Ice and Lightning

The first big stormy week of chase season was a bust. Storms either didn't show up or turned into ice spewing monsters. The following photos were taken today in the Wichita area after a half inch glaze.

Snow

Last week gave us the #2 snowstorm in Wichita history.  The record was 15" in 1962, last Wednesday into Friday storm dumped 14.2".  That was Q, then Randy, his irritating cousin, showed up yesterday.  This prompted the Wichita area to go into Snowmageddon  mode.  No fistfights, but rows of empty grocery shelves.  Those that bet on Zombies for the end of the world lost out, you can't shoot snowflakes.

Luckily, with the Weather Channel in town, Randy turned out to be a little bit of a bore.  Projections of upwards to 15 to 18" have turned into maybe 4" to 7" by morning.  Wichita schools are on their fourth day of being closed.

Infrared taken a couple days before Q

Spotted my first cardinals of the near spring

Macro of snow on seat cushion. 

Meet Luthur the Weather Dog.  Yes, he's a pup and wondering what this white stuff is.

Fire, Ice and Fog

Rain is in the forecast this weekend and early next week which may offset some of the drought fears talked about recently.  Although only a 20-30% chance, it's nice to see the old lightning icon promising some chase days coming soon.

Last week Wichita broke a cold record with -17 degrees Fahrenheit.  Today we are forecasted into the upper 70's.  Welcome to Kansas.  We call a 90 degree shift in temps Spring. 

Yesterday, a pea-soup fog descended on Wichita.  The Pirate Zombies from the otherworld caused about 8 accidents in a fifteen mile stretch of road.  Some problems sighted were: people (of course, can't see but driving 70), zero visibility (bad when your hand is in front of your face and you can't see it), and road conditions (salt, grime, oil left from the recent Snowpocolypse, Snowmaggedon, and Mt. Snowsuvious storms left the roads slick when moisture mixed).

 

Full moon lighting and fog has interesting possibilities.

It did leave the opportunity for some cool photos.





Had the overcoat, wide-brim hat, played "Tubular Bells", and still had the cops called.





from KSNW tower cam looking over the sea of Downtown Wichita.







After the majority of fog burned off and allowed for safe travel

Reality bubbled and only allowed a 1/4 mile.

 

parking lot at Sedgwick Co. Zoo, you could see the mist rising from the pavement.





Storm Season 2010

The storm season finally began Tuesday. Baseball seemed to beat it this year by a full two weeks. Unfortunately, I was stuck in class and unable to chase a squall line that decided to anchor in Northeast Sedgwick Co. and hail for up to 45 minutes. I took the pic above before heading to class.  
I regretted having class tonight, mainly because I could have called in my weather reports while sitting in the kitchen.

Jerrad Brenzikofer took the following from his house around 45th and Oliver.

The white spots in the picture is pea to marble size hail falling.

I got out of class at 8pm and found the storm system rapidly moving to the East, but it looks brilliant in the last rays of sunlight.

There were three cells trying to either squall out or feed off each other as a multicell thunderstorm.

Remember, if a thunderstorm is pointing, it's heading that way.

And this storm did.  What stalled out over Sedgwick Co got a kick when a cold front came through.  I noticed lighting in the cell and was going to go out after dark to do some long exposure.  I waited 10 minutes, checked radar, and watched it rocketing out of range.

I hope this chase doesn't set the whole season.    As for the storm, it headed East and caused tornados for the next two days.

Link of interest:http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=ict&storyid=50661&source=0

Check out the radar feed midway down.