Hillsboro ChaseBase has become base for 5 Australian chasers (Darren & Tracy where are you now - just got your SMS).... Clyve & I have been joined by Michael Bath, Rodney Wallbridge & Jason Paterson!!!!!

Hey Jane, we are in Goodland this morning. Desperation search for storms just west of here later today possibly?

You might get something closer to the front range or near the trough later, but it's awfully dry....we're all hanging around here, the boys are going to hit Walmart in McPherson and then having Mexican in Hillsboro tonight if you want to join us..... currently 81/43 here.

Yep, we are in Yuma, DP's in the 20's. Some cu to the west, we will probably move up to Sterling for the next few hours and when our stubborness expires we will march on back to Goodland, Hillsboro might be a bit far at this time - but Mexican food and a few tall tales does sound good...

We're getting the car serviced tomorrow morning and then headin gout to western Kansas for the afternoon to see what we can get....

You try to snap a few pics to add to the "People from Walmart" website, if you have not seen that site its highly recommended.

Perhaps try some Hillbilly handfish'n like you see on the pay TV, you get into a muddy creek and crawl around feeling under rocks and snags for catfish with your bare hands.

Hope you guys having a good time. I will be over there next season, including the snow!

Also have you guys created a map for the driven chase areas yet? I would find that interesting if you guys do that

nothing chaseworthy this week,It has to improve soon,almost dry season weather,yuk

The Australians (Team Northern Rivers and Team AUSSKY) are all heading west towards the Kansas - Colorado border this morning from Hillsboro....Willoughby and Storm Angel are over there as are Darren & Tracy, and I think hannah will be heading that way too.

We should be heading that way when we see something firing up on the I control doppler as we were over here last year and used it too see the Joplin Tornado outbreak unfold,just a pity we didnt get over there in time[other stuff holding us back!].This year seems dead but SOONER or later it has to FIREUP?,just wish the jetstreams were further south!!But that could work in our favour as we are in Ohio at the moment and we suspect main activity will be further north than usual this season...

Wouldn't worry too much about it Sassie. Its a ridge, happens every year, and sometimes it lasts a heck of a long time - if you ever get down just think about 1987 - the pretty much dead season (period)!

Anyway, The Hunters of Thunder will soon be arriving in the states as well to increase the Australian content to epic proportions. To follow our exploits, would suggest following on our Blog: Hunters of Thunder

Also up there is a trailer of our 2011/2012 Australian season release if anyone is interested and preorders have begun.

Some ok forcing yesterday but as mentioned very dry air. We were under next to the only STW storm just on the Colorado side of the border SW of Tribune, presumably doppler picked up some nasty outflow in the dry air - it certainly didnt appear exceptionally vicious. We were just glad to hear thunder, ha ha.
We did see some pretty good gustnadoes and the fields that were bare certainly flung some dust around. Bumped into Jane and Clyve north of Tribune and then later that evening we had dinner with them at Mac's Drive in in McCook Nebraska which was fantastic.

We followed the evaporating storms and associated gusty winds up into Nebraska.

Here is a snap from the first storm, right of screen in rain fall, centre is the blast of dust outward from the rain core and left is this dust being lifted up toward the storm.
Taken hastily to avoid eating too much dirt.



Later on in NW Kansas as the storms were literally evaporating/collapsing over us I took this snap from under a decaying anvil whilst the wind howled by (at least in that sense it finally felt like the plains)

Saturday 19th May 2012 (USA Time - Sunday morning Australia - Target - Salina, Kansas

The death ridge from hell is showing some signs of breakdown. On its last legs it will provide still one more purpose, that is a tough little inversion/cap around the 850mb over Central Kansas. this will breakdown with the arrival of a cold front, but I hope to see some late storms around a Great bend, Concordia and Emporia before the front. So I will position just SW of Salina, far enough out to by pass the city if needed.

Numbers by US standards not that flash, moderate CAPE, a bit of turning. Another feature is relatively dry mid layers, so while temperatures are not that impressive, large (and hard) hail is still on the cards.

It should be an ideal home base start for Clyve / Jane.

For those who want to go elsewhere there is an interesting dryline in west Texas/ West Oklahoma.

Great target Michael, I had Salina as my target when I came to post in here but I am happy to slot in a little to your west to begin with. Too far east and things will get linear rather quickly, discrete modes won't last all that long as the whole sfc pattern breaks down and fills in.

Just as you say, modest setup, has some potential for a couple of tornadoes but you will have to be on the right cell to get it that's for sure. KS seems the pick but I wouldn't be frightened to explore more moisture further SW into NW OK either. Best tornadic potential is closer to NE border but I don't think I'll chase there, it is a bit dry to be honest, but still has to be watched.

So intial starting target for me will be Lyons Kansas

TS

Morning all,

Chased a couple of good hailers (2-4cm)up near Crawford, NW Nebraska yesterday. One of these storms briefly went severe near Crawford, although their bases were so high they were halfway to the moon! Made a dash back to Thedford and watched a vigorous high based strobing storm pass over near midnight - wind gusts in excess of 100kmh (cold front). I think Michael and Lennies predictions for a look-see are pretty good. We're dropping south from Thedford along 183 then through Hays towards Great Bend. Should be ther early afternoon. We'll be watching for early initiation ahead of the cold front. Michael Bath, Rodney Wallbridge and Jason Paterson are at our chasesbase in Hillsboro.

Clyve & Jane

Hailshafts from NW Nebraska yesterday

Morning! Good to be targeting severe storms again!! Have been meandering in New Mexico and Colorado the last few days checking out sand dunes and an amazing antique mansion from the 1890's (all the contents are still in place) in Pueblo, CO.

Drifted east and will have our initial target as Greensburg, KS. Hopefully there will be discrete cells to chase around southern Kansas before the storms congeal to a more linear mode.

Well target was alright for the main KS cell but already things are getting a wee bit too linear on the radar for my liking as the cold front catches the dryline and cold pools start to take over. Further SW into NW OK remains a little more discrete but I can too see that joining up and forming part of the squall line along the cold front. Probably a great lightning display/guster/wind/hail potential however.

Further N into NE where the best tornado potential was, is going ok, moisture has advected N enough and some healthy tornado warned supercells there, albeit a little messy (won't last too long as semi-discrete) before becomeing a bigger mess. But nice wall clouds and rotation on some of the cams atm.

TS

Tornadic storm just west of Wichita, about an hour south of my target area. History of producing small brief tornadoes. Already however the setup from here south is lining up and will become a squall line in the next hour. It could be that my original target my see the last isolated storms.

Two weak tornadoes on ground at same time on KansasTwisters webcam

http://www.tornadovideos.net/pages/full_screen/

Yep just as I typed my cell got tornado warned and now Willoughby reporting tornadoes galore!

TS