May 1st, 2008 Kansas Supercells
Last Updated on Monday, 04 January 2010 18:10 Written by Roger Hill
May 1st promised a set up that contained good shear, a sharpening dryline, but questionable moisture. All indications were that storms would form, initially high based, over southeast Kansas and possibly northern Oklahoma. As the evening went on, models showed moisture deepening and storms becoming quite intense. We played the area around Independence, Kansas. By late afternoon, storms formed, a few becoming supercells. They quickly became a cluster of supercells, with embedded mesocyclones, but just couldn't get the job done to produce a tornado. A couple of isolated supercells developed in northern Oklahoma and one produced several tornadoes not far fro Stillwater. However, we just couldn't get there to chase it. Finally after dark, one intense supercell, tornado warned, developed on the tail end of the line of storms near Altoona, Kansas. Photos and video revealed a bowl shaped wall cloud, possible funnel, but nothing could be confirmed touching down. Click on the photo for a larger image.
High based storm becomes supercellular. |
Storm moves north (looking west). |
Another supercell forms and almost produced a tornado. It was tornado warned. |
Nice mamatus, but linear storms. |
Slightly underexposed shot of the beautiful mamatus. |
Final supercell near Altoona, KS had great structure! It was tornado warned too. |
Nice inflow band and visible lowering under the updraft. |
Close up of the bowl shaped wall cloud/funnel. Rapid rotation was occurring within the wall cloud/funnel. |
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