Our group intercepted at least 3 distinctive tornadoes on a cell at the tail end of a line south of Ellsworth, Kansas. This day started in Pratt, dropped into Oklahoma where we raced east back to I-35 through Wakita and stopped for a lunch break at one of my favorite truck stops in tornado alley (Newton’s truck stop). We emerged from lunch under the same crud we went in under, but not all hope was lost. We decided to get a head start heading home, but notice a sharpening dryline forming west of I-135. Storms started firing along this line and moved north/northeast. The first cell went tornado warned and showed little signs of organization as I gave my first of two live reports to KWCH on the day.
Tail-end Charlie! We shot south on K-14 through Lyons and Sterling and continued south beyond K-96. Along the way, the southern storm began its well documented life where the first tornado briefly touched down with a well defined funnel overhead. We continued south where we positioned ourselves to the immediate east of the meso where a second dusty tornado developed. It passed to our south as we deployed next to a yard full of goats and sheep.
The third tornado came about 15 minutes later as overhead circulation drew up a dusty swirl which crossed the road to our immediate west. The storm became outflow dominate shortly thereafter and we gave chase for a bit before parking on the side of the road, letting the chaser circus clear out and reveled in another successful venture!
As we headed south to join what Tim dubbed the gravy train (chaser circus), we catch the first of our three tornadoes. Our vantage point didn’t confirm touchdown as we were blocked by tree, but other chasers in the area confirmed a dust swirl beneath this funnel.
A new funnel developed, and the circulation was pretty much overhead as we moved south of Sterling to get into position to deploy. We’ve coordinated with the DOWs and TIV at this point in the chase and Tim gets us into position to make his drop.
DEBRIS! Tornado #2 on the ground to our immediate west.
Larger dust swirl as the tornado approaches. Off to the right of this shot is a field full of goats and sheep who were making all kinds of baaaing noises. They ran from one side of the yard to the other as this approached. We go jumping back in the van as the circulation closes within a couple hundred feet. Tim drops the probe and we move 1/8 mile north.
That tornado would soon dissipate to our east, and shortly thereafter, a third forms briefly a few miles east of the second tornado. It crosses the road less than 1/4 mile to our west.
The trip home was an adventure in itself… the snowstorm which hit the eastern Plains made the I-70 venture from Limon to Deer Trail one to remember. Snow, wind, and fog created extremely difficult driving conditions and had I-70 westbound down to one land due to blowing snow. We saw at least 4 jack-knifed semis and half a dozen other vehicles in the ditches on the side of the road. I couldn’t stop to take film because it wasn’t safe to stop anywhere. Obviously we made it home safely, but the winter experience set us back about 30 to 45 minutes which put me home in Lakewood shortly before 3:30 in the morning.3White Lightning
