Tour 3 - Day 4 (2nd June 2023) - TX Permian Basin - ENHANCED Risk

[MikeUpjohn]

Day 4 was the big day for Tour 3 this year. Woke in Lubbock, TX to an ENHANCED Risk for all severe threats down in the Trans-Pecos and Permian Basin of Texas and down towards the Mexican border. Headed South early in the day, stopping for a quick gas up on the North Side of Odessa, TX before heading on down the Interstate to Monahans, TX for a quick grab and go lunch. The first storm, which would turn out to be the cyclic supercell depicted for several runs on the HRRR initiated just before noon to the West of  Fort Stockton, TX -  a place which in previous visits has not been kind to us.

 Grabbed lunch and headed South and East to Imperial, TX through the back roads as the storm and associated wall cloud organised. The storm went severe-warned early on and then tornado-warned as quickly again. Continued to head South and East towards Girvin, TX stopping a mile from SW of town, and watched the storm which had now passed a couple of miles North of Fort Stockton, TX. It's here we caught sight of the multi-vortex wedge tornado that briefly was visible. Continuing South, we were barraged with C-G lighnting from the front of the storm. In fact the lightning on this storm was monstrous with positive CG's pinging around us, even 15 miles ahead of the storm - one hit in the verge next to the car leaving blown out dirt and black smoke, and the biggest gunshot thunder I've ever heard!

Continuing South and East, we joined the I-10 and headed East in front of it, stopping at an exit with a further South. The storm was tracking along the I-10 ESE at this point, but beginning to turn South East, so headed South East to a viewing point of the SR2886. Watched for 30 minutes or so as the storm came closer and closer, still this barrage of C-G lightning across 180° in front of us, and various lowerings trying to produce tornadoes. As the storm closed in, headed on down and stopped further along the road, as the hook passed us by on it's South East course. Here, another brief tornado on the hilltop, later confirmed by the SPC off of our photos and date stamps. 

Continued the chase, stopping along the road to Sheffield, as the storm was in front of us to the North and North East, sliding by on it's SE course. Got some more brilliant lightning on an otherwise grungy looking storm, with outflow from one storm, mixed with inflow of another, golf ball hail rattling around on the roads and all sorts.

We finished up the chase in Sheffield, TX as the storm turned hard down towards the Mexico border, still several tornado warnings. 3 tornadoes for the day, and a brilliant chase. Finished up with an amazing sunset, and dinner at a steakhouse in Odessa, TX, ahead of a more marginal day for Day 5 tomorrow.