Potential Severe Weather

Oklahoma County has been placed in a Severe Thunderstorm WATCH area until 10:00 PM. There is currently no severe weather near, or threatening Oklahoma County, however, due to a cold front that is approaching from the northwest, and the presence of significant moisture in central Oklahoma, the possibility of severe thunderstorm development is present. Below is part of the actual WATCH information provided from the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 742
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
200 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

EXTREME NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
SOUTHEAST KANSAS
SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI
CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA
EXTREME NORTHWEST TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 200 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 75
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES NORTH
NORTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI TO 40 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF
WICHITA FALLS TEXAS.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE IN
COVERAGE/INTENSITY ACROSS MO/SE KS AND OK THIS AFTERNOON AS THE LOW
LEVELS CONTINUE TO DESTABILIZE IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT AND
PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH. DEEP LAYER VERTICAL SHEAR IS SOMEWHAT MARGINAL
FOR SUPERCELLS IN THE WARM SECTOR...WHILE MLCAPE VALUES RANGE FROM
2000-3000 J/KG BASED ON SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S WITH
BOUNDARY LAYER DEWPOINTS OF 68-70 F. IT APPEARS THAT LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN SEVERE THREATS THIS AFTERNOON. THE
SEVERE THREAT WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING AND EARLY TONIGHT AS
STORMS GRADUALLY EVOLVE INTO AN EXTENSIVE BAND ALONG THE FRONT AND
SPREAD EWD/SEWD.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 26025.

Flooding Expected in The Central States

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1228 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2008

...CORRECTED SECOND LINE OF THE SYNOPSIS TEXT...

...OCCASIONAL AREAS OF FLOODING RAIN LIKELY THROUGH THE WEEKEND...

.FOR SEVERAL DAYS...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL ANCHOR A MODERATELY
STRONG JET STREAM FROM THE BAJA PENINSULA ACROSS MEXICO...WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA. THE JET STREAM WILL COMBINE WITH A COLD
FRONT...AND DEEP MOISTURE...TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN. THE
AXIS OF GREATEST RAIN WILL LIFT FROM THE RED RIVER TOWARD WESTERN
AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA FROM TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THIS ALONE WILL
RESULT IN SOME FLOODING. THEN THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IKE ARE
EXPECTED TO AFFECT A GOOD PART OF THE REGION BEGINNING LATE
SATURDAY. IKE MAY BRING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH IS CURRENTLY
EXPECTED CLOSE TO AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 44...BUT THIS PATH COULD
CHANGE. THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO WEATHER SYSTEMS MAY PRODUCE
SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OVER A LARGE AREA...AND COULD LINGER INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK.

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-110145-
/O.NEW.KOUN.FA.A.0004.080910T1728Z-080914T1700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-
NOBLE-ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-
BECKHAM-WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-
CLEVELAND-POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-
TILLMAN-COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-
JEFFERSON-CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-
FOARD-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BUFFALO...ALVA...CHEROKEE...MEDFORD...
PONCA CITY...ARNETT...WOODWARD...FAIRVIEW...ENID...PERRY...
CHEYENNE...TALOGA...WEATHERFORD...CLINTON...WATONGA...
KINGFISHER...GUTHRIE...STILLWATER...ELK CITY...SAYRE...CORDELL...
ANADARKO...YUKON...EL RENO...MUSTANG...OKLAHOMA CITY...CHANDLER...
CHICKASHA...PURCELL...NORMAN...MOORE...SHAWNEE...SEMINOLE...
HOLDENVILLE...HOLLIS...MANGUM...HOBART...ALTUS...FREDERICK...
LAWTON...DUNCAN...PAULS VALLEY...SULPHUR...ADA...COALGATE...
WALTERS...WAURIKA...ARDMORE...TISHOMINGO...ATOKA...MARIETTA...
MADILL...DURANT...QUANAH...CHILLICOTHE...CROWELL...VERNON...
WICHITA FALLS...MUNDAY...KNOX CITY...SEYMOUR...ARCHER CITY...
HOLLIDAY...LAKESIDE CITY...HENRIETTA
1228 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2008

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF OKLAHOMA AND NORTHERN TEXAS...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN OKLAHOMA...ALFALFA...
ATOKA...BECKHAM...BLAINE...BRYAN...CADDO...CANADIAN...CARTER...
CLEVELAND...COAL...COMANCHE...COTTON...CUSTER...DEWEY...
ELLIS...GARFIELD...GARVIN...GRADY...GRANT...GREER...HARMON...
HARPER...HUGHES...JACKSON...JEFFERSON...JOHNSTON...KAY...
KINGFISHER...KIOWA...LINCOLN...LOGAN...LOVE...MAJOR...
MARSHALL...MCCLAIN...MURRAY...NOBLE...OKLAHOMA...PAYNE...
PONTOTOC...POTTAWATOMIE...ROGER MILLS...SEMINOLE...STEPHENS...
TILLMAN...WASHITA...WOODS AND WOODWARD. IN NORTHERN TEXAS...
ARCHER...BAYLOR...CLAY...FOARD...HARDEMAN...KNOX...WICHITA AND
WILBARGER.

* THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING

* EXCESSIVE RAIN MAY GRADUALLY LEAD TO WIDESPREAD FLOODING

* GRADUAL ACCUMULATIONS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL BEGIN IN WESTERN NORTH
TEXAS...AND SPREAD NORTH AND EASTWARD ACROSS OKLAHOMA. HEAVY
RAIN MAY PERSIST IN WESTERN AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA INTO THE EARLY
PART OF THE WEEKEND. THEN THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IKE WILL
AFFECT THE REGION BEGINNING LATE SATURDAY. ALTHOUGH THE EXACT
TRACK OF IKE IS UNCERTAIN...IT IS VERY LIKELY TO AFFECT SOME
PARTS OF THE REGION...WITH GREATER ODDS ALONG AND EAST OF A
WICHITA FALLS TO ENID LINE. IKE COULD BRING EXTREMELY HEAVY
RAIN...AND CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP. REMEMBER THAT
WITH ONGOING RAIN...PREPARATIONS OF PROPERTY AND LIVESTOCK MAY
REQUIRE MORE TIME.

Heat Wave To Hit Oklahoma This Weekend

Active Watches and Warnings

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
314 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2008

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-011100-
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-
NOBLE-ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-
BECKHAM-WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-
CLEVELAND-POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-
TILLMAN-COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-
JEFFERSON-CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-
FOARD-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BUFFALO...ALVA...CHEROKEE...MEDFORD...
PONCA CITY...ARNETT...WOODWARD...FAIRVIEW...ENID...PERRY...
CHEYENNE...TALOGA...WEATHERFORD...CLINTON...WATONGA...
KINGFISHER...GUTHRIE...STILLWATER...ELK CITY...SAYRE...CORDELL...
ANADARKO...YUKON...EL RENO...MUSTANG...OKLAHOMA CITY...CHANDLER...
CHICKASHA...PURCELL...NORMAN...MOORE...SHAWNEE...SEMINOLE...
HOLDENVILLE...HOLLIS...MANGUM...HOBART...ALTUS...FREDERICK...
LAWTON...DUNCAN...PAULS VALLEY...SULPHUR...ADA...COALGATE...
WALTERS...WAURIKA...ARDMORE...TISHOMINGO...ATOKA...MARIETTA...
MADILL...DURANT...QUANAH...CHILLICOTHE...CROWELL...VERNON...
WICHITA FALLS...MUNDAY...KNOX CITY...SEYMOUR...ARCHER CITY...
HOLLIDAY...LAKESIDE CITY...HENRIETTA
314 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2008

...HEAT WAVE TO REDEVELOP THIS WEEKEND THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...

MUCH OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS WAS FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE
SOME RAIN DURING THE PASTS 2 TO 3 DAYS. A SHIFT TO EASTERLY WINDS
BROUGHT GREATER HUMIDITY...CLOUD COVER...AND SOMEWHAT LOWER
TEMPERATURES. THIS WEEKEND...HOWEVER...A HEAT WAVE WILL
REDEVELOP...AS A BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE SPILLS OUT OF THE ROCKIES
AND INTO THE PLAINS. AT THE SURFACE...ONE MORE DAY OF LIGHT EAST TO
SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL HELP KEEP TEMPERATURES TOLERABLE...IN THE UPPER
90S TO JUST ABOVE 100 DEGREES. BEGINNING SATURDAY...WINDS WILL TURN
TO THE SOUTHWEST. HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 100 TO 106 DEGREES
FROM SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE MIDDLE TO
UPPER 70S. DECREASING HUMIDITY SHOULD KEEP HEAT INDICES FROM
CLIMBING MUCH HIGHER THAN THE ACTUAL AIR TEMPERATURE...BUT THE
PROLONGED HOT WEATHER WILL GRADUALLY TAKE ITS TOLL ON PEOPLE AND
PETS.

THOSE WORKING OR SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE
FREQUENT BREAKS AND DRINK PLENTY OF CLEAR FLUIDS. CHECK ON RELATIVES
AND NEIGHBORS. THE ELDERLY AND THE VERY YOUNG CAN BE ESPECIALLY
SENSITIVE TO THE HEAT. ALSO...BE SURE OUTDOOR PETS HAVE FRESH WATER
AND A SOURCE OF SHADE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR
FAVORITE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION FOR UPDATES AND POSSIBLE HEAT
ADVISORIES.

Lightning Video

I took this video as the storms were coming in towards the Oklahoma City area. It was still about 10-15 miles away. As you know, it is dark until the lightning flashes so please be patient.

We received high winds, heavy rain and pea size hail. Other parts of the state were not so lucky. See video here.

Short Story-A Tribute To Storm Chasers And Spotters

The Sun, The Rain, The Palm Tree And The Storm Chaser

Up Close And Personal

Heat fills the air as haze covers the expanse of the Tuesday afternoon, summer time, Southwestern Florida sky. Over time, a growing row of heaping cotton ball like cloud formations line up along the distant horizon. Not tolong after this, the sun winds up being completely overtaken by a thickcloud canopy. Once the clouds begin covering it over like a heavy blanket,the smoggy sky is no longer visible either.

Eventually the heat gives way to a cool refreshing breeze that getsstronger with each passing moment. Spits of rain fill the air as the cloudsdarken even more. The more the clouds would build, the harder the windwould blow.

The gathering storm stands as a backdrop to someone waiting poised in the foreground. A brown haired man, wearing a white buttoned up, short sleved shirt and dark blue jeans, with an average build, stands next to a white full size traveling van. He wants to enjoy the sight, but the weather grows too unsafe to stand out in the midst of the action.

"Just a few snapshots, and then I will head inside", The man says tohimself. "Wow! This is better than I thought!" He says out loud as thesky gets swollowed up in a dark shroud of deep blackness. "No time to jotin the notebook, got to get to safety!" he states out loud as the stormgrows larger.

Once inside his house, the man continues watching the sky, waiting with batedbreath for something more to happen. Then in comes the storm like a fraittrain, causing both the pine and palm trees in his backyard to double overto the right. "There she is, the seabreeze boundary formation I've beenwaiting for to arrive!" He says aloud to the world, all the while stillwatching out the window with his brown eyes fixed on the storm brewingoutside.

Then, without warning, the storm stawker comes alive in him as hereaches for his trusty digital camera. "Two more pics, that's all I need!"He thought to himself. Then, as he grabs his last swig of iced tea, he seesa familiar sight.

To his wonder, he spots a long and twisted ropelike image dangling overhis backyard like a carrot hanging suspended in front of a rabbit. "Oh Wow!A Tornado!" He shouted while perched in his livingroom chair. He grabs hisvideo camera this time and heads back outside his house. "It's better to snag moving photography for this instead of taking still pics!" He tells himself.

Just as he begins filming this latest subject, it disappears asfast as it arrives. He wishes it could stay longer, but he knows that the neighbors wouldn't feel the same. "What a strange dilemma!" He thought to himself.

The silence, that fills the air after the storm's passage, is broken up bythe sound of kids crying loudly. He turns his head to the sounds and witnesses a blond haired woman wearing a yellow sun-suit walking around surveying what the storm did to her home. Hee sees the same distruction that this tornado brought forth to them.

Upon seeing this situation at hand, he goes to the sobbing woman tooffer his support. She turns and sees he has a video camera in his lefthand. She gets rather upset and yells at him to leave them alone. "What are you! One of those nutty storm chasers? If you are, then I want you away from me! You people are monsters! You prey off of other people's sufferings!" She exclaimes loudlly.

Our Storm Chaser friend defends his position by stating, "Ma'am, I won't lie to you, In spite of all this, I still enjoy being a storm chaser. I've been through these myself, and I know what they can do. My goal is to educate people on what happens when tornados hit." He states calmly.

In spite of his attempts to comfort her, she didn't want to listen. All she wanted to do was sob. She hangs herhead and walks away from him. After this, he walks back inside his house toupload his catch of the day to his handy laptop.

Storm Chaser Becomes Hurricane Stawker For A Day

The summer storms are long over and boardom has settled in upon ourstorm chaser pal like a heavy mist over the land. Hope seems all but lostuntil one day this same gentleman hears about something that awakens him deep inside his soul. He writes in his journal, "There's a large hurricanenearby, and I'm going Hurricane Hunting with the NHC!" He goes onto write,"Yes, the long hot summer is over and now it's time to focus on what the fall has for us!" He states with much excitement.

Finally, that day arrives! He hops onboard a large jumbo airplane, amilitary style bomber craft. The ride starts out being smooth like silk."Is this the life or what?" He says as he and crew enter the monster fromthe deep. "Whoo-Hoo!" He exclaims.

He, along with the NHC crew, fly up and down through the storm. Theymove around and from side to side through the monster cyclone. After awhile, the ride winds up becoming turbulant and bumpy as they move deeperinto the storm's center.

He states on his video recording, "We're hitting large updrafts as weapproach the hurricane's narrow eye-wall area. Now we are flying through thestorm's calm eye. What an incredible stadium look to this eye-wall structure! There's a part of me that's wishing I could push it away from Florida's mainland, and yet I wish this storm would hit our area hard at the same time. Even if the storm never hits land, I'll at least have the memory of the event forever in my mind."

Winter's Pain With Hidden Bliss

Now that summer's long gone, and the temps are much more bearable, theweather will be less active right? Wrong! Our storm chaser friend has beenscanning the weather service forecast data for more possible action. "A storm chaser's work is never done, even if you're sitting in your home office with the windows open and a nice breeze blowing in off the Gulf of Mexico." He states.

While scanning the weather information, he spots something that catches his attention. "Woo! Looks as if North Florida will be seeing some convective action in the next day or so. If I start early, I can be there in time." He says with great assurance.

After carrying out his scanning duties, hedecides to begin the doting task of packing. He grabs plastic storagecontainers that are filled with video discs and places them in the back seatof his van. Then it's off to the closet to pack some essentials. Once the travel bag had been closed up, now it was time to gather up things like thedigital camera, movie camera, laptop computer, portable GPS tracker, Doppler radar scope and weather scanner. "Looks like we have a date with destiny!" He thought.

After a bit of time on his traveling journey, our storm chaser fellow is beginning to take notice of the surrounding area. He thinks to himself, "It's early evening in mid February, and The sun is slowly setting behind a thin cap of high clouds. The air is unusually warm and moist as well." After noticing this, he pullsover to the side of the road to jot notes in his log.

He writes, "Rising deep level moisture, Giving way to uppper level cold top layers, Marked by high Cirrus, with lower strato-cumulus undercasting. Southwesterly low level wind, with reports of upper level Northwesterly winds from approaching cold front. Southeasterly shear at mid levels... Looks like all conditions are just right for quite a severe weather situation."

After writing in his journal, he starts off to the main location ofgreatest concern. Upon arriving to where the Storm Prediction Center indicates the heart of convection, he decides to stop off somewhere for dinner. "I'll take another look at the map data once I get inside the diner." He says to himself.

A tiny, dimly lit eating area sits quietly on the street corner close to the main highway. This nearly empty diner's interior was bathed in shades of tans and browns. The only people there, other than a young teenage waiter, were afamily of six. A Mother, Father and four children. This family remindedhim of the families he's grown up with while living in the Mid West.

This young waiter brings our storm chaser friend a menu. While he's taking the order down, he stares glumly as he watches this storm chaser looking constantly at his radar scanner. Meanwhile, our storm chaser friend winds up reminiscing about a past long ago left behind as he carries out his tasks. "Nothing showing up yet, but it will be soon.. After all, the heavier cloud bank is now rolling in from the northwest." He thought.

As the waiter is taking his order, a loud, blaring sound could be heardfrom somewhere in the back of the diner. The young fellow quickly grabs hisnotepad and leaves the dining area. At this point, our storm chaser friendis jotting down more notes in his log. "Is that a NOAA radio I hear? Yes,because the NWS is speaking something! Also, the signal going off, it came from a NOAA weather alert radio!"

The waiter returns with some water and iced tea on his carrying tray. "Sir, we are under a Tornado Watch until 1:00 a.m. local time." Said the waiter frantically.

Our Storm Chaser buddy states the following, "I just saw that on my NWS tracker. I'm a storm chaser, storm spotter and meteorologist, and new this wascoming. I've been following these storms, especially tornados, for quite a long time now. It looks like trouble, so I'd stay up on the weather if I were you." The conversation abruptly ends when the waiter looks at him with a blank stair, and then walks off to check on his meal.

A Chance Incounter

While he, that is our storm chaser pal, awaits the arrival of his meal, he sits watching this young family of six. He's also thinking about how his inspiration to follow after storms came from a lecture he'd heard in school as a child. He jots in his journal, "I'm sitting here in this diner, and while I wait for dinner to arrive, I'm looking at this beautiful family sitting across the room from me. They seem to be so wrapped up in their own little world, that I don't think they know about the bad weather to come. Perhaps I should warn them!"

Before the waiter brings along the meal, our storm chaser friend decides to go over and introduce himself. "Hello there!" He states with a friendly voice.

This fine family stops their conversation to return the salutation. "Why hello to you too! Are you from around here?"

Well, I'm from the Tampa Bay area, but I'm originally from Saint Louis, Missouri. My name is Andrew and I am a storm chaser and spotter."

They chat for a time until Andrew's meal arrives. He walks away, but not without sheding a tear. He thinks, "Oh, that poor fellow! I wonder if he still thinks about his family?"

After having a wonderful, but filling dinner, our storm chaser buddy isoff to chase the skies of north Florida. "Let's see what we can find! Ithink we'll find much because much will happen!"

After darkness settles in for the night, Andrew steps into his van and scans the portable Doppler for precipitation echos. Sure enough, hefinds them. The bad news is they've been gathering up in an area that issouth of his current location.

He then says to himself, "I've gotta step on it so I can get to thosestorms before they pass me by!" "Maybe there will be a large tornado that Ican study this time. No, but I just hope it stays away from towns along theway." He says.

Just in front of him, in a baby blue SUV, rides the family that had been in the diner with him. They were seemingly heading in the same direction as himself. He thinks that to be rather interesting. Oh, but of course, he keeps thinking about that fellow that spoke at his Saint Louis grade school, wondering all the while how this fellow is holding up these days.

Hitting The Jackpot!

While this is taking place, he's listening to his NOAA radio scanner forupdates. He's driving south, in the hopes of staying ahead of theapproaching squall line. Instead, he discovers that the line is moving faster than he is.

Before he knows it, splotches of water start forming on his windshield. As time went along, the rain began to get heavier. Then, out of the blue, aflash of pink lightning splits the darkness of the night sky. "Wow! Lookslike the storm's on it's way!" He thought.

He pulls over to the side of the road to check his Doppler radar scope. Looking down, he sees a large and growing mass of deepening convection. He pulls out his notebook and begins jotting down more information.

He writes, "Deepening storm cell just to the southwest of my current location...Looking at Doppler radar and seeing supercell growth with a growing spiral like circulation. That cell is certain to have a tornado at it's southern portion for sure!"

At this point, he steps on the gas and heads southwest to meat up withthe approaching storm. As he does, the rain gets heavier. Small pellits ofhail begin pelting the van, creating a tinging sound as they hit. Moreflashes of bright lightning begin to happen in more frequent spirts, bustingthrough the night like darts of fiery white light.

Beyond the lightning, and all the rain, something rare pops up in thesky justin front of him. His brown eyes darken as he watches this strangesight. "Oh boy! It's a Wall Cloud! We're in business now!" He exclaimes.

It seems like, but for just a moment, that things were calming down atad. He knows though, this is just the beginning of things to come. "It's only a matter of time before a tornado touches down!" He thought.

He stops the van and steps out to begin his surveying of the situation. Then suddenly, he begins noticing several things. First, he takes note of the utter calmness around himself. Secondly, his eyes were fixated on how the lightning had changed from a cloud-to-ground form, to a "streaking within the clouds" pattern. Then last, but not least, he begins feeling super heated air rising up around himself. He jumps backward from it, knowing what that means, and what would happennext.

Sure enough, there formed in front of him, a spiraling dustcloud. Thistime, instead of reaching for his notebook, he grabs his video camera. While he's filming this, a swirling gust of wind pushes him against his van. Unphased by this minor setback, he continues filming this vortex as it slowlygathers strength.

He stands by and watches as the funnel gets larger. As it does, smallerfunnels break away from the larger structure. Then it begins movingnortheast inside the squall line, which has otherwise thinned out in otherlocations.

Tracking this was rather easy for him. Just another typical supercellstorm. He travels northeast, following the tornado as it tears up the ground beneeth it. "The travel time of this tornado was nearly 5 minutes! Wow!" He thought. While following this massive storm, he calls in to report to the NWS what was happening.

After a while, he lost track of it. This was due to it's jumping overthe roadway and reforming away from his present location. He'd have to runafter it and try to catch up with it on foot, which would be animpossibility. All he could do at this point is take what he had and headhome.

The Lesson From The Journey

The next morning, he awakens to learn that ten souls were lost in thevery tornado he had been chasing. The words shoot from his four speaker audio system stereo like daggers stabbing him in his heart. Tears wind up running down his face as the announcer speaks.

He thinks to himself, "I am a storm chaser, but I'm not a heartlessmonster like my nextdoor neighbor thinks I am. I just want to help educatefolks, not hurt them. I do more than chase storms anyways! Besides, I'm doing this for the man that spoke at my school. Well, we've got to do what we've got to do, no matterwhat!"

After arriving back home later on that day, he uploads all the pics andvideo shots to his laptop. He crops, records and saves all the footage,carefully preserving every detail. All the while thinking about those tensouls that parished in the storm, the family from the diner and the fellow that spoke before his grade school science class.

So, as he always does, he dedicates his DVD to those that were lost tothe very tornado he chased after. All the while hoping that other lives would be saved in the future.

NWS Festival Coming plus Weather 100 Years Ago

NWS Norman News

2007 National Weather Festival (9/1/2007 2:00 pm CDT) The Norman Chamber of Commerce's Weather Committee will host the 3rd Annual National Weather Festival from 9 am to 1 pm CDT on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the National Weather Center, 120 David L. Boren Blvd., in Norman, Oklahoma. The free public event will feature tours, children's activities, a storm chaser car show, displays by local businesses, weather-related seminars, Science on a Sphere, and hourly weather balloon launches. More information is available here.

Oklahoma will celebrate its 100th anniversary of statehood on November 16, 2007. In anticipation of the upcoming anniversary, the National Weather Service is looking back at the significant impact weather has played in the state's first 100 years. From devastating tornadoes to crippling ice storms, from drought and the dust bowl years to floods, Oklahoma's weather is always changing, and always a topic of conversation. Join us as we look back at 100 years of Oklahoma's fascinating weather.

NWS Norman would like to thank the Oklahoma Climatological Survey for their data and assistance in compiling this historical data. We would also like to express our appreciation to the Oklahoma Historical Society for the use of their facilities and historical records. For more information about the Oklahoma Centennial celebration, visit the Oklahoma Centennial web site.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oklahoma Weather Conditions 100 Years Ago for


September 24, 1907

Late September was a dry period across Oklahoma and the Indian territories, and September 24th was no exception. No rain was reported across the region. Afternoon highs once again climbed into the 90s at most locations.



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Oklahoma Weather History during the Past 100 Years for


September 24

In 1992, a total of 16 tornadoes occurred during the entire month of September. This was the largest number of tornadoes occurring during the month of September in the latter half of the 20th century.

Flooding at Lake Overholser Dam in OKC 8-21-07

Even though the flood gates were open, the water flowed over the dam due to the "tropical storm" remnants of Hurricane Erin. Note the fence being washed away along the sidewalk.

Weather Post From Central Oklahoma

From:  Bonnie (stormspotter)

 

September 6, 2007

 

The National Weather Service said remnants of Hurricane Henriette and a cold front are on track to merge over the state on Friday and possibly dump a lot of water on the region before moving east.

Southwestern Oklahoma received a taste of things to come Thursday evening, when severe thunderstorms moved into the area from the Texas Panhandle. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Beckham, Greer, Harmon and Washita counties for storms packing 65-mph winds and nickel-sized hail.

Elsewhere, skies were partly cloudy and temperatures ranged from 88 degrees in Muskogee to a blistering 102 degrees in Guymon. The mercury peaked at 91 degrees in Bartlesville and Tulsa and hit 92 degrees in Oklahoma City and Ponca City, forecasters said.

The heavy rain makes flooding and flash-flooding a real possibility over the weekend, forecasters said, and another approaching storm system expected by Monday could exacerbate the situation.

Skies should be mostly cloudy through Saturday with thunderstorms likely Friday and Saturday. Highs should reach the 80s and 90s on Friday and cool into the 80s on Saturday. Lows should dip into the 60s and 70s both nights, according to weather service forecasts.

A chance of storms will linger into Sunday and Monday, with temperatures holding in the 80s both days and lows in the 50s and 60s expected.

Skies should turn partly cloudy by Tuesday, with temperatures peaking in the 70s and 80s before ranging from the upper 40s in the northwest to the lower 60s in the southeast.