Storm Chase Log 26 May 2005

[Guest ChaserUK]

As you can see from our location - we have landed! And yes, there are lots of aliens around

The storms today did not produce as expected. I think this was due to the low cloud cover left from yesterday's activity hanging around too long - the atmosphere just did not have enough time to reach decent levels of instability. Also I think there was a problem with deep layer shear as many storms would just hit the mountains and stop. In any case, we did get lots of very good CG's, some hail covered roads and nice photos of updrafts trying to organise. All this through a very bizarre landscape of cactus, rocks and mountains!

Anyway, just a few pics from today dramatic all the same. Tomorrow is a problem - the SPC have this area under a SLIGHT risk for isolated supercells. However these may not form until evening and realistically we have to be well on our way back to DFW for Saturday's flight.

We will see what happens on the way back I guess.

Pic 1 - Approaching storm forming over the mountains.

Pic 2 - Look underneath the middle light in the distance - a very large gustnado formed as outflow winds race across the area and spin up.

Pic 3 - F5!!! No just a new hail core with 2 inch hail.

Pic 4 - Gust front - from the wrong side so this is otherwise called a 'Whales Mouth'.

Pic 5 - Nice updraft trying to form but just could not get it together.

Pic 6 - Gust front - from the right side - in front of the storm looking in.

Pic 7 - A view of low level cloud being driven over the mountains on our way to Roswell.

[SteveB]

Some nice pics Chaser, bet you don't want to come home.