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Started out from Amarillo with another visit to the NWS FO. Met the Warning Coordination Meteorologist from the Shreveport Office who mentioned he saw the 19 May Archer City/Lake Kickapoo tornado. Decided on a W of Lubbock target and spoke to both Lon Curtis and Al Moller who concurred with my reasoning. Headed down I-40 to US 60 (I believe I saw WI chaser Don Lloyd on I-40 in S Amarillo).
Surface analysis again points SW of LBB, with weak sfc low, and another mix of warm front and outflow boundaries. More choice lapse rates, great shear profile (upper flow was forecast to shift away from the NW and back to W in advance of the approaching SW US short-wave trough) and potential for high CAPE made this look like a very good chase opportunity! |
Headed SW on US 60 to Friona and then S towards my target (based on the warm front moving north during the afternoon. Sat for a good period in/near Enochs, TX (in southern Bailey County). Spoke to both Lon Curtis and Al Moller and they saw nothing to contradict my assessment (Al was targeting the Clovis, NM region). I became somewhat restless and started to meander around southern Bailey Country watching the perplexing alto cu bubble. Driving west on FR 54 between Maple and Goodland TX I passed and waived at a vehicle with the same chase related license tags as my own (mine Ontario, theirs Colorado). I confirmed the next day that the CO plates belonged to Steven Hodanish - as we both pulled into AMA FO.
I noticed the MAF cells (apparently working a 100/48 airmass) while drifting down to Plains, TX. I recognized at that point that this had been a 'Blue Sky Bust' and decided to head to LBB for dinner and back to AMA for sleep (arrived with 'upslop' conditions at AMA!). Al Moller, Anton Seimon, along with the NSSL Research Team (and a National Geographic photo team) popped into the lobby and said hello as I was checking in.
Incidentally, Matt and Betsy (Atlanta - US Weather Channel), who I had chased with for a time the day before, caught the Trinidad, CO tornado! Congrats to you both!