May 26th - Sooner Lake, OK
CHASERS: Bobby Eddins,  Edward Cohen
NOWCASTING: Mike Cohen
SUMMARY:
Our target this day was along a line from Enid to Woodward, OK. Analysis showed a weak low in the Woodward area with a dryline extending south along the TX/OK border and a weak warm front extending east from the low towards the Enid area.

We drove north and set up to watch data on the east side of Enid. We did a lot of sitting and watching and waiting for the surface winds to start to back. We actually started to drive east toward Ponca City where winds were already backed and weak showers had started to form but after getting just a bit east the latest obs from Enid came in and the winds had shifted to the south so we turned around and returned.

Finally a tone and a watch came out for western OK. There were storms rapidly developing to our distant southwest along I40. We started driving west and soon were led further by towers in the distance but as we neared these they poofed!! and we contemplated dropping south toward the western edge of what was now severe storms that had lined up east-west along I40. Before we could do this we noticed hard towers to our east, back toward Enid. Should have stayed put.

We were quickly headed back east trying to catch-up with what now a developing supercell located just west of Enid. Other LP storms were developing to our north in another east-west line along the old warm front but the storm near Enid was the obvious target so we continued east.

After getting caught waiting for a slow train in Enid as the storm moved east of town we finally caught up with it as we reached I35. We now had a rotating wall-cloud to our NNW but were soon blasted with RFD so we continued east on the Cimarron Turnpike, hop scotching with the RFD until we were just SE of the turnpike's right turn where we stopped to let the storm pas just north of us.

As soon as we jumped out we saw rapid circulation with rain curtains just to our NW over the south end of Sooner Lake. This immediately produced a debris cloud with rapid cloud rotation above it but no condensation funnel to the ground. Regardless it was now a tornado with multiple-vortices visible in the debris.

This tornado appeared to stay on the ground for several minutes as it moved to our north and finally produced a brief condensation funnel to the ground giving us a nice shot. The meso that produced this tornado finally occluded as the storm moved off to the east. We tried to pursue but road options and daylight left us to view the next storm to our north as the sun set.


image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Developing CB to our north.
image from Nikon 5700 copyright 2004 Edward Cohen Developing supercell back west of Enid.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Enid storm becoming a supercell.
image from Nikon 5700 copyright 2004 Edward Cohen Passing south of the wall-cloud.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Fixin' to get blasted by RFD.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV The wall-cloud with tail.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV East of the toll booth.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV On the ground!
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Stirring things up.
image from Nikon 5700 copyright 2004 Edward Cohen Ed takes a nice still of the debris.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Visible funnel forms as the tornado moves over the southern end of Sooner Lake.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV The funnel becomes vertical as clouds wrap into the circulation.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV A concentration of debris.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Condensation starts toward the ground.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Kissing the ground!
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV A closer view.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Condensation begins to break up.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Condesation evaporates.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV Condesation leaves but debris remains.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV A structure shot shows RFD slot and wall-cloud.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV A new funnel develops!
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV The new funnel tightens and leans left.
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV It straightens up and produces more debris!
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV A closer view with a bit of debris!
image from Sony TRV-900 miniDV The funnel weakens as the meso occludes.


CONCLUSION:
Make your forecast and stick with it. When there's a warm front involved play it!

All Images © 2004 Bobby Eddins. All rights reserved.