Solar Eclipse 2024

 I stayed in Wichita for the Eclipse.  We were only at 89% coverage here and were not able to be outside all day.

Needless to say, I love the GEOS satellites that provide incredible images like this.

I still had my solar filter from 2017 and used it because I couldn't get another in time.

A Quiet Chase Season So Far

 This year has been off to a quiet start.

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men,

We have seen some precipitation, but not much luck with storms.  I remember seeing lightning for the first time in March.  The Drought Monitor is looking better, but I would like to get out of being abnormally dry.

This year has been off to a quiet start. I think I heard my first thunder in March this year.

Over Spring Break I took my youngest up to Lawrence. There happened to be an enhanced risk to the area and she was okay with chasing.

We ended up marching Mass Street then headed out to Tonganoxie. There were towers trying to go up but the cap was inhibiting them.

It had been a long day, so we headed back towards Topeka on the highway and on to Wichita.

Unfortunately, the highway is a trap and was a bad decision without a lot of exits to get off. South of Topeka the youngest shot this:

That may be the wall cloud near Alta Vista but not sure. We were distant and out of place by the time we could get off. We gave up and had a fail Shake or Andy's Concrete when we got back to Wichita.

Fast forward to yesterday. I took Thordette to KState for the open house. She wants to be a Manhattan Project sort of scientist so we toured the nuclear reactor on site.

It's not running, the glow is from the lights.

Stepping out we noticed asperatus clouds like we were under the sea.

Heading back to Wichita, we ran parallel to the developing storm. Didn't see much but rain, lots of wind, and a single lightning bolt.

My beard pennant picking up a nearly 60 mph gust.

Clouds on the highway.

A little hail off of to the left.

2023 . . . Meh

It was a dry year with occasional rain. This may have been one of the slowest storm seasons I've seen. I've been busy, changed jobs, realized I needed to go back to a previous career and changed jobs again.  I still chased when the opportunity presented itself.  

Although it was a busy year, every post this year started with a drought monitor.  This is the monitor from the end of 2023 and most recent.  

Here is to a successful 2024 chase season.

opefully we will see more moisture in the future.