THUNDERSTORM T0077
Date: Sunday 1st May 2011
Time: 1800-2000 Local
Location: Norman, Oklahoma. USA.
Path: Few miles west of Longview, moving northeast to Ore City

Synoptics: Tropical plume destabilisation ahead of cold front
Duration: about 2 hours chasing from initiation
Type: Classic low-based Supercell
Average lightning type: CG ad PF
Footage Quality: Full HD / DSLR

 

A self-catered stormchase around the Midwest just a few days after the devastating deadly outbreak of late April 2011. Using NOAA's SPC guidance and some mobile internet we purchased from a Radioshack (before the days of 4G phones), we predicted and hunted down this lonely supercell in NE Texas near Longview/Ore City, with dangerous positive-flash lightning barrages, newly forming RFDs, redeveloping mesocyclones, day darkness and scud funnels. Tornados were reported to the SPC but we didn't see any given the base was incredibly low and was often obscured behind trees.

We also repositioned a lot as we were worried about getting munched by hail. We saw a few scud-funnels though. Temperature in the warm plume was around 28-30C with around 20C dewpoints, with between 2000 and 2500 Joules of CAPE.