Tornadoes Kick Storm Chasing

For all of Tony's latest news in weather & chasing!

Fri, February 23, 2007
Texas Panhandle

1630z SPC Outlook: MODERATE

Chase Partners
Verne Carlson
Michael Carlson

McLean, TX Tornado/Funnel (2/23)
Moore County windstorm (2/24)

Seen on...

Chase Miles: 1251
Career Miles:

Storm Intercepts: 2
Tornado Count: 1
Largest Hail: Pea
Flooding: None

Other Chaser Reports
Verne Carlson
Michael Carlson
Brian Emfinger
Charles Edwards
Joey Ketcham
Mike Hollingshead

Tornado Touches Down near McLean, TX.

"I do not have a ton of faith in storms before then. It's possible, but I think a lot of wishcasting is going into tomorrow. We shall see! I'm about to gamble 1500 miles and a couple hundred bucks to find out! LOL"

That was something I posted in my blog Thursday afternoon after replying to a friend of mine who commented on our upcoming chase.

I had never seen a thunderstorm in February, let alone chased one! This first February chase came with a package of a lot of firsts, including my first February tornado which made for the 51st tornado of my career! I left Denver Thursday evening and met Verne and Michael Carlson in Limon where we embarked through very thick fog into Burlington and broke free for the rest of our trip to our overnight stay in Garden City, Kansas. We headed out shortly before noon on Friday and dropped south into Oklahoma and down to I-40 where we shot west towards the Shamrock/McLean areas. Our late initiation time allowed us ample wandering time to enjoy a calmer trip to our target. Storms fired earlier than expected around 5pm and lined up from Hall County, Texas and moved north/northeast towards our location off I-40 at the McLean exit. We sat there for about 45 minutes letting the first storm pass. The second storm would go on to produce one of only a few tornadoes that were reported today. We ventured east on I-40 back into Oklahoma but turned around and headed to Amarillo for the night.

SPC's first Day 1 hinted at big time hail chances! They were later drpped to 40%; we saw pea-sized.

Checking data Thursday night in Garden City; the Goomba, at this time unnamed, would later get its dubbing.

Mr. McLean, named after our tornado, checking out the new Nikon.

Damage leftover from earlier season ice storms. These towers were down east of Garden City on Hwy 50.

Yeah, we're nerds... bite us! LOL

A stop off Hwy 60 north of Arnett when we realized Sprint had good and constant data!

At the Best Western in Shamrock checking higher speed data.

Near an abandoned gas station as storms began to fire; this off I-40 between Shamrock and McLean.

Verne and Michael checking data.

The base of storm number 1.

The updraft of the second storm; we patiently sat at the exit ramp at McLean off I-40.

Verne and Michael bundled up in the cold rain and wind.

I'm not really sure...

"White Lightning" on her first chase of 2007.

The lowering which later dropped our tornado.

COW!!!!

TOUCHDOWN! The first tornado of 2007... in FEBRUARY!!

Video grabs of the funnel as it moved just to the west and north of McLean.

Radar image from the time of the tornado on the StormLab software which I had running on my laptop throughout the chase. I was very impressed with the software's performance throughout the chase.

Chaser Convergence at an abandoned gas station on the north side of I-40 at Sayre.

Aside from my sleeping appearance, not a bad shot of me in the van! (c) Joey Ketcham

Winner winner, steak dinner! At the only place in Texas to eat steak.. the Big Texan in Amarillo!

16oz Strip, Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatos and Gravy, and a yummy roll! Washed down with iced tea!

Here's to the rest of 2007!

Screen caps from The Weather Channel of my video on air.

The trip home was another adventure! Verne and Michael left Amarillo a couple hours before I did and relayed conditions along the route home. They went up through the Panhandles into New Mexico then caught I-25 in Raton back home. Extremely high winds and blowing snow made for a very hazardous trip. Verne and Michael got caught in a ground blizzard on Hwy 87/64 near Des Moines, NM. Fortunately the storm subsided before my arrival a few hours later. I, on the other hand, stopped and shot high wind video along Hwy 87 in Moore County, Texas and in the town of Dumas. Below is the video.

Screen Caps from the Weather Channel of my video being aired.