Chase 2 - April 25th, 2005

April 25th, 2005

SPC Risk: SLIGHT - VERIFICATION
Chasers: (Car 1: Dean S, Stuart C, Huy N) (Car 2: Reed T, Joel T, Ken C, Dave H)
Target: Hillsboro, TX
Miles Logged: 641.0
Largest Hail: 1.25 inch
Tornadoes: none (one brief funnel cloud)

Synopsis/Chase (courtesy of Stuart Coombs):
After looking at the morning guidance, the decision was made to head south to the area southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Looking at model guidance this area was likely to see a good return of gulf moisture by the afternoon and have sufficient solar heating after morning thunderstorm activity cleared to the east. In addition high wind shears were likely to enhance storm rotation - allowing for a tornado threat.

We travelled south along I35 and I35 west skirting the western side of the Metroplex before heading to the library at Hillsboro. Here we checked the latest radar imagery and saw storms were firing along a line not far to the west as we expected. We decided to head northwest along route 171 towards Cleburne in order to intercept the path of the most promising looking storm. We stopped along the highway near Cleburn with the rapidly intensifying storm to our west.

Skies darkened and the lightning became frequent and close as the storm produced a violent microburst to the west with dramatic rolling scud clouds and and ominously lowering wall cloud. As rain commenced and the wind picked up we headed south to Cleburne and then east/northeast towards Keene to parallel the storm.

We paused to examine cloud bases at Keene. As we filmed the base above us began to spin and gradually the rotation became faster and centred on a lowering in the wall cloud above us. At around this time the weather service issued a tornado warning for the storm over Keene. We headed northeast towards Alvarado. It was between Keene and Alvarado that we ran head long into the core of the storm which pelted us with hail up to 1 1/4 inches across and forced us off the road briefly to shelter. The hail fell with such intensity as to cover the road and surrounds, with more than two feet of rapidly flowing ice topped water in the drainage ditch at the side of the road. Dean fought to keep us on the road as winds increased to near 60 mph and visibility dropped to a hundred feet or less.

On reaching Alvarado the rain ceased again and once again lowered ragged clouds hung above us locally spinning ominously. Just as we got there the weather service issued a second tornado warning for Alvarado. We then headed south along the I35 west towards Grandview at which point we turned east northeast onto a local farm road. As we followed the storm at this point the large hail and torrential rain returned and the wind again reached 60 mph. We reached a crossroad and headed southeast out of the core again and came into Maypearl. At Maypearl lowerings were again evident and rotation was visible. Just as we reached Maypearl the weather service issued another tornado warning - you guessed it - for Maypearl. We headed off to the northeast on route 66. Just before reaching the I35 east we again slammed into the core and this time visibility was so bad that we lost sight of Reed's group in front of us even though they were only about 15 feet away. Fog had developed with the hail and rain.

We turned into I35 east and headed south. Groups of motorists were sheltering under overpasses (an unsafe thing to do) - especially since the weather service had just issued a tornado warning for Waxahachie only 4 miles to the north. We headed south encountering clear air again and then headed east northeast through the town of Italy back toward the storm - however a BRIDGE OUT sign and evidence that the storm was weakening made us turn back - after we had watched it produce one final wall cloud and a rapidly spinning funnel that got a third of the way to the ground before becoming rain wrapped and weakening. We then headed southwest to target another storm which was approaching from the west, but by the time we were in position it was clear that this storm was collapsing. A decision was taken to head for home. We stopped in at GOOD EATS (which really were) near Denton and had a great dinner. Our little convoy then headed north into Oklahoma with a lovely evening display of lightning to the east - the storm clouds lit by the rising moon. We arrived back in Norman around 11pm having been battered around but with our windscreens thankfully intact and our videos and cameras full of images from a fun chase day - even if no tornadoes were observed.