK
PHOTO #3 MULE DEER ARE IN ABUNDANCE IN THE PARK
PHOTO #4 "POKEY" THE PORCUPINE
PHOTO #5 A CLOSER LOOK AT GOOD OL POKEY
PHOTO #6 SCENERY AT THE END OF THE TRAIL
PHOTO #7 COYOTE DOING SOME INVESTIGATING
PHOTO #8 MULE DEER DOE IN THE SETTING SUN
PHOTO #9 SCENERY AT THE OUTLOOK
PHOTO #10 MULE DEER BUCKS CHECKING ME OUT
PHOTO #11 CLOSER VIEW OF BUCKS
PHOTO #12 FINAL PHOTO OF WINDMILL AND THE SETTING SUN

WILDFIRE DANGER FOR THE PANHANDLE ON TUESDAY

2009-02-17T01:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it appears that a potential wildfire danger is in store for the area on Tuesday. A low today and will make it's way toward the panhandle later this afternoon. The pressure gradient will tighten up, thus creating strong winds which will possibly gust upwards of 50 mph. They will be sustained at 25-35 mph throughout most of the day. The winds will be from the west (downsloping) which will lower the dewpoints and create further problems for the dry, parched land. I will definitely be looking at radar and satellite images for possible fires. If I see some, I will be off with the video camera and still camera. Since I chase for KAMR TV, I will be out in the field giving reports and sending in video if the fires occur. Let's just hope they don't.

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE AMARILLO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

NEW KAMR CHIEF METEOROLOGIST

2009-02-10T01:48:00.000-08:00

We have a new chief Meteorologist at KAMR! Folks, his name is John Harris. He is our new chief meteorologist at KAMR/KCIT TV. He graduated from Metro state in Denver, CO with an atmospheric science degree. He has been forecasting in Amarillo for about 17 years. Yes, you can bank on the fact that he knows the panhandle like the back of his hand. In those 17 years, he has witnessed blizzards, strong tornadoes and everything in between. John's first aired forecast was last night (Mon) at the 10:00 newscast. It's safe to say that everyone was looking forward to that moment. We have been waiting for 6 months because of a non compete clause from another station. Well non compete clause, goodbye!

I feel so honored to chase for a guy of his caliber. I feel that he is the best all around meteorologist in Amarillo. He is well rounded in his forecasting abilities, and he is the same person off air that he is on air. I really look forward to this upcoming severe weather season because I know we have what it takes now to compete with the other stations. KFDA and KVII..you better bring your game when the severe weather season starts. You can guarantee we are!

For any readers of my blog that live in the viewing area, I have one thing to say. Give us a chance and watch because you will see what we have to offer. You will literally never turn back to the other stations.

2009-02-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

Well, after looking at a lot of data tonight, I am thinking about being in the SW TX panhandle for tomorrow. Maybe around the Farwell-Muleshoe area. I'm not too hyped on a lot of severe weather, but like I've said in earlier posts, I'm just aching to get out and see some rain and hear some thunder like a lot of chasers. February is obviously not a prime month for severe weather, so If I do happen to see some, the better it will be.

I think the system is slowing down a bit. Earlier I was forecasting the main squall line to be near Amarillo near 3Z, but it's looking more likely that it will be near the TX, NM border at this time. I'm hoping for some good rains out of this system, and if I can get some possible flooding video, the station will definitely use it.

So, there you have it. If nothing changes between now and tomorrow (yeah right), then I will be heading down Hwy. 60 to the area of Farwell or Muleshoe.

UPDATE FOR SEVERE WX ON SUNDAY

2009-02-07T04:33:00.000-08:00

The chances are still there for a few storms on Sunday to be severe. Models are in agreement to at least give us thunderstorms, so I will definitely take that, especially this time of year.

As far as moisture in concerned, the models have been fairly consistent at bringing at least mid to upper 40's dewpoints to the region. The ascent from the low will be very strong, so it will "squeeze" out all the moisture that is available. Surface temps won't be very high, so instability won't really be that great, but high lapse rates will help out a little bit. The low will bring in some cold upper level air to help with the lack of surface heating.

As far as storm mode, it looks like it will be possible clusters of storms early in the day in eastern New Mexico and the western TX Panhandle. As the day progresses, the storms will move into better moisture and will probably evolve into a squall line near Amarillo. I do think the best chances for severe will be in the eastern and southeastern portions of the TX Panhandle as the storms move into slightly better moisture and slightly warmer air.

I will definitely be out Sunday, not only to see storms, but it will also be a good day to test everything out for the real show in April and May. Stay tuned for possible photos from Sunday's event.

A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES

2009-02-06T04:43:00.000-08:00

We have a slight risk smack in the middle of the TX Panhandle for Sunday! Wow! Can February light up like it did in 07 when we had a confirmed tornado near McLean? Hmmm....

A low is progged to eject into the TX Panhandle which will set the stage for some possibilities for severe weather for Sunday. Also, a cold front will be draped along the southern plains which will aid in the development of thunderstorms. This setup will most likely be a high shear low instability day. More to come either later today or tomorrow.

BOY WAS IT HOT TODAY

2009-02-01T00:57:00.000-08:00

Nope, I'm not talking about the air temperature either. The dreaded wildfires made an appearance today. Winds gusting to 40 and and times 50 mph, along with the very dry conditions were a perfect recipe for fires. I think this is going to be repeat of 06. I sure hope I'm wrong.

TX PANHANDLE FIRES

AN AMARILLO LEGEND

2009-01-16T00:28:00.000-08:00

And his name is Roy McCoy.

Roy McCoy was a longtime on air meteorologist in Amarillo. Roy was on air for about 40 years as a chief meteorologist, and most of that time he was with KAMR TV. His last appearance as a full time meteorologist was about a decade ago.

Roy told me the story of how he became a meteorologist. I'll tell you the story, and hopefully I get it right. He was previously a sportscaster at KAMR TV. One day, something happened to the chief meteorologist's wife, and the chief had to quit to take care of her. Roy was asked if he would like to fill in until they got a replacement. He said yes, and he did so well that the station management asked him if he would like to do it full time. He again said yes, and the rest is history.

Roy got a deal with KAMR recently to do guest appearances as a meteorologist. He started about 5 months ago, and he's still going strong with guest appearances on Thursdays and Fridays. Since his appearances, ratings have gone way up at KAMR, and they continue to do so. Ratings will continue to climb after February 9th, but that will be for another post around that time frame.

I got the chance to meet Roy right after he started. I tell you what, he is something special. He's going on 76, and he's still sharp as a tack. He's the kind of guy that will make you laugh because he knows what to say and when to say it. I was at the station one day, and Roy was about to go on the air. He came up to me, and said, "watch this". He then went on air and started out with radar because there were some spotty showers in the area. He then said this. "Folks we have some bikini showers in the area. The reason their called bikini showers is because they don't cover up a lot of area, but what they do cover up, they do a good job at it". Everyone in the studio began laughing hysterically, including me. That's what Roy McCoy is all about. He loves to have fun, and he's very good at what he does. After all, if you're not good at what you do, you won't last 40 years as an on air personality, will you?

Here are some photos I got of him on 1/15/09

YOU KNOW IT"S DRY WHEN...

2009-01-13T05:29:00.000-08:00

The Amarillo National Weather Service has this as it's last sentence in their forecast discussion:

"NO POPS IN THE ENTIRE FORECAST...AGAIN".

Yea, it's very dry here in Amarillo.

CAN I BE A FORECASTER TOO?

2009-01-11T03:07:00.000-08:00

Well, In a effort to try to hone my forecasting skills (God knows I need lots of help) I bought the forecasting set of books from meteorologist Tim Vasquez as well as his Forecast Laboratory CD. I have to say that I really like the Forecast Lab software. It has over 400 days to forecast for possible chase days.

I know quite a bit about forecasting, but I do need some new material to help me along the way. Besides, the weather is boring, so I need something to keep me busy through the rest of the winter.

I have read a little bit of Tim's weather forecasting "red book" and it seems pretty detailed. I'm wanting to start a little weather library, and these books I purchased will be a pretty good start to that. Anyway, I better get going so I can learn to be a forecaster too! Adios...

YOU KNOW THE DRILL (IT'S RESOLUTION TIME)

2008-12-31T04:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to put away all the bad habits and take on the good habits. I usually try to stick with a few new year's resolutions, but sometimes it's just hard to do. I don't really know why I even do it if I can't stick with it. I guess it always makes me feel good to just try. Oh well, enough of the mumbo jumbo. Here's the list in no specific order. Wish me luck.

* I'm going to try to eat healthier and exercise more often.
* I'm going to stop talking about things I want to do, and just do it. In other words, stop procrastinating.
* I'm going to try to save more money.
* I'm going to work on my forecasting skills so I can be more successful in the field.

Ok, I'm done now. If I can succeed on 2 of the 4 in the list, I will consider it a success. Take care and HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I hope your new year is filled with nothing but the best!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

2008-12-23T03:58:00.000-08:00

I just want to tell everyone that frequents this blog, I hope you have a safe and Merry Christmas, and may all your dreams and hopes come true in the new year. Have fun spending time with your family while taking time out to count your blessings. Make sure you eat lots of goodies and watch tons of football. I know I will be watching TX lose and watching OU kick Florida's tail. GO SOONERS!!! Also, I will be buying National Lampoon's Christmas vacation. I have always loved that movie, and I never get tired of it. It's been a while since I've seen it, so that will definitely be a treat! I will also be making room for "A Christmas Story". That movie is a classic that always gets my attention every year.

Anyway, I'll probably be getting a lump of coal for Christmas because I've been a bad, bad boy this year. Well, I better not stop being bad now since it's too late anyway. Now it's off to see Santa's "little helpers". If you don't get anything under your tree this year, then blame me. I might just have to get rid of Santa so the "little helpers" can be all mine! HA HA HA!!!

SANTA'S LITTLE HELPERS

COLD FRONT #2

2008-12-20T05:11:00.000-08:00

Here we go again. Like last week, once again a cold blast will invade the area later today with the colder air sweeping in on Sunday. This front won't be near as cold as last week's, but nevertheless, it won't be a fun day on Sunday. The high Sunday will be around 28-30 degrees or so. Honestly, I don't care because I will be inside all day watching football anyway. Now, if there was a little excitement to the system such as snow, then I would get out and have fun. But, all we've had this year so far is cold air with no moisture to work with. When will the misery end?

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

2008-12-14T05:05:00.000-08:00

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE AMA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Well, maybe not now (7am on Sunday) but it will be later on today. A very impressive arctic cold front will be sweeping into the area in the early afternoon dropping the temps like a rock. Today's high temp will be around 48-50 while plummeting to below freezing when the cold arctic air arrives behind the front later on this afternoon.

Some hints of some possible warm air advection setting up Monday may lead to a possibility of some winter precip in the form of light snow and freezing drizzle. As of right now, the cold air will be the big story, not the winter precip.

YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK CHASER IF:

2008-11-22T01:27:00.000-08:00

I got an idea from another thread on Stormtrack and thought you might like these. I just made them up, so don't be too hard on me.

1. You consider your coon hound your main chase partner.

2. Your version of fix-a-flat consists of a couple of old cinder blocks (which you borrowed from your porch) and a bald, worn out tire.

3. People hear your muffler instead of the tornado siren that's blaring in town.

4. You consider a rifle range as being important when picking your target area.

5. You play horse shoes while waiting for the cap to break.

6. Speaking of the cap. When someone says the cap just broke, you inform them that the John Deere dealer is giving away free caps with every test drive.

7. Finally, you might be a redneck chaser if: you start loading your shotgun when someone says they see "turkey towers".

PHOTO EDITING SOFTWARE

2008-11-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I broke down and bought a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 7. I had been using Photostudio 2000 for the past few years. I like Photostudio pretty well, but I just wanted a little bit better and more up do date photo editing program. I have been messing around with Elements tonight and I like it pretty well. It's pretty user friendly and I know there is a lot that can be done to a photo. After all, post processing is a big step in making the photo stand out from the others. The first thing of course, is getting that big tornado in the viewfinder and taking the photo.

OLD SCHOOL PHOTOS: FILM

2008-11-15T01:16:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to go back and show some of my "old school" photos from back in the day. Of course these were taken with a film camera, namely the Nikon N65 camera.

I guess "old school" might be overdoing it a little, but we have to admit that the digital age has pretty much wiped out film photography completely. Sure, there are the hard core photographers that still use film as the base for their photos, but I bet there aren't many left.

I bought the film camera at Ritz photo in the mall in Amarillo back in 00 or 01. Anyway, it wasn't all that long ago, but the way technology has progressed, it seems like an eternity.

Wall cloud taken on May 29th 2001. It went on to produce a very large tornado between White Deer, TX and Panhandle, TX.

Photo taken near Plainview, TX on one of my first good storm chases. I saw golf balls that day. Also this photo won "photo of the week" on the weather channel. Taken May 2001.

A classic bell shaped mesocyclone taken on Hwy. 60 near Panhandle, TX. Storm moved SW as it produced softballs near Panhandle. Taken in 2001.

Photo taken in western Montana in 2001.

"Atomic" convection taken on a storm chase in the eastern TX panhandle in 2002.

CAPULIN PHOTOS

2008-11-13T00:25:00.000-08:00

Well, here are a LOT of photos I took from the photography excursion at Capulin volcano in NE New Mexico. I had perfect weather conditions with temps in the 50's with light winds and mostly sunny skies. One thing I didn't count on was SNOW! Yep, they had 6 inches last week according to one of the park rangers.

If you're a photographer looking for lots of photo opportunities, look no further than this area in NE New Mexico. You'll see from the following photos that it can be a lot of fun! It's only a 3 hour trip from Amarillo, and it's worth every mile, I promise you. Now to the photos...

Lots of Antelope North of Clayton, NM

A snow covered peak near Des Moines, NM

Volcano in the distance

Volcano information sign with volcano in the background

Entrance into the park

On my way to the top

Another photo as I make my way to the top

I've reached the top. This is the vent portion of the volcano

Ahh, I'm high as a kite...elevation wise that is

Hiking into the vent portion

I noticed this fly. Believe it or not, it was still alive. I bet he was freezing his tail off!

Lots of great information surrounds the area

Shot of the snow

Shot looking north from the top of the volcano

Shot looking south as I hike on a trail at the top

Shot looking northeast with the parking lot in view

Shot looking more to the north

Lots of good subjects to photograph

I still can't believe all the snow!

Shot looking mostly east I believe

The trees at the top make for good framing of the photos

Good framing again looking north

Want another snow photo?

Looking east again from the top trail

Snow covered peaks in Colorado. Notice the clouds over the mountains.

The high clouds rolled in and gave the photos more character.

Looking north from the top trail

Another good subject just waiting to be photographed

Again, the clouds gave the photos some pop. Yes the sky was that blue due to low moisture in the air.

Looking south from the top trail

Looking south again

More great information about the volcano

I know, I just had to get one in

Distant shot looking to the SW

I now go into the town of Folsom for some photos

A close shot of a waterfall going into a pond near Folsom. I really like this shot. It turned out better than I thought it would.

Catching some trout. No, I didn't fish, but I wish I would have! A small boy caught most of these.

A mule deer doe next to the road near the pond.

I actually made it into Colorado! This is in Branson.

Starting to head home. A cool shot of the moon and colors at sunset.

Another shot of the moon.

Capulin is erupting!!! Not really, but it kind of looks like it.

One final shot of the moonrise

Sunset shot of mountains to the west.

Another shot of sunset

As I get west of the volcano, I take a shot of the blue hue in the sky.

A parting shot before I finally head home. What a great day. I'm going to do it again very soon!

CAPULIN IT IS

2008-11-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I have decided to take a little day trip to the Capulin Volcano located in NE New Mexico. I've been there before, but it's been about 4 or 5 years ago. I'm just wanting to get away and take the opportunity to do a little photography. It offers a great opportunity to take some neat photos, and that's what I intend to do. I'm leaving Wednesday around mid morning or so. It takes about 3 hours or so to get there, so it makes for a pretty good day trip. Check back for uploaded photos Wednesday night.

Oh, if you're interested in the Capulin volcano, here are some links...

capulin volcano national monument

capulin volcano

visit a volcano

FOOTBALL PHOTOS

2008-11-10T20:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I tried. That's about all I can say. This was the first time I had ever shot sports with a still camera. I have shot football video for about 8 years now, and I can say this....still photography of sports is a lot, lot harder! As you will see by the photos, it's very hard freezing the action without the players being blurred.

Of course, my camera equipment is geared towards weather, not sports. But, I had fun and I'm going to try it again this Saturday when WT takes on Central Washington in their first playoff game of the year. As you can see by the second photo, the Buffs beat Tarleton state 51-0 GO BUFFS!!! Now to the photos...

CHARLEY MARTIN GOING UP FOR A FANTASTIC CATCH. THIS WAS THE FIRST PHOTO I GOT IN THE GAME. I JUST WISH IT WAS A LITTLE SHARPER.

THE SCOREBOARD TOWARDS THE END OF THE GAME

CHARLEY MARTIN...THE POPULAR AND RECORD BREAKING WIDE RECEIVER

THE NEW ROOKIE BUFFALO MASCOT

BUFF TEAMMATE TRYING TO HOLD UP THE RUNNER

TRYING TO CUT FOR EXTRA YARDAGE

A BUFF FAN THROUGH AND THROUGH

THE NORTHERN HILL WITH THE AMERICAN FLAG

CELEBRATING AFTER A TOUCHDOWN

THE COACHES AND PLAYERS LOOKING ON

THE WT HEADGEAR

RUNNER KEEPING HIS BALANCE

THE TARLETON QB ALMOST GETS SACKED

THE WT HUDDLE AND TIMEOUT

THE RETIRED BUFFALO. MAY IT HAVE LOTS OF GRAZING DAYS TO COME.

NICE BLOCK FOR THE WT RUNNER

MOLDY BLOG

2008-11-08T01:51:00.000-08:00

As my good friend Steve Miller (TX) says sometimes, "the mold has returned to the blog, and it needs taken care of." My sentiments exactly Steve...

I'm going to start getting back to taking photos again. I haven't done it for a while for whatever reason...I'm still not sure.

I will be going to the WTAMU game tomorrow at Kimbrough stadium in Canyon, TX. The 9-1 Buffs play Tarleton state at 3pm. The reason I say this is because I have a sideline media pass and I'm going to try my hand at some sports photography. I have never attempted this, so it will be a new experience for me. Look for photos sometime Sunday morning or so. Don't be too harsh with the comments.

Also, I'm going on a photo excursion sometime next week on my days off. I'm going to pick the best day, but I'm not sure where I want to go. I may go to Palo Duro Canyon, or I may take a little road trip to the Capulin volcano in NE New Mexico. If you've never been there, your missing out on some great hiking and photography possibilities. With the low cost of gas, I will probably take a day trip to the Capulin volcano. Look for photos sometime next week. Now, since I haven't used the camera in a while, I need to go try and remember how to turn the thing on....

A HAPPY COWBOY AND A TRULY NICE GUY

2008-10-02T23:03:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I chase storms for a local TV station here in Amarillo. In the off season, I also film high school football for the sports show on Friday nights.

I happened to be in Happy, TX for the first time last Friday night. I had always heard and seen the guy that dresses up and cheers the team on, but to see him in person was a true awe inspiring experience.

The guy saw that I was with the media, so he came over to chat with me. All I can say is, what a genuinely nice guy he is. We got to talking and I found out that he is 47 years old. He is 5'11 and a solid 260 lbs. I hope I'm in half the shape as this guy when I'm his age. I really couldn't believe he was 47.

I also found out a couple more things. He dresses like this for every game...home or away. Here is an interesting statistic. He has only missed one game in the past 18 years!!! WOW!!! What a true fan of this Texas 6 man team. The game he missed was due to being in the hospital with pneumonia.

I just couldn't believe how true and dedicated this guy was to his team. I just can't give enough respect to someone of this caliber.

The story of him dressing up and putting on the makeup goes something like this. He was watching the Raiders play one Sunday and wondered what it would be like to dress up as a fan and bring spirit to the players of Happy, TX. He tried it one Friday, and he has done it for 18 years. He told me that if he can be a true fan in the stands every Friday, that it was worth every second of his time. He said he just wants to be someone the players can look up to. I think there are a lot more than players looking up to this guy...me being one of them.

Hope there are many more Fridays in your life sir...

Here is a link to the video I took of him: HAPPY COWBOY

SUNRISE 8/26/08

2008-08-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

A sunrise... Rarely am I up for these, but I happened to be up this morning and got a glimpse and a quick shot of it here in Amarillo. It's amazing how quickly the colors fade as the sun gets higher in the sky. Like our lives, it's a fleeting moment that needs to be cherished and not taken for granted.

8/15/08 CHASE

2008-08-20T03:34:00.000-07:00

I sat at home for pretty much most of the day watching junk go up in and near Amarillo. I noticed a severe storm in SE Colorado moving S/SE toward the panhandle. I watched this cell for a an hour or two as it made headway into the TX panhandle while staying strong. As the cell entered into Oldham county, I packed up the truck and headed out. This was about 9:30 pm I would estimate.

I planned to go to Vega and get some lightning and structure shots. This storm had Dbz values as high as 75 and possibly 80 at times and I knew not to get close because I had already heard reports of golf ball hail and winds in excess of 70 mph. When the storm went through Adrian, "Doppler" Dave called me and told me that Adrian got a lot of damage (broken windows) due to the large hail and heavy winds. He also told me that whatever I do, don't get in the core because it was nasty. Anyway, as I got to Vega, I went south a mile or two on US 385 and just watched the shelf cloud advance to the SE. It was a sight to see. Actually, I didn't even take any photos of it at this time, and I don't know exactly why. I guess I just wanted to watch with my eyes for a change instead of peering through a viewfinder.

I started to go south to try to get to Hereford, but I decided that move might not be a wise choice. I then went back east and then south out of Wildorado. As I made it to Hwy 60, I went west a few miles and got out and started taking pictures of the shelf cloud moving into Hereford. As the shelf cloud advanced southeast, I went a little further west to test the core. I was currently about 5 miles east of Hereford, and the biggest hail I got was ping pong size. I called the AMA NWS and gave them the report. I sat there for a while and slowly made my way back to the east.

As I got about 7-10 miles east of Hereford, I began noticing hail covering the road with a lot of hail fog. I took a few pictures and slowly made my way back to
Amarillo. I always say that you never can tell what mother nature can do around here, even in August! Below are photos of the event.

RADAR IMAGES #1 and #2
PHOTO #1 SHELF CLOUD AS IT ENTERS HEREFORD, LOOKING WEST.
PHOTO #2 SAME AS ABOVE, ONLY LOOKING NORTH.
PHOTO #3 HAIL/HAIL FOG ON HWY. 60 ABOUT 10 MILES E OF HEREFORD

I CAN'T STAND A THIEF!

2008-08-15T03:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was watching TV and decided to step out on my deck to get a breath of fresh air (I live in an apartment). This was about 3am or so. I noticed 2 males walking down the parking lot, and they started looking in cars and trying to open the doors. I immediately called 911 because I knew exactly what was going on.

They went on down the line and looked in several other cars while trying to open the doors to the vehicles. I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. I then noticed both of them walk over to a Toyota Tacoma. They looked in it and tried to open the drivers side door. It opened right up! One of the guys got in and shut the door while the other one stepped back playing the lookout. They stayed there for a minute or two. The guy got out and they both walked over and got into a white truck (their own vehicle).

As they were backing out, the cops pulled up and surrounded the vehicle. I heard the cuffs snap into place and both males were put in the cop car. The officers came up to my apartment and I gave my story. I had to write an affidavit of exactly what happened.

Here's the kicker...these two guys are associated with the people that live directly across from me. I told the officer that these guys might try to retaliate on me. He told me if anything at all happens, to call him immediately. I hope nothing comes from it, but we'll see. Anyway, to make a long story short, make sure your car is locked at all times, because you might have little punks like these trying to get some fast cash or a fast ride.

SURPRISE AUGUST EVENT 8/14/08

2008-08-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

Well, August gave the TX and OK panhandles a surprise today with some severe thunderstorms in the area. Booker, TX had tennis ball sized hail with some windows knocked out of cars and homes. I started the day off piddling with some storms north of town near Four way. I got into some hail slightly smaller than dimes, and that's about as exciting as it got with that particular storm.

I then headed back towards Amarillo and noticed a line near Vega that was bowing out with some possible damaging winds. I headed down I-27 to intercept the line, and I shot some photos of the shelf cloud near Happy. The storms were moving due south at a pretty rapid pace, so I could never really get out in front to sample the intensity of the winds. The winds south of Happy never exceeded 50 mph or so, but it was fun nevertheless. I shot the following photos from Happy looking SW towards Arney.

PHOTO OF MY ARM

2008-08-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

I finally got back home today. I had been at my parent's house getting back to normal. I didn't have a digital camera with me, so I couldn't take photos until now.

ARM: 15 DAYS AFTER SURGERY

PHOTO OF MY ACCIDENT!!!

2008-07-31T23:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but someone sent me a photo of my accident at the time I broke my wrist. This is crazy!!! Anyway, here is the proof...

ANOTHER UPDATE

2008-07-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I went back to the doctor today for a checkup. He said that I'm progressing pretty good. I got the cast taken off, and now I'm wearing what looks like a "bowlers" brace. I can take it off to shower and when I'm sitting around doing physical therapy on it. I was a bit surprised because they cut me open on the botton part of my wrist. I figured the top would be easier because of the lack of ligaments and arteries. I got x-rays taken and everything looked great. I saw the x-rays and the plate is about 2.5 inches long with 7 screws holding it in place. I guess it's safe to say, I'm screwier now than I was before.

I also got the staples taken out today. A total of 10 staples were removed. I was actually pretty impressed with the way they removed them. They just use a little tool that bends the ends out as the staple is removed. It was totally painless.

Now, the tough part is going to be the intense physical therapy. They told me it's extremely important to do it every day. I have to do certain exercises like squeezing a ball, rotating my wrist around, and other various exercises. I'm going to have to tough it out because it hurts pretty bad when I move it around. I have been pain pill free since early Wednesday, but it looks like I may have to begin the pills again if I'm going to do this succesfully. Even though it's going to be painful, I know in the long run it will be worth it.

SURGERY UPDATE

2008-07-22T02:40:00.001-07:00

Well, after surgery on thursday, I had to rest a few days before posting again. Surgery did go well and I am feeling much better. I am weening myself off the pain pills a little more and more each day. I am now only taking 1 or 2 pain pills a day as to the 5 or 6 a day or two after the surgery.

I can move my fingers around a little bit, but i'm still not strong enough to squeeze anything. I am getting more strength and mobility each day, but it will still be a long process until i'm back to 100%. I expect it will take at least 4-6 months before I will be able to use my hand and wrist like I did before I broke it.

I go back for checkup on Fri. so I will see how i'm coming along. On Fri, I will post another update and let you know what the doctor says.

Oh, and by the way,

pain pain go away, don't come back another day

2008-07-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

first off, i apologize for the lack of capital letters on the sentences. read further on and you will know why.

well, good ol me got to ride in an ambulance on wednesday for the first time ever. i was standing in the bed of my truck putting a sticker on my back window and stepped back to see if it was on good and straight. one mistake here...i took one too many steps and flipped over the tailgate and landed on my face and left wrist. i got very dizzy and started moaning and groaning with excruciating pain. once i got my bearings straight, i noticed that my left wrist was deformed and i immediately knew it was broken. i got up and went inside and dialed 911. the ambulance came and gave me morphine right off the bat. they put an iv in me and we were off to the hospital.

i waited an hour until a nurse came to see me. i laid there for a while and they carted me off for x-rays. it hurt like crap when they moved my arm in different positions for the x-ray. i let out a few moans and groans along the way.

the x-ray technician came back and said, i know why your hurting. i ended up breaking the big bone in my wrist in 2 places and i also broke a bone in my hand just above the pinky finger.

i was then told that i will be getting surgery on it because it's broken so bad. the bone broke and shifted to the side and it's also bent backwards slightly. i will be getting screws and a plate installed that will be there from now on. now, i just might be the new lightning magnet out in the field. it's going to be fun going through metal detectors at airports now. thank god i don't travel that much.

right now my left arm is in a hard cast until tomorrow. i just took some pain meds, and now i'm feeling a little better. wish me luck in surgery tomorrow. i was told that i will have to go through extensive physical therapy to get the strength and flexibility back in the wrist.

you know, i have done this a thousand times, but one little screw-up can really wreak havoc on you. kind of like chasing; you may have done it a thousand times, but one mis-calculation can ruin your whole day.

by the way, now the steel plate in my head won't be so lonely now that it has a companion. j/k.

NEWSCHANNEL 10 SUMMER CELEBRATION TOUR

2008-07-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

The NewsChannel 10 summer celebration got started this week. Here is a rundown of the schedule:
Monday-7/14/08 Guymon, OK
Tuesday-7/15/08 Dumas, TX
Wednesday-7/16/08 Clovis, NM
Thursday-7/17/08 Borger, TX
Friday-7/18/08 Tulia, TX

I got to go to the one on Tuesday in Dumas. I was off and I had never been to one, so I thought, what the heck. My friend Robert Ruley rode along as we got there around 5pm or so. There was a pretty big crowd of people already there. There was free corn on a stick, fajita tacos (which I had to call them (Fujita scale tacos) along with free blue bell ice cream. Needless to say, my good eating habits got wiped out today.

There were live bands and a lot of vendors with free stuff. Speaking of bands, Doppler Dave played the drums a little, and I have to say, I was impressed! There was even an oversized dog there. You had to guess the dog's weight, and if you got the closest, you won some free snacking prizes. That's ok, just keep the snacks away from the dog! By the way, I guessed 54 lbs. but I never heard the actual weight.

All in all I had a good time except for the 1 sorry band that played there. They played music and basically groaned into the microphone. On one song, I never made out one single word in the dictionary. It was just Rahh, ooohhh, ahhhhhhhhhh, mixed with a few other caveman sounds. I hate that kind of music. Then there was a band that got up and played some Journey, which was quite good.

Below are some photos of the event:

PHOTO #1 The NewsChannel 10 crew getting schooled by a strong young man named Carson.
PHOTO #2 Guess this dog's weight and win a prize!
PHOTO #3 "Doppler" Dave jazzing it up on the drums.
PHOTO #4 The NewsChannel 10 staff getting ready to go on the air.

THE RAIN CONTINUES, AND I GOT SOAKED

2008-07-15T05:17:00.001-07:00

Well, summer still hasn't arrived here in the panhandle. It's been a rainy pattern the last 10 days or so and it's very much welcomed. Normally, it's supposed to be hot and dry this time of year, but this rainy and cool pattern has been holding on.

I went for my normal 1.5 mile jog this morning. I looked at radar, and I thought I might stay dry. That didn't happen. I run around John Stiff park, and as I made my way by Zach's club 54, it started raining. It was only a light shower, but by the time I got home, I was soaked.

On a side note, since I have started my running program back up, I have lost 9 lbs. and I sure feel better. I guess getting wet is worth it since I'm doing something good for my body.

RADAR ABOUT THE TIME I WAS GETTING WET

HEAVY RAIN?

2008-07-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

Well, our summer pattern right now is definitely not a "summer pattern". Were getting a good supply of moisture, along with upslope flow and a boundary in the NW panhandle. I do think we will get some rain in Amarillo, but I think the biggest "chunk" of rain in the next couple of days will be limited to the N/NW TX panhandle like it was on Monday. I hope I'm wrong and Amarillo can get in on the action too.

I do know that this rain is a Godsend because the farmers in the OK panhandle have really been getting hit hard with drought conditions lately. Also, lake Meredith can obviously use all the rain that can drain into the almost unrecognizable lake. I hope this wet pattern lasts all summer long, because from my past observations, when this happens, were in for a hard, snowy winter.

I'M HOPELESS

2008-07-06T03:56:00.000-07:00

As you may not know, I work nights, and when I'm off, I pretty much keep the same schedule. Well, tonight I was bored and caught myself making a list of things to do for next chase season. I think I may need some help!!! Nay, I really don't. I just live and breath storm chasing and I think about it almost all the time.

I guess with me getting started early, nobody can accuse me of procrastinating. Oh, by the way, here is the list:

*Buy new cooler for drinks and to save hail stones.
*Get a media pass for the station I chase for.
*Get some business cards made.

GOODBYE 2008 STORM SEASON

2008-07-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

Well, like other have noted, the 2008 storm season is pretty much a memory now. Actually, I'm ready to get myself back in order. I need to get caught up on some things around the house and get my bank account fattened back up. After the gas I spent this year, the bank account got pretty skinny indeed.

I'm ready for things like camping out and fishing up in New Mexico. I'm ready to get with my pals Steve Miller (TX), Jay McCoy and David Drummond so we can go fish at Lake Allen Henry. I'm ready to start back on my running regime, because unlike my bank account as of late, I'm starting to get fat. I guess road food along with no exercise will do that to you.

Anyway, I will still post whenever something interesting arises. Of course we can still have severe storms in the summer, but they are few and far between. Maybe 2008 isn't over yet because we still have the fall stuff to get through. My first ever tornado was on Oct. 9th 2001 near Cordell, OK. Here are a couple of video stills of that day in Cordell, OK.

6/28/08 CHASE FORECAST

2008-06-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like a possible chase day around here today. The SPC has most of the area in a slight risk, and the NWS has severe wording for most of the panhandle. A cool front will be located in the southern panhandle, which will aid in storm development. Of course, this won't be a "big day" with tornadoes, but I'm off, so I will go out.

The best area today will be the southern/southeastern panhandle due to better instability which will be aided by daytime heating and better moisture. Who knows, maybe a storm can ride the front and produce something good. I'm thinking some possible large hail and damaging wind gusts with the stronger storms. Also, since the upper level winds will be weak, slow moving and training storms may produce some localized flooding potential.

Again, the tornado probability is very low, but sometimes Mother Nature throws a curve ball at us when we least expect it. We will see...

6/22/08 CHASE SUMMARY

2008-06-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

It was a relatively short chase today. I got out of the house around 5:30pm or so and headed north to get outside of Amarillo. I saw a high based storm north of town, and I wanted to get a better look. It looked ok visually, but on radar, it looked like a pimple on a teenager's face. It was absolutely ridiculous. I looked to make sure the radar was updated, and sure enough it was. I sat and looked at the base for a while and decided to head west on I-40.

As I got to Wildorado, I began seeing a decent shelf cloud with the squall line coming in from the west. It wasn't anything to write home about, but it was something. I began driving south out of Wildorado and got about 5 miles south of town. I took a few photos of the leading edge of the storm. After a while, the storm died and I came home. I told ya, not much of a chase, but hey, it's summer and the conveyor belt of NW flow is still hanging in there. Below are photos from the day:

PHOTO #1 MY TRUCK WITH STORMS TO THE NORTH AND WEST
PHOTO #2 BASE OF STORM NW OF AMARILLO, TX
PHOTO #3 LEADING EDGE OF STORMS TAKEN SOUTH OF WILDORADO, TX
PHOTO #4 SAME AS PHOTO #3, ONLY A DIFFERENT ANGLE

A POSSIBLE CHASE TODAY

2008-06-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like storms are firing up around the area. I may head north of Amarillo a little and wait for them to come my way. Steve Miller (TX) is already streaming live on the storm near Lefors that's T-storm warned. It's my last day off for 4 days, so I'm hoping for something good today. We'll see...

NO CHASE SUMMARY TODAY (SATURDAY)

2008-06-22T04:04:00.001-07:00

After chasing for a few days, I finally had a day off to get caught up with all of my chase summaries. They are located below, so enjoy!!!

6/20/08 CHASE SUMMARY

2008-06-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure I was going to chase today. A slight risk encompassed most of the TX panhandle. I waited around the house and finally saw a storm coming in to the northern TX panhandle. It made it all the way from Kansas, and it was strengthening as it got further south.

I began loading up my gear, and I headed up hwy 60 to Panhandle. I wanted to intercept this storm near Borger so I headed north on hwy 207. As I got about 10 miles south of Borger, I began noticing a very distinct shelf cloud that stretched across the sky. It was almost dark, but I managed to take a few stills of this awesome looking shelf cloud. I forgot my tripod, and this would have been a perfect time to use it. I sent a photo in to the station via e-pic which is posted on their blog. They grab the photo off the blog and use it on air. This works out real well because the guys can get an idea of what were seing out in the field.

Anyway, after taking a few stills, I went south to stay ahead of the hail and rain. I made it back to hwy 60 and I decided to go east towards White Deer. I wanted to sample the hail core to see what it had in it. I made it to about 4 miles west of White Deer and I started getting heavy rain, winds to 65 mph and hail to the size of quarters. I called the info in to the AMA NWS and they said I should be receiving very large hail any minute. I waited for baseballs, but they never came. Either the hail shaft was very small, or the hail just wasn't as large as everyone thought it might be. I then went south out of White Deer and made it to I-40, and went west to Conway. I filled up with gas and waited for the storm to strengthen.

After about 30 minutes, I noticed a storm near Boys Ranch getting strong. I took off west and anticipated the intercept near Bushland. As I got into Amarillo, I saw cloud to cloud lightning that was bluish-green. I have never seen lightning like this before. It's like it was illuminating the emerald core of the storm. I started taking video and finally made it to Bushland. As I got into town, I got hit with quarter size hail along with some sporadic half dollars to golf balls. I played in the core and decided to go south out of Bushland to stay with the storm. As I got about 5 miles south of Bushland, I ran into absolute zero visibility. I was in extremely heavy rain being driven by 70+ mph winds. I have to say, it was a little nerve racking.

I finally continued south and eventually made in into the town of Canyon. Canyon was flooded pretty bad. I got on the phone with Dave Oliver and gave live reports while he was continuously on air. I gave reports off an on for about an hour. Our coverage kicked some butt. I'm sure the other stations weren't on, and if they were, I bet they didn't have a chaser giving live reports from the field. After taking a little video, I ended the chase in Canyon. Below are photos and video from the event:

PHOTO #1 SHELF CLOUD SOUTH OF BORGER, TX
PHOTO #2 DIFFERENT VIEW OF SHELF CLOUD SOUTH OF BORGER, TX
PHOTO #3 VIDEO STILL OF BLUE LIGHTNING WEST OF AMARILLO, TX
VIDEO #1 FLOODED STREET IN CANYON, TX

6/19/08 CHASE SUMMARY

2008-06-22T01:47:00.000-07:00

Today looked to be a fairly good day. Strong southerly inflow winds were getting underway, and I knew that today was going to be big. Sometimes, I can just feel it. Again, today was a NW flow event, and I had planned on heading toward Dumas, or near that area. I started the day off by getting my new magnetic logos from Newschannel 10. I made it to the station at about 3pm and met Dave Oliver at the door. He had the magnets in hand and put one on the passenger door while I put one on the drivers side door. This was a real special and memorable moment for me. I don't mean to sound cheesy here, but a guy that's been at the same station here for 25 years and been the chief for 21 years is a special guy. He is by far the most popular chief in town, and I felt honored to have him help me put the magnets on my truck. I'm glad I finally chase for the best station in town. The other 2 meteorologists, John Harris and Shel Winkley are very nice guys too. I'm glad to be associated with guys of their caliber.

After we talked about how good the truck looked with the magnets, Dave told me to go in and we would look over data. As we were walking toward the door, Dave pointed to the north and said "look at that! We don't need to go over data, just head north". I saw the storm to the north as I was going to the station,but it had strengthened significantly in the last 30 minutes or so. I shook Dave's hand and told how much I appreciated the magnets. I hopped in the truck and began going up Hwy 287.

I got about 10 miles north of town and knew that this storm meant business. The core of the storm was a deep hue of emerald green. I had never seen this deep color of green on a storm before. It just looked like it was waiting to tear something up. It didn't have the tornadic character of some storms, but I knew it packed a punch with heavy rain, very large hail, and very high winds. I took some stills of the storm and followed it south. As I made it to loop 335, I went east about 3 miles and sat beside the road. After about 20 minutes I started getting hit with very heavy winds of 70+ mph. It then started raining and I got hit with occasional nickel to half dollar size hail. I knew I couldn't go east or I would get into larger hail, so I stayed put.

The wind was a steady 60-70 mph for at least 15-20 minutes. I was really getting a little nervous because I knew this storm meant business. After a few minutes, I slowly crept my way around loop 335 and made it to I-40. At this time I got sporadic golfball size hail and winds cranking to 60+ mph. I kept going south on 335 and went to the Claude hwy near Lake Tanglewood. I did a phoner with Dave and began to make my way back to town. I wanted to get some high wind video back to the station for the 6pm newscast. I got the video there and talked to Dave.

We decided that I should go south because a storm was forming near Hereford, and it was isolated. I watched radar as I made my way south, and it began getting stronger with each update. After a few updates, it began to show a hook echo which usually indicates rotation. I began going a bit faster and began seeing a wall cloud as I got to Tulia. I kept going south and eventually stopped at Kress to get a few still shots. At one point, I saw 2 wall clouds. One wall cloud on the SW flank of the storm, and one a little further in the precip core. I followed it south until it crossed I-27 and began to make my way home. Below are photos of the event:

PHOTO #1 NEWSCHANNEL 10 MAGNET
PHOTO #2 EMERALD GREEN HUE OF STRONG STORM NORTH OF AMARILLO, TX
PHOTO #3 ZOOMED OUT VIEW OF STORM NORTH OF AMARILLO, TX
PHOTO #4 DOUBLE WALL CLOUDS TAKEN FROM KRESS, TX LOOKING SW
PHOTO #5 ZOOMED IN VIEW OF WALL CLOUD TAKEN FROM KRESS, TX

6/18/08 CHASE SUMMARY

2008-06-22T01:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a NW flow event and it was a relatively short chase.

I decided to go up to Dalhart, TX after noticing storms on radar in the area. I sat in Dalhart for a while and then I decided to go south toward a better looking storm near Hartley. I encountered 60-70 mph winds just south of Hartley along with some dime size hail. I followed the storm south to Channing and got a shot of the hail core to the south.

I then took 1061 out of Boys Ranch and ended up about 10 miles from Aamrillo. I sat and watched another storm forming to the northwest. It produced some nice lightning and a very spectacular sunset. I ended the chase at dark. Below are photos of the event:

PHOTO #1 HAIL SHAFT SOUTH OF CHANNING, TX
PHOTO # 2 AND 3 SUNSET TAKEN 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF AMARILLO, TX

6/16/08 CHASE SUMMARY

2008-06-22T00:41:00.000-07:00

A slight risk for most of the panhandle was in store for today. I looked over data and decided to head to Pampa. Before I left the house, I noticed a very well defined boundary near Pampa, and that's one reason Pampa was my target for the day.

Pampa started to get pretty boring after an hour or so. Convection was going strong to my east into western Oklahoma, but nothing was firing close to my location. After a while, convection finally got going south of me. I observed radar data, and the convection was down near Turkey. That was ironic, because I felt like a turkey after my target area failed to produce convection. I swallowed my pride and began making my trek to Turkey.

As I got to Clarendon, I noticed the storm was producing a nice little anvil along with a small overshooting top. I snapped a few photos and continued my journey. As I made it about 10 miles NE of Turkey, I began seeing a beautiful display of mammatus. I snapped a few photos and took in the sights.

As I got south of Turkey I noticed a nice rain/hail shaft near Flomot. I began going west to "test" the hail core. I began getting nickels and quarters for about 10 minutes. I snapped a couple of photos of the heavy rain and wind. I would say the wind gusted up to 65 mph with this little storm. I followed it a little further south as it began to weaken. I stopped along the highway and watched the lightning, and then made my way home. Below are photos of the event:

PHOTO #1 STORM WITH OVERSHOOTING TOP NEAR TURKEY, TX
PHOTO #2 MAMMATUS NORTHEAST OF TURKEY, TX
PHOTO #3 RAIN/HAIL SHAFT NEAR FLOMOT, TX
PHOTO #4 WIND AND RAIN NEAR FLOMOT, TX

6/14/08 CHASE SUMMARY

2008-06-22T00:08:00.000-07:00

Today pretty much started the NW flow here in the panhandle. Storms were progged to move SE with the flow aloft.

I looked at data and decided to drift west to Vega, TX. I sat in Vega and noticed convection to the SW, so at this time, the chase was on. I went south out of Vega a few miles and began seeing dust being kicked up by the outflow winds of the storm. I sat and watched this for a while and began seeing a lot better convection firing towards Amarillo. I looked at radar and the storms were a lot stronger than the ones I was currently on. I kicked it in gear and took back roads to the south side of Amarillo. I took loop 335 around town and came out on the very east side of town. I then took I-40 east and noticed the convection was very crisp. I got out and snapped a few shots. I was hoping to get into the hail core near Conway to "test" the true strength of the core.

As I neared Conway, I got some puny dime to penny size hail. I then proceeded to Groom and went south to Clarendon. I noticed a very strong core south of Clarendon, so a hail size test was looking good. As I got about 10 miles south of Clarendon, I again began getting puny dime size hail. This time, it was a lot of it. It piled up on the road and looked a little like snow. I eventually made it into Silverton to get gas and check out another storm just to the west of town. The storm was another high based puny storm. On radar it looked ok, but in reality, it was just another soaker, with not much more to show for.

I looked at radar and noticed David Drummond just south of me a few miles, so I decided to head that way and chat with him. On the way, the storm began producing very nice mammatus along with a beautiful rainbow. I stopped along the way and snapped a few photos. I eventually met with David, and we shot the bull for an hour or so. We took a few photos, and parted ways. Below are photos from the event:

PHOTO #1 CRISP TOWERS NEAR CONWAY, TX
PHOTO #2 MAMMATUS WITH A RAINBOW SOUTH OF SILVERTON, TX
PHOTO #3 CLOSER SHOT OF MAMMATUS AND RAINBOW
PHOTO #4 DISTANT STORMS AND MOON TAKEN NEAR SOUTH PLAINS, TX