STORM DOCUMENTATION - 2002
© Copyright 2002 Eric Nguyen
 
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My chase vacation schedule:
April 6 - May 2:  Restricted chasing, i.e., school will come first before a decent chase day.
May 3 - June 2:  Unrestricted chasing, anytime, anywhere.
June 3 - July 12:  Restricted, taking two summer courses to get ahead.
DATE AREA OBSERVATIONS
APRIL 7 C TX / N TX JEFF LAWSON, ROBERT HALL, AND I WENT WEST ON I-20 AND MEANDERED SOUTH OF ABI AND EVENTUALLY WORKED OUR WAY NORTH TOWARD BRIDGEPORT, TX.  THAT'S WHERE WE INTERCEPTED A SUPERCELL EMBEDDED IN THE SQUALL LINE.  WE SAW STRONG ROTATION JUST SOUTH OF 380 MOVING QUICKLY ENE.   AFTER THAT ROTATION PASSED ANOTHER AREA OF ROTATION QUICKLY FORMED JUST SOUTH AND MOVED ENE ALONG 380 WHERE THE WARM FRONT INTERSECTED THE SQUALL LINE.  TORNADO SIRENS WENT OFF IN EVERY TOWN FROM BRIDGEPORT, TX TO DENTON, TX AS WE CHASED THIS SUPERCELL.   HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED A STRONG FUNNEL OVERHEAD WHICH CAUSED INTENSE INFLOW / OUTFLOW CIRCULATION ON THE GROUND.  THIS DID SOME WEAK DAMAGE AND MAY HAVE CAUSED A CAR ACCIDENT JUST BEHIND US WHILE IT WAS OVERHEAD.  ANOTHER STRANGE THING WAS A CHUNK OF THE BRIDGE WE WERE DRIVING UNDER FELL OFF AND HIT THE HIGHWAY CAUSING POLICE TO BLOCK THE ROAD CLEANING IT UP.   LUCKILY IT MISSED THE VAN BY SECONDS AS WE WERE DRIVING AT AROUND 60MPH.
APRIL 11 E TX PAN A CLEAR SKY BUST.    I WENT WEST TO KELLERVILLE, TX AND WATCHED AS OUR TOWERS ALONG THE COLD FRONT WEAKENED AND EVENTUALLY DISAPPEARED.  SO WE FOUND AN OLD BRIDGE TO HANG AROUND AND SHOOT STILLS.  WE MET UP WITH PHILIP FLORY OUT THERE AND WE ALL HEADED BACK EAST ON I-40.
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APRIL 12
S OK / W TX I WENT SOUTH ON I-35 TO PICK UP MY CHASE PARTNER, JEFF LAWSON IN DENTON, TX.  I FORTUNATELY GOT TO DRIVE THROUGH AN AREA WHERE A SEVERE STORM HAD PASSED OVER I-35 LEAVING A SWATH OF HAIL ONE MILE WIDE EXTENDING WEST TO EAST.  WHEN JEFF AND I GOT OUT TO OUR TARGET NEAR GRAHAM, THINGS APPEARED TO BE GOING DOWN HILL.  SO WE CALLED IT A DAY AND WENT TO EAT AT LUIGI'S IN DENTON.
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APRIL 13
W TX I MET UP WITH SCOTT BLAIR AND JASON POLIETTE.  WE OBSERVED SEVERAL SPLITTING SUPERCELLS NEAR PLAINVIEW, TX.   THE HIGHLIGHT INCLUDED A NICE UP-CLOSE LP SUPERCELL WHICH QUICKLY FORMED A WALL CLOUD BEFORE WEAKENING AND DROPPING A BUNCH OF SMALL HAIL.  AN HOUR LATER YET ANOTHER ROTATING STORM FORMED JUST NORTH OF PLAINVIEW, TX AND SPLIT, LEAVING A BACKLIT ANTICYCLONIC LP STORM ON THE NORTH SIDE.  WHILE WE WERE APPROACHING THE FIRST SUPERCELL OF THE DAY NEAR PLAINVIEW, WE OBSERVED DUST DEVILS FORMING ALONG THE ANVIL SHADOW.  I GOT HOME AT 6AM AND DROVE 1500 MILES THE PAST TWO DAYS.
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APRIL 16
SC OK DUE TO SCHOOL WORK I WASN'T ABLE TO GET OUT EARLY ENOUGH NOR DID I CONVINCE MYSELF ENOUGH THAT I-35 WOULD GO NUTS.   I GOT ON A STORM WHICH APPEARED WEAK AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I GAVE UP THAT IT BECAME SUPERCELLULAR AND LATER, TORNADIC.  LUCKILY I RARELY HAVE FRUSTRATING DAYS, AND THIS WAS ONE OF THEM.
APRIL 18
NW OK NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED   (I UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT CHASE THE 17th DUE TO AN EXAM I HAD)
APRIL 20
W TX SAW SOME LINEAR STORMS THAT APPEARED TO BE ROTATING RIGHT OFF THE BAT BUT ONCE THEY CROSSED THE BOUNDARY INTO MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIR, THEY QUICKLY DIED.
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MAY 4
SW / W TX DAVE FICK, AMOS MAGLIOCCO, JEFF LAWSON, AND I OBSERVED GOLF BALL TO TENNIS BALL SIZED HAIL AND OCCASIONAL INTENSE WALL CLOUDS.  WE FINALLY OBSERVED A TORNADO IN EASTERN SAN ANGELO, TX.  LATER THAT NIGHT WE POSSIBLY SAW A TORNADO NEAR BRADY, TX.  BUT THAT IS STILL UNCONFIRMED AS VISIBILITY WAS POOR.  IMAGE SHOWS SOME SMALL HAIL PRIOR TO THE HAIL ENCOUNTER WHERE WE RECEIVED SOME VEHICLE DAMAGE.
May 5, 2002
MAY 5
TX PAN DAVE FICK AND I OBSERVED 3 OR 4 TORNADOES INCLUDING THE TWO HAPPY, TX TORNADOES.  WE ALSO OBSERVED BASEBALL SIZED HAIL PRIOR TO THE HAPPY, TX WEDGE.
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MAY 6
C KS DAVE FICK AND I OBSERVED A SUPERCELL NEAR HUTCHINSON, KS WHICH PRODUCED A FEW WALL CLOUDS AND OCCASIONAL FUNNELS, AND TENNIS BALL SIZED HAIL.  (I UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT CHASE THE 7TH DUE TO FINAL EXAMS THAT EVENING)
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MAY 8
S KS / N OK DAVE FICK AND I CHASED THE DRYLINE / COLD FRONT INTERSECTION WHICH PRODUCED ONLY MARGINAL HAIL AND MANY GUSTNADOES (WHICH WERE BEING REPORTED AS TORNADOES).  WE DID ENJOY THE NICE SHELF CLOUD STRUCTURE ALONG THE COLD FRONT ON THE OK AND KS BORDERS.
MAY 15 SW KS JEFF LAWSON, ROB HALL, AND I (JEFF GAMMONS & CHRIS COLLURA / SCOTT BLAIR IN THEIR VEHICLES) OBSERVED SOME MARGINAL SEVERE STORMS IN SW KS WITH MANY GUSTNADOES AND MICROBURSTS.  FINALLY, AFTER DARK, A SIGNIFICANT SUPERCELL FORMED WEST OF PRATT, KS WITH REPORTS OF BASEBALL HAIL FROM SCOTT BLAIR A FEW MILES AWAY.  IT HAD A STACKED PLATE MESO APPEARANCE AND WAS JUST INCREDIBLE TO WATCH AS THE INTENSE LIGHTNING LIT IT UP.  ONCE THE STORM PASSED OVER US DROPPING GOLF BALL HAIL, WE GOT TO WATCH THE BACK SIDE BACKLIT BY THE MOON AND GET OUT TO MEASURE THE HAIL.
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MAY 16
SE CO / OK PAN / TX PAN SAME PEOPLE AND I STARTED IN SE CO ON SOME HAIL STORMS AND WE QUICKLY MOVED INTO THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE TO A SUPERCELL LOCATED IN NW OK PAN.  LARGE HAIL EXCEEDING GOLF BALL SIZED AND A TORNADO NEAR GOODWELL, OK WERE OBSERVED.  WE ALSO OBSERVED A SECOND SPINUP UNDER SOME ANTICYCLONIC ROTATION.  THAT NIGHT WE OBSERVED THIS STORM TURN INTO AN LP AND WEAKEN.  AS IT WEAKENED, ANOTHER SUPERCELL WAS INTENSIFYING TO ITS WEST, AND WE BEGAN TO MEASURE SFC WINDS FROM THE EAST SUSTAINED AT 43-46 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 52 MPH.  WE STAYED THE NIGHT IN AMA AND HEADED TO DFW THE NEXT DAY.
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MAY 21
WY SAW A NICE SHELF CLOUD OUT IN WYOMING.  WE OBSERVED OCCASIONAL GUSTNADOES, ONE WENT OVER THE VEHICLE DRAGGING SOME PLASTIC MESH WHICH WRAPPED AROUND THE VEHICLES TIRES AND A WIND GUST OF 73MPH WAS MEASURED AS THE GUSTNADO PASSED BY.
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MAY 22
C KS WE OBSERVED A LONG-LIVED HP SUPERCELL.  PRIOR TO THE DAY, HOWEVER, WE ENCOUNTERED PLENTY OF KS ROAD CONSTRUCTION AS USUAL.  THE IMAGE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
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MAY 23
NE TX PAN AN INCREDIBLE CHASE IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.  WE OBSERVED TWO TORNADOES, POSSIBLY THREE AND SOME INCREDIBLE STORM STRUCTURE FROM MANY DIFFERENT SUPERCELLS IN THE NORTHEASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE.  LATER THAT NIGHT WE OBSERVED 2.25 INCH HAIL NW OF PAMPA, TX.
HP Bad
MAY 24
W OK / NW TX WE WATCHED CONVECTIVE INITIATION OCCUR NEAR THE CDS AREA AND WHEN THINGS APPEARED TO GO DOWN HILL WE DOVE SOUTH AND OBSERVED AN HP SUPERCELL IN DICKENS COUNTY WHICH QUICKLY MOVED EASTWARD.
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MAY 27
W TX ANOTHER INCREDIBLE CHASE WITH TWO TORNADOES OBSERVED, ONE WAS MULTI-VORTEX.  2.75 - 3.00  INCH HAIL WAS OBSERVED WITH A CLEAR SPIKED APPEARANCE.  THREE DIFFERENT SUPERCELLS WERE OBSERVED, ONE EAST OF TUILIA WHICH HAD SOME INCREDIBLE STRUCTURE, THE SECOND NEAR PETERSBURG, TX WHICH PRODUCED GOLF BALL AND THEN BASEBALL SIZED HAIL, AND A THIRD SUPERCELL WEST OF THE SECOND ONE WHICH PRODUCED TWO TORNADOES AND VERY LARGE HAIL.  AT ONE POINT IT APPEARED THAT IT WAS GOING TO PRODUCE A TORNADO AS THE WALL CLOUD APPEARED SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH.   INSTEAD, VERY LARGE HAIL FELL AS IT OCCLUDED.  DAMAGE TO THE INSTRUMENTS WAS MORE THEN ANTICIPATED.
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MAY 28
SW TX SOME HIGH BASED STORMS FORMED, DUE TO LACK OF ROADS AND THE HIGH BASED NATURE OF THE UPDRAFTS, NOTHING INTERESTING WAS OBSERVED.
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JUNE 11
NC KS SIGNIFICANT WINDS OCCURRED ALONG WITH OCCASIONAL AREAS OF MODERATE ROTATION.  AT ONE POINT, MODERATE ROTATION WAS OBSERVED WITH A WEAK MULTIPLE VORTEX DEBRIS CLOUD UNDERNEATH.  OTHER THEN THAT POSSIBLE WEAK TORNADO, MANY GUSTNADOES WERE OBSERVED.
JUNE 12 SW KS / NW OK ANOTHER DAY SIMILAR TO BEFORE, STORMS INITIALLY FORMED NEAR BUFFALO, OK AND QUICKLY BECAME OUTFLOW DOMINANT.   MANY GUSTNADOES WERE OBSERVED ON THE LEADING EDGE OF SOME SIGNIFICANT WINDS.   MANY OF THESE GUSTNADOES WERE BEING REPORTED AS TORNADOES AND LAND-SPOUTS, NOT SO, JUST MERELY GUSTNADOES.  WE OBSERVED SOME WIND DAMAGE ON OUR WAY DOWN TO WATONGA, OK, WHERE WE CALLED IT A DAY.
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JUNE 14
NE NM TWO SUPERCELLS WERE OBSERVED, ONE NEAR MOSQUERO, NM WHICH AT TIMES TRIED TO DEVELOP A WALLCLOUD.  AFTER THAT WEAKENED I MOVED NORTH TO A MORE SIGNIFICANT SUPERCELL NEAR ROY, NM.  MODERATE ROTATION AND SOME AWESOME STRUCTURE WERE OBSERVED.  AS IT PASSED MY ROAD I MEASURED WINDS SUSTAINED AT 68-70MPH WITH A GUST OF 78MPH.  THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY QUARTER SIZED HAIL WHICH COVERED THE GROUND.
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JUNE 15
SW KS / TX PAN JASON POLIETTE AND I OBSERVED A SUPERCELL NEAR GARDEN CITY, KS.  STRONG WINDS AND QUARTER TO GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL, ACCOMPANIED BY VIOLENT ROTATION AND A TORNADO WERE OBSERVED ESE OF ULYSSES, KS.
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JULY 22
OK AN EARLY AFTERNOON GUST FRONT CAME THROUGH NORMAN WITH SOME AMAZING STACKED PLATE STRUCTURE!
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AUGUST 12
SW KS SAW A VERY NICE SUPERCELL WHICH BEGAN WEST OF DDC AND MOVED SE AND THEN DUE SOUTH INTO THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE.   WHEN IT BEGAN MOVING SOUTH IT TOOK ON A STACKED PLATE APPEARANCE.  ALSO WITNESSED MY FIRST AUGUST TORNADO NEAR FLOWLER, KS.  IT WAS VERY WEAK AND CONFIRMED BY SOMEONE 1/2 MILE FROM IT.  A SECOND POSSIBLE SPINUP OCCURRED JUST NORTH OF THE KS BORDER AND MAYBE 50 YARDS FROM ME.  IT WAS AFTER DARK SO ITS UNCONFIRMED FOR NOW BUT DID MAKE SPC STORM DATA.
AUGUST 13 NW TX ORIGINALLY TARGETED SPS BUT SETTLED ON WAURIKA, OK WHICH IS JUST NW OF SPS.  WE THEN QUICKLY DOVE SOUTH TO SPS AND SEYMOUR TO A CLASSIC SUPERCELL WHICH FORMED NEAR SEYMOUR AND MOVED DUE SOUTH AT 20MPH.  WE NEVER CAUGHT UP TO IT.  SO IT WAS MORE OF A BUST AS NOTHING SIGNIFICANT WAS SEEN.  SOME 1 INCH HAIL WAS OBSERVED JUST NORTH OF OLNEY, TX.
AUGUST 17 SC KS CAP HELD, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED
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AUGUST 18
SE NE / NE KS CAP HELD, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED.  WE HUNG OUT IN DAWSON, NE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY.  IMAGE SHOWING SCOTT BLAIR TAKING A STILL OF THE SIGN SHOWING HOW LARGE THE TOWN WAS.
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AUGUST 24
NW OK / C OK ONLY WEAK CONVECTION FORMED ALONG BOUNDARY,  NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED.  IMAGE SHOWS SOME WEAK CONVECTION FORMING ALONG AN OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY TO THE SOUTH NEAR I-40.

SEASON OVER

  Bad year?  Don't think so:  This year may have been slow for tornadoes, but storms were pretty plentiful.  Marginal days that had good structure were what saved the year for me, including the incredible hail event of May 27th.  There were two days I wasn't able to get out which ended up as significant events, that's April 17 W OK LP day and May 7 KS outbreak.  If I were to have been able to chase those days this year would have been even better.  There were some days such as May 15 where things were not conducive for supercells until after dark where a violent mothership supercell formed near Pratt, KS.

Data:  This year I used the laptop connection for mainly sfc and satellite data, as well as local libraries for connections.

Limited in June:  Those that can chase all spring long are very lucky, I hope to have more time and money to do the same after college.  I don't have anymore classes to take in the summer time so I can chase next year in June more.  I don't know if I'll have the money to chase all of June but I'll certainly try to spend less in May.  I did have some decent chases in June when I was able to get free.  I love chasing on the high plains of CO and NM so I certainly hope next year we'll get some action up there.

Chase Buddies:  I chase with a great group of friends and it wouldn't be as fun if they weren't there.   Chasing with company is much more fun then chasing alone.  Here are some of their names and links to their homepages:  Scott Blair  Chris Collura   Scott Currens  Dave Fick  Jeff Gammons  Rob Hall  Jeff Lawson  Amos Magliocco Jason Poliette  and Many others that I was with for a day or two.

 


LAST UPDATE 2007-01-07

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