Cyclic Tornadic Supercell // West Texas & Far Eastern New Mexico // 5 June 2025

 Overnight convection left a pronounced outflow boundary draped across West Texas and Eastern New Mexico by mid to late morning of June 5th. I recognized that possible scenario the day before, and thus drove all night from Omaha to the Texas Panhandle, slept a few hours along an I-40 rest stop, and then made my way to a spot southwest of Lubbock by midday. Rich moisture with boundary layer mixing ratios exceeding 15 g/kg were present across West Texas and eastern portions of New Mexico, pooling along the outflow boundary that was reinforced by differential heating via stratus to the north and sunshine to the south. The exceptional moisture and steep midlevel lapse rates yielded large MLCAPE values, while low-level southeasterlies beneath 50+ kt upper-level west-southwesterlies made supercells all but guaranteed. That mode of convection combined with enhanced near-surface horizontal vorticity along the outflow boundary favored an elevated risk of tornadoes.

I noticed a deepening zone of cumulus in visible satellite imagery west of the TX/NM border, which was also in a spot favored for convective initiation in the HRRR. I thus began driving northwest, and as I approached Lingo, New Mexico, an incipient supercell began to emerge with an incredible anvil forming above a vertically towering column of buoyant white updraft. The base soon came into view and a broad bowl shaped wall cloud was present. Tornadogenesis seemed imminent, and sure enough, an occlusion took place and a brief tornado developed. I then followed the storm east-southeast and watched it occlude several more times. Landspouts, gustnadoes, and possibly an additional weak mesocyclonic tornado were observed. Then, as the storm and a massive caravan of chasers approached Morton, Texas, several zones of low-level updraft rotation began to consolidate immediately north of HWY 114. A classic low-level mesocyclone and wall cloud formed, which I viewed from the south, and beneath the wall cloud, a cloud of thick dust was rotating violently, and quickly contracted into a large tornado. The low-level structure was fantastic, and the lighting was excellent, which made for great photography.

After the large tornado, the supercell turned into a giant vacuum cleaner, sucking in huge quantities of Texas dust. Viewing a tornado under those conditions was impossible, so I settled for some structure photography from time to time. I then entered the west side of Lubbock, which was unnerving, as a potentially tornadic supercell boxed me in to the west, and a dense urban environment was present to the east. I thus decided to race east across Lubbock ahead of the approaching storm. I found an elevated position overlooking downtown to my west. This is when additional tornadoes formed along the western periphery of Lubbock, which I could not view due to darkness setting in under the storm. Nevertheless, the updraft structure did not disappoint, which I observed for 30-60 minutes before exiting to the north just ahead of a core of large hail.

 

Supercell and Tornadoes // Northwest Kansas & Southwest Nebraska // 18 May 2025

 I latched onto a supercell south of St. Francis, Kansas during the afternoon of May 18th. After a benign core punch, I placed myself northeast of a wall cloud that was showing major signs of imminent tornadogenesis. However, the RFD wrapped around the circulation and the wall cloud dissipated quickly. I then had to race north toward Max, Nebraska in order to stay within viewing distance of the next potential tornado. This involved a more significant core punch involving large hail, strong rear-flank winds and torrential rain. I eventually emerged out of the hook echo and was immediately greeted with what was likely an anticyclonic circulation and/or weak tornado that accompanied the development of a very strong cyclonic tornado forming to its north. I couldn't see the cyclonic tornadic circulation due to dust, rain, and poor contrast, but I did get clipped by the anticyclonic circulation, which pushed my truck sideways almost off the highway. I then raced north to Palisade and Hayes Center, watched a core of heavy rain that hid a possible tornado, and sampled another round of very large hail. The chase was essentially over at this point and I began the long journey east back to Omaha through multiple rounds of heavy MCS rain and wind.

 

Kentucky Storm Chase // Ultra-Long-Lived Deadly Supercell // May 16, 2025

 I chased a supercell across western Kentucky on May 16, 2025. This storm formed in southwestern Missouri and tracked east all the way to southcentral/southeastern Kentucky, which is 500+ miles during the lifespan of the supercell. Unfortunately, it produced a significant tornado that impacted London and Somerset resulting in ~20 fatalities. I gave up the storm at Hopkinsville, Kentucky, as road networks and jungle-like vegetation made additional chasing essentially futile. During the multi-hour period I was on the storm, I sampled the updraft base multiple times, as well as hail cores that produce large to very large diameter stones.  No rotation at the base of the storm was observed, and in fact, every time the storm appeared to take on a classic cyclonic reflectivity gradient in radar including a hook echo it would fizzle out the next volume scan, but for reasons unkown to me, the storm transitioned into a significantly tornadic phase several hours after I departed. No blog worthy pictures were taken, but some archived date is posted below. 

Supercell // Far West Texas // 5 May 2025

 I chased a Cinco de Mayo supercell in Far West Texas. The storm formed in a well mixed boundary layer airmass, where CAPE was moderate, deep-layer shear was strong, but SRH was minimal. The storm then crossed a stationary front, with structure becoming more interesting, and tornadogenesis seemingly imminent. However, tornadoes failed to occur, and the likely culprit was continued slight to moderate cold dry air advection via east-northeast winds. Not only did this cause the storm to encounter lower CAPE, lower moisture, and greater CIN on the cool side of the boundary, but hodograph structure also displayed large crosswise vorticity in the lowest couple hundred meters AGL. The MAF afternoon sounding launched a bit east of the storm is posted below, and displays the unfavorable near surface hodograph structure.

 

Tornadoes and Long-Lived Supercell // Western Nebraska // 27 April 2025

 A long-lived cyclic tornadic supercell developed during the late afternoon over western Nebraska on April 27, 2025 and moved northeast across Cherry County through the first half of the night. Robust lee-side cyclogenesis occurred downstream from an emerging southwesterly upper-level jet streak, with strong surface pressure falls yielding an intense ageostrophic response that caused moisture to surge north and west across the Central High Plains. Favorable ascent and low-level moisture advection offset boundary layer cooling through the evening transition causing CIN to remain fairly minimal after dark. In addition, low-level hodograph structure became exceptionally favorable for a strong to violent tornadic supercell. I jumped on the storm of the day well before it became a supercell, with the first echo showing up on radar just west of Ogallala, Nebraska during mid afternoon. Model guidance showed that this initially weak cell would encounter an exceptionally volatile environment by 7pm, so I headed north from Ogallala and followed the cell as it drifted across the Sandhills.

 Radar showed the cell intensifying as several ancillary cells merged with it from the south. This occurred during the 6-7pm (Central Time) period, and I was located due east in Hyannis. I subsequently drove west on Highway 2, the updraft base came into view, showing obvious signs of strong rotation. Several tornadoes formed shortly thereafter, but Sandhills and a very limited road network along with sporadic large to very large hail kept me from gaining an optimal view, though I still got a few pictures taken from the north-northeast. A strong and large circulation developed toward 7pm (Central Time), and I did the best I could to view it safely. This circulation evolved into a massive mile wide tornado, and I got some good video of its edge, though again, hills and roads prevented better video/photography. I also briefly got caught inside the outer rain curtains of the wedge, which was a heart pounding moment, but I exited quickly and all was well.

 The large tornado flipped over a train, which I photographed quickly and then departed back to Hyannis and then headed north on Highway 61. After 10 miles of driving I was back in front of the updraft, which developed a new circulation that evolved into a nice stationary cone tornado. This tornado lasted 5-10 minutes and my pictures turned out great. I then retreated back to Hyannis, drove east to Mullen, and then north on Highway 97 for a third intercept. It was now after dark, and I drove up to the edge of an intense circulation viewed via radar, but dared not venture any further north given the poor road network and little opportunity to view an approaching tornado in the dark. I let the long-lived supercell move north past Valentine, which I followed safely behind, and then began driving east on Highway 20 to get in position for the next days chase.

Pictures and weather data are posted below. 

One of several initial weak tornadoes west of Hyannis, Nebraska.

Strengthening low-level mesocyclone with classic wall cloud and tail cloud.

Large tornado developing west of Hyannis, Nebraska.

Southern edge of mile wide tornado west of Hyannis, Nebraska.

Train flipped over by a large tornado west of Hyannis, Nebraska.

Cone shaped tornado north of Hyannis, Nebraska.

Long-lived supercell updraft/mesocyclone in Cherry County.

250 mb objective analysis valid 00Z 28 April 2025.

500 mb objective analysis valid 00Z 28 April 2025.

700 mb objective analysis valid 00Z 28 April 2025.

850 mb objective analysis valid 00Z 28 April 2025.

925 mb objective analysis valid 00Z 28 April 2025.

Surface observations valid 00Z 28 April 2025.

A RAP proximity sounding located southeast of the tornadic supercell valid at 00Z 28 April 2025.

Base reflectivity valid during the time of the mile wide tornado.

Storm-relative velocity valid during the time of the mile wide tornado.