We started off our day in Salina, KS and were faced with the decision to either start visiting Army/Air Force base and drive less...or travel all the way down to storms that were forecast to fire in northeast Texas. The storms ultimately looked promising, so we got back on the road. We were targeting an area northeast of Dallas and took a more eastern route to try and stay ahead of massive amounts of rain. Unfortunately, it started raining near Oklahoma City, and it rained...and rained...and rained. In Bogata, TX, we finally emerged from the downpours and were treated to a well-organized mesocyclone. Much to our surprise, this storm had beautiful structure and a distinct, rotating wall cloud yet no warnings had been issued. We followed this storm east for a little while before it began weakening. Throughout the day, we saw three additional storms, each with picturesque, low-hanging mesocyclones. Still, we seemed to be a step behind most of the day, as each of these storms was generally weakening by the time we arrived. We eventually decided to call it a day and stay in Greenville, TX. On our way (four miles west of Winnsboro, TX), we saw impressive tornado damage that had occurred earlier in the day. Numerous, large trees had been snapped in half, and sheds and other structures not securely grounded were largely destroyed. Fortunately, the homes themselves seemed relatively unscathed, but seeing such large trees entirely destroyed was a stark reminder of how powerful these storms can be.
Dr. Kalkstein gives a quick lesson on stability on the way to our target in northeast Texas.
Surprisingly well-organized supercell near Bogata, TX. This storm was not severe-warned despite a clear, rotating wall cloud and some beautiful structure.
One of the four mesocyclones we observed for the day.
Our position just south of a tornado-warned, but weakening supercell near Pittsburg, TX.
