Sun, 07 Apr 2013 05:40:35 -0500
Storm Chasing target areas April 7-9, 2013 | | The first real good looking storm chasing setup of 2013 will be unfolding Sunday through Tuesday across the central plains. I just so happened to have this time period off work thanks to some well-timed Annual Leave. Unfortunately, I had to cancel out of some plans with friends in Kansas City for the Royals home opener -- the original reason for taking Monday and Tuesday off. Once it became increasingly likely that a multi-day chase setup was going to unfold, I had to make the decision on plan changes to take advantage of what the atmosphere was potentially going to provide from a fine art storm photography perspective.
A major spring low will be moving into the four-corners region and the Rockies during this time frame. Gulf of Mexico moisture will be transported northward into the central plains beginning today (Sunday), setting up the first of three good-looking storm chase days. Sunday/s target will be close to Dodge City, so I will have the luxury of getting some stuff done around the house before setting out to chase. I like the area from Dodge City south toward Woodward, OK as a target area for later this afternoon/early this evening.
On Monday, a warm front will be lifting north across western Kansas. A triple point will likely set up somewhere in western Kansas marking the convergence of warm moist, hot dry, and cool moist airmasses. Right now, I like the area from Burlington, CO down toward Scott City, KS as an initial target area. I will probably drive back to Dodge after this chase. Tuesday is still somewhat complicated depending on the strength of what looks like an incredible cold front (with temperatures in the teens and lower 20s behind it in western Nebraska!) If this front charges southeast quicker, it will wipe out a potential tornado outbreak with storms evolving into a squall line or quasi-linear structures early in the game. A large target from northern Kansas into central/southern Oklahoma is fair game at this point for a Tuesday chase. I am due back to work Wednesday morning, so herever I go Tuesday, I will have to drive back after the chase that night.
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