May 6th, 2024 High Risk Day

May 6th, 2024 had teased a moderate risk until that morning when it went to high risk.  This happens maybe once or twice a year and usually is the harbinger of bad things.

Wichita was on the northern end, OKC on the southern. HRRR was showing lines of storms forming, but not going linear. I also was looking at Pratt, not wanting to go into Oklahoma because I had just returned the day before from the great OWFI Conference.  

We had the ingredients in place for a very severe weather day, but just like having a taco bar and opting for a burrito or taco salad. It just didn't come together.

There were tornado warnings just over the border in Oklahoma but the northern storms produced brief and EFO to EF1 tornadoes. 

A storm we followed did go to Manhattan, Kansas and produced a brief tornado SW of town but luckily didn't hit anything.

Didn't see any storms producing wall clouds but would see these odd funnels dip just below, spin for a moment, and disappear.

Nice clouds

The odd shaft of sunlight

Hey, got a rainbow.

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.

Twister Museum - Wakita

I decided to make the pilgrimage to the Twister museum in Wakita, Oklahoma.

This was after the big 20th anniversary in May.  The museum is an interesting place that documented the making of the movie and contains relics and photos.

Unfortunately Aunt Meg's house was destroyed during the making.