STORM DOCUMENTATION - 2005
© Copyright 2005 Eric Nguyen
 
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SEASON SUMMARY:   This was a very big year for me.  Lots of tornado, structure, and lightning stills were added to my collection.  Once again, June has become a life saver as May didn't go so well.  Unfortunately I was without my chase vehicle early-on due to a major accident that occurred the first week of April (was the other drivers fault).  So I didn't take my van out once, but instead had to find other means.  Luckily I was able to get a replacement from my parents while my vehicle was under repair.  The vehicle has since been retired.
 
The cost of storm observing has gone up, both in gas prices and hotel prices.  It was very rare for us to find a hotel under $50, so often times we had 2-3 to a room to share costs.  I look at the future with some concern as to how much chasing is going to cost.  Gas and hotel prices seem to be on the rise with no end in site.  This will likely result in less chasers in the upcoming years.
 
It's always more fun when your among friends, especially on bust days when there's nothing to do.  As always, I enjoyed chasing with Amos Magliocco, Scott Blair, Scott Currens, Jason Poliette, Jeff Lawson, Chris Collura, Jeff Gammons, Dave Fick, Scott Eubanks, Bob Fritchie, and Rachael Sigler.   Some new friends that I had a blast hanging out with and hope to see in the future include Tony Laubach, Dan Robinson, Kurt Hulst, Nick Grillo, Jon Van de Grift, and Verne Carlson.   There are more but I can't think of all of their names.
 
 
DATE AREA OBSERVATIONS
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 N OK SCOTT CURRENS AND I OBSERVED TWO TORNADOES EAST OF DRIFTWOOD, OK, ALONG THE KS/OK BORDER.
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 W & C KS SCOTT CURRENS, AMOS MAGLIOCCO, AND MYSELF OBSERVED A WEAK TORNADO WEST OF SCOTT CITY, KANSAS.  LATER WE OBSERVED 4 MORE TORNADOES NEAR HAYS, KANSAS, ALONG I70.
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April 21
 SE KS / MO SCOTT AND I OBSERVED A SUPERCELL THAT OCCASIONALLY HAD STRONG CLOUD BASE ROTATION AND FUNNELS.   ONE FUNNEL WAS A LARGE CONE THAT WAS 3/4 TO THE GROUND.
April 25
 N TX SCOTT AND I OBSERVED A MARGINAL THUNDERSTORM IN WISE AND COOKE COUNTIES.  LATER ON WE OBSERVED A SHORT-LIVED ROTATING SEVERE STORM NORTH OF ARDMORE.  NOTHING SIGNIFICANT WAS OBSERVED.
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May 7
 S SD STORMS WERE FAST MOVING AND BRIEFLY SIGNIFICANTLY SEVERE.  WE DID LUCK OUT WITH AN AMAZING MAMMATUS DISPLAY AT SUNSET NEAR O'NEIL, NEBRASKA.  WE ALSO GOT TO SEE A "HAIL CANNON" IN ACTION NEXT TO A GREEN HOUSE IN O'NEIL.
May 8 S KS / N OK WE TARGETED S KS ALONG THE DRYLINE AND WENT AFTER A STORM THAT WAS BRIEFLY SEVERE WARNED IN N OK.   IT SLOWLY DISSIPATED AT SUNSET.
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May 11
 SW NE WE OBSERVED A ROTATING LP EARLY ON AS WELL AS SOME GOLF BALL HAIL WITH A NORTHWARD MOVING CELL.   AFTER THAT, A BIG GRUNGE FEST ALONG THE WARM FRONT.
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 W TX WE GOT ON THE SUPERCELL EAST OF PLAINVIEW, TX.  GRAPEFRUIT SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM EARLY ON.  WE OBSERVED 4 TORNADOES NEAR LONE STAR, TX, AND WE OBSERVED BASEBALL SIZED HAIL AS WELL.
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 NW TX INITIALLY A STORM THAT WAS CLASSIC QUICKLY TURNED INTO A SOUTHEAST MOVING HP.  WE ENCOUNTERED SOME GOLF BALL HAIL WITH THIS STORM, HOWEVER THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY WAS THE AMAZING STRUCTURE!
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 NM THIS WAS A TRAVEL DAY TO NM, HOWEVER WE DID VENTURE OUT TO A 70DBZ CELL THAT HAD A BUNCH OF SMALL HAIL IN IT, ENOUGH TO COVER THE GROUND WITH 1.5 INCHES OF SMALL HAIL.
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May 15
 NM MUSHY CONVECTION, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED.
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 S NE OUTFLOW DOMINANT LINE OF CONVECTION FROM LBF TO THE KS/NE STATE LINE.  MANY GUSTNADOES WERE OBSERVED, AND SOME HAD CLOUD BASE ROTATION ABOVE THEM AHEAD OF THE GUST FRONT.
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 SE KS STORMS BRIEFLY TOOK ON AN HP STRUCTURE AND QUICKLY DEVELOPED INTO AN MCS WITH GOOD GUST FRONT STRUCTURE.   THE LIGHTNING AND WIND WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY AS WE SHOT A LOT OF LIGHTNING STILLS.  WE ENCOUNTERED 60MPH SUSTAINED GUST TO 68MPH WINDS SOUTH OF I-35 NORTHEAST OF EMPORIA, KS.  THE RESULT WAS SEMI-TRUCKS BEING BLOWN OVER ON THE HIGHWAY, SHUTTING DOWN THE EAST BOUND SIDE, AND A TRAIN DERAILMENT.
May 19 NE OK WAITED FOR STORMS TO FIRE NEAR THE TULSA AREA.  CLEAR SKY BUST.
May 21 SE NE NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED - STORMS DID NOT FIRE IN TARGET
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May 22
 NE PAN NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED - STORMS DID NOT FIRE IN TARGET.  WE DID HOWEVER OBSERVED SOME NUCLEAR SILOS, WHICH UPON VISITING ONE, WE WERE APPROACHED BY A BLACK SUV WITH TWO GUYS IN CAMO.  WE WERE ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING OUT THERE AND TO LEAVE THE SITE.  WE ALSO GOT TO OBSERVE THE TALLEST POINT IN NEBRASKA.
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May 23
 CO STORMS FIRED AND WERE ELEVATED, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED.
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May 24
 CO OBSERVED A SUPERCELL IN NE CO THAT DEVELOPED A VERY IMPRESSIVE WALLCLOUD WITH VAULT STRUCTURE UNTIL WE GOT STUCK ON A BAD ROAD.
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May 25
 NM VERY IMPRESSIVE SUPERCELL SW / S OF SPRINGER, NM, WEST OF I25.  PRODUCED SEVERAL WALLCLOUDS BUT NO TORNADO OCCURRED.
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 NM WE OBSERVED A LONG-LIVED SUPERCELL FROM LAS VEGAS, NM, TO VAUGHN, NM.  IT PRODUCED SEVERAL WALLCLOUDS AND HAD GREAT STRUCTURE.  NEAR I40 WE MEASURED 34KT INFLOW AS A WALLCLOUD RAPIDLY DEVELOPED AND EVENTUALLY GOT UNDERCUT.  WE ENTERED THE HAIL CORE ON I40 AND RECEIVED A BUNCH OF QUARTER TO HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL WHICH WAS REPORTED AS GOLFBALL.
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May 28
 NE CO NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED, STORMS WERE BRIEFLY SUPERCELLULAR BEFORE GUSTING OUT.
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 E CO WE INITIALLY TARGETED SHERIDAN LAKE ASSUMING STORMS WOULD INITIATION OFF THE MOUNTAINS NEAR LIMON AND MOVE SE.  INSTEAD, STORMS FIRED FURTHER WEST AND SLOWLY MOVED OFF THE MOUNTAINS.   WE MADE OUR WAY UP TO THE LIMON SUPERCELL AND SAW A WALLCLOUD WITH CLOUD BASE ROTATION.  TYPICAL HP JUNK BELOW, BUT ABOVE CLOUD BASE, THE STRUCTURE WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.  I BLASTED EAST TO STAY WELL AHEAD OF IT TO DO STRUCTURE STILLS.   CERTAINLY THE BEST COLORADO SUPERCELL STRUCTURE I'VE EVER SEEN.
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 CO TARGETED LIC TO DEN FOR SUPERCELLS VIA UPSLOPE.  A STORM FIRED 5 MILES TO MY SW NEAR DENVER AND RAPIDLY BECAME A SUPERCELL WITH STRONG CLOUD BASE ROTATION.  SEVERAL FUNNELS WERE OBSERVED AT CLOSE RANGE AND AT ONE POINT, IT APPEARED A BRIEF SPINUP MAY HAVE OCCURRED.   GIVING THE SHORT DURATION OF THESE FUNNELS, NO TORNADOES WERE OBSERVED.  THE STORM BECAME HP EARLY ON WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO GET IN A SAFE VIEWING AREA.

June 4

 NE KS TARGET WAS JUNCTION CITY, KS.  STORMS FIRED NEAR MANHATTAN AND MOVED NE.  WE FLANKED THE STORM SOUTH OF HIAWATHA, KS, AND NOTED HOW POORLY ORGANIZED THE STORM WAS VISUALLY AND ON RADAR.  UPDRAFT WAS HIGH BASED, GETTING UNDERCUT, AND INFLOW WAS CALM.  5-7 MINUTES AFTER WE LEFT IT, IT PRODUCED A TORNADO.  AFTER THAT, NOTHING OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE WAS OBSERVED.
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 SW SD OBSERVED A LONG-LIVED SUPERCELL AND A TORNADO NEAR WANBLEE, SD.  STRUCTURE AFTER THAT WAS AMAZING WITH EDDIES EMBEDDED IN THE STRIATIONS!
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 NW KS TORNADO OUTBREAK DAY.  SCOTT BLAIR AND I OBSERVED A LONG-LIVED TORNADIC SUPERCELL NEAR HILL CITY, KANSAS AND ANOTHER TORNADIC SUPERCELL NEAR ELLIS, KANSAS.  WE OBSERVED 8 DIFFERENT TORNADOES INCLUDING A WEDGE IN THE CITY OF HILL CITY, KS.

June 10

 TX PAN STORMS RAPIDLY MERGED INTO AN MCS, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED.
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 TX PAN WE OBSERVED 4 TORNADOES ON ONE LONG-LIVED TORNADIC SUPERCELL NEAR WAYSIDE, TX.  MAJOR FLOODING WAS OBSERVED AFTER THE WAYSIDE SUPERCELL WENT OFF THE CAPROCK.
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 W TX WE OBSERVED TWO LONG-LIVED TORNADIC SUPERCELLS NEAR JAYTON, TX.  6 TORNADOES WERE OBSERVED AS WELL AS SOME INCREDIBLE STRUCTURE.

June 13

 C OK STORMS QUICKLY WENT LINEAR, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT OBSERVED.
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June 26
 N SD SCOTT BLAIR AND I OBSERVED A TORNADIC SUPERCELL NEAR THE SD / ND BORDER.  WE OBSERVED TWO WEAK TORNADOES IN SD AND A CONE TORNADO IN ND.  PHOTOS DIDN'T COME OUT WELL AS IT WAS TOO DARK AND RAINY AT TIMES.  IMAGE SHOWS A STRONG WRAPPED UP MESO.  OUR ORIGINAL TARGET WAS WEST OF MACINTOSH, SD, WHERE WE SAT ALL DAY, HOWEVER DUE TO NO BRIDGES CROSSING THE LAKE SPANNING CENTRAL ND, WE OPTED TO CHASE THE STUFF BACK TO OUR SE.  A LONG-LIVED TORNADIC SUPERCELL DEVELOPED IN OUR TARGET AND DRIFTED NORTH TOWARDS BISMARCK, 15 DIFFERENT TORNADOES WERE REPORTED.
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June 28
 NW SD WE OBSERVED THREE LP SUPERCELLS, IN NW SD NEAR THE MT BORDER.  IMAGE SHOWS SCOTT BLAIR AND KURT HULST SHOOTING STILLS / VIDEO.
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June 29
 MN WE OBSERVED A LONG-LIVED SUPERCELL NEAR I-90 AND A TORNADO NEAR WINDOM, MN.
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August 24
 NW OK AMOS AND I OBSERVED TWO SUPERCELLS NEAR ENID WITH DECENT STRUCTURE.  WE ALSO ENCOUNTERED SOME STRONG WINDS (NON-SEVERE) INCLUDING A HEATBURST.  DURING A BRIEF PERIOD WE OBSERVED A FUNNEL UNDER A ROTATING WALLCLOUD JUST SOUTH OF ENID AT WHICH TIME HAD A TVS ON RADAR.   STORMS EVENTUALLY GOT UNDERCUT AT SUNSET.
END OF SEASON    

 

LAST UPDATE 06/10/2008

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