VORTEX2 Media Day, TX/OK Red River Gentleman's Chase

The Naval Post-Graduate School's CIRPAS Radar
(NASA funded, used to coordinate Unmanned Autonomous Systems
i.e. self-guided aerial vehicles, in adverse weather)



Yesterday presented us with an awesome local chase after the fun & informative media day at the National Weather Center, with storms forecast to go up within the extreme instability/moisture axis across south-central OK by mid-late afternoon. For once, the forecast models verified with HUGE supercells forming shortly BEFORE sunset with tops shooting up to 70,000 feet within an environment characterized by 5,500 CAPE!! Many pictures to sort thru, so here's a few of the best:

Howie Bluestein's UMASS Close-Range Tornado Radar


CSWR (Center for Severe Weather Research) Support Vehicles

NSSL mesonet minivans fully equipped & ready to go

Cloud-ground lightning just north of Thakerville, OK (far south-central OK).
It was around 11:15pm & the lightning became constant, with flashes to our north & east.