June 2 - Kansas City, MO

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A group photo at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City prior to a Royals/Twins ballgame.

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I've always loved the centerfield fountains here.

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Baseball under the lights on a June evening.

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The fountains illuminated at night. The Royals lost.
June 1, 2011 - Hill City, KS

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Watching a supercell develop near Hill City, KS.

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The updraft base is visible once we crest a hill.

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The updraft base becomes better defined later, but still appears a bit ragged.

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Another lowering forms to our NE.

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This almost looks like a hybrid between an updraft base and a shelf cloud.

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Although the lowering became lower, the rotation was weak.

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This storm became outflow dominant.

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I love this picture. I think it's the tractor that makes it.

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Turquoise sky. Urban (or, more appropriately, rural) legend says it's because of big hail, but I have heard that refuted. Any ideas?

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A shelf cloud forms as sunset approaches.

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Unfortunately, a shaky hand and a broken tripod conspired to prevent better lightning photography.
May 31, 2011 - North Platte, NE

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There were no storms today, so we made a short drive to North Platte to enjoy the city park. They have a llama!

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Duck!

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Taking a gander at some geese, and a deer.

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There were a couple of peacocks as well.

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Also in the park was a union Pacific railroad display. This is an old team engine.

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Another group shot.

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I couldn't agree more.

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I'd say that I engineered a pretty successful trip.

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Group shot at dinner, with some of my VORTEX buddies: Rutger, Eddie, and Lindsay.
May 30, 2011 - Broken Bow, NE

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A view of a straiform cloud bank and fog from the side.

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We met up with some storm spotters, some of whom I know from VORTEX2, at lunch in Broken Bow.

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Nice contrast.

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I would advise against driving north.

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You can almost see the baroclinic generation of horizontal vorticity along the forward-flank gust front. (I apologize to those of you who are not meteorologists.)

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The wall cloud races by to our NW.

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Another circulation forms to our SW, causing us to retreat southward on US-183.

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A gustnado (not to be confused with a tornado) crosses the road in front of us.

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Many circulations were evident along the gust front. Strikingly, most of the tornado reports from this day were not tornadoes.

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Most of the storms from here on were elevated above the previous storm's cold pool. Here is some outflow scud.

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A developing shelf cloud.

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Playing in the outflow.

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The cold front catches up to the squall line, and the storms begin to surge eastward. Here is the leading anvil cloud.

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Well Old Paint...

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The shelf cloud approaches after we reached our motel in Kearney, NE.

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One way to make a storm seem more ominous is to shorten the exposure time.

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Mammatus clouds fill the sky behind the line.
May 28, 2011 - Garden of the Gods, CO

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Rolls clouds as seen from our lunch stop in Lamar, CO.

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Mountain wave clouds as seen from east of Pueblo, CO.

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We decided to wait for storms to form in the Garden of the Gods. Sure beats a gas station parking lot!

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Pikes Peak as seen from Garden of the Gods.

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The easternmost foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

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Another shot of Pikes Peak.

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From left to right, front: Becca, Manda, Beth; back: Zach, Mike, Eric, Jim, Paul, Ian, Tim, Tom.

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Garden of the Gods is dominated by these majestic rock formations.

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Stunning scenery, but there were no storms in sight.

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This is my favorite picture from this day.

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Finally, it was time for dinner. A storm formed, but not until after sunset.
May 27, 2011 - Watonga, OK

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Tree damage from the EF-4 tornado near Chickasha, OK, on May 24.

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A farm outbuilding was destroyed in that tornado.

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Trees were snapped like toothpicks.

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If this was a well-built house, this would be EF-3 damage.

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Further north, near I-40, we crossed the damage path of the EF-5 El Reno tornado.

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Whole tree trunks were snapped off.

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This piece of sheet metal was wrapped around a tree.

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Rows of downed trees were visible from I-40, just west of US-270.

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Storms fail to form, but we are treated to this sunset NW of Watonga, OK.

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The sun sinks lower in the sky.
May 25, 2011 - Beebe, AR

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Damage from the EF-2 tornado that struck Vilonia, AR, on April 26, 2011.

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The tornado was able to easy snap large limbs on this tree.

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One of the few structures still in a bad state of disrepair.

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The base of the first tornado-warned supercell, viewed from just south of Beebe, AR.

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The large base of the next cell to the south comes very near to us, just south of Beebe.

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We watched this small patch of scud develop into a wall cloud just a few miles out our window.

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Storm motion was fast, but when we caught the storm again, the wall cloud was still waiting for us.

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The storm tries, and ultimately fails, to produce a tornado.

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We observe a great mammatus show on our way back to Little Rock.

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Awesome structure on the back side of the anvil.

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We drive elsewhere in search of better foreground.

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Here comes the airplane!
May 24, 2011 - Hinton, OK

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A large bowl-shaped wall cloud menaces about 10 miles west of our location. Contrast enhanced.

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A multiple vortex tornado touches down. Contrast enhanced.

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This tornado became an EF-5, but quickly became wrapped in rain. Tragically, 9 people died as a result of this tornado. Contrast enhanced.
May 23, 2011 - Geary, OK

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Developing storms near Fairview, OK.

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We abandoned the original cells in favor of a more interesting cell NW of Oklahoma City.

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The a wall cloud underneath the new cell, but the low-level rotation was not impressive.

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Behold the most spectacular midlevel mesocyclone I have ever seen!

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Another view. Amazing structure and striations!

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The cell begins to dissipate as it moves eastward.

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A horseshoe vortex.
May 22 - Columbus, KS

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Haze plus HP (high-precipitation) supercells equals bad visibility.

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A new supercell develops to our SE with a rapidly rotating wall cloud.

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The sirens were blaring in Columbus, KS, as this circulation came overhead.

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An innocuous outflow cloud west of Columbus, KS. Still looks interesting.

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Most of Pitcher, OK, was devastated by a tornado on May 10, 2008. The town was never rebuilt because it sits on a Superfund site.

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A view of cumulonimbus clouds backlit by the setting sun as we drive to our hotel on Tulsa, OK.

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During our drive, we listened to a radio station from Joplin, MO. How can something so beautiful create so much destruction?

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Group picture in front of the cloud line at a picnic area on I-44.

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One last shot of the clouds before sunset.
May 21, 2011 - Topeka, KS

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Watching the first towers of the trip develop from Baldwin City, KS.

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Looking westward at a developing supercell. Notice the mammatus above us.

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The storm structure improves as the cell develops a classic bell-shaped updraft.

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The first funnel cloud, viewed from near Carbondale, KS.

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The cell produced several persistent funnel clouds as it moved NE toward Topeka.

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The best supercell structure of the trip.

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Twin funnels near Wakarusa, KS.

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The circulation associated with these funnels would occasionally reach the surface, yielding one or two EF-0 tornadoes.

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Fortunately, for the residents of Topeka, the atmosphere was not conducive to strong tornadoes on this day.

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A large funnel cloud, with Lake Shawnee in the foreground.

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Group photo! Quite a first day!

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Sunset near Topeka.
May 7, 2011 - Champaign County Supercell

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An updraft base viewed from the Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Halls on the University of Illinois campus. Photo credit: Zaneta Gacek.

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A midlevel funnel viewed from the University of Illinois campus. Photo credit: Andrew Fox.

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A rotating wall cloud near Broadlands, IL.

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A shelf cloud extends eastward along the forward-flank gust front.

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This was as close as the storm came to producing a tornado. We moved out of its way.

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Our last view of the storm before we hit the hills and trees between Paris, IL, and Terre Haute, IN.
April 19, 2011 - Honey Bend, IL, Tornado

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The first cell was outflow-dominant by the time we reached it in Carrollton, IL.

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As the outflow surged, we retreated eastward for a better play.

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Just as we entered I-55 south near Honey Bend, IL, a tornado formed to our SW.

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The best view of the tornado. It produced EF-2 damage in Honey Bend, IL.

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Beautiful tornado and clear slot.
January 2011 - Lake-Effect Project

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The DOW in heavy snow.

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The DOW in heavy snow with a long exposure.

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We occasionally had to clean snow off the radar dish.

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By the next day, it looked like a postcard.

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Here come the plows!

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The fresh snow clung to the branches.

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A barn just north of Williamstown, NY.

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The entire drive back to Oswego looked like this.

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Another barn west of Williamstown, NY.

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Welcome to Mexico! Head north and you'll be in Texas, NY!

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Sunset on January 4 from Fair Haven, NY.

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The DOW is ready for another lake-effect event on the shores of Lake Ontario.

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Scott and the Oswego crew.

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The snow band came over us as we called it a night around 2am.

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The streetlight on the breast of the new fallen snow gave a luster of midday to objects below.

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Snowbound Oswego.

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Looking out at a snow band over Lake Ontario from somewhere west of Rochester, NY.
June 19 - Flight Home

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A view of Pikes Peak from the air.

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Pikes Peak dominates the town of Colorado Springs.

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Cumuloform clouds of all types.

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An anvil, complete with shadow.
June 18 - Drive to Boulder, CO

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Crossing the Missouri River in South Dakota.

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The drive south from Murdo, SD, is one of the prettiest drives on the Plains.

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One of many small ponds that dot the South Dakota prairie.

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Entering the Sand Hills in northern Nebraska.

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Welcome to Nowhere, Nebraska.

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Very green.

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Lake McConaughy, near Ogallala, NE.

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Another shot of Lake McConaughy.

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Probe 11 broke down on I-76 east of Denver. We had to de-mast the vehicle before we left it.

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Altocumulus clouds somewhere east of Denver.

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A lightning bolt and rainbow along I-76 in Eastern Colorado.

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The sun sets as we approach Denver.

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The other end of the rainbow, with light precipitation in the background.

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The setting sun illuminates the virga.

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The sun goes behind the mountains and finally sets on VORTEX2.

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Fading embers of the sunset.

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Heading toward Boulder just after sunset.
June 17 - Monticello, MN

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A tornado forms just south of the town of Monticello, MN.

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The tornado and debris cloud continued to the NNE.

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The circulation was weak, but persistent.

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The tornado dissipated, but the wall cloud continued to Princeton, MN, where the chase was called off.

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Greetings from EndOfSeason, MN!

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We began the long drive back to Boulder with a Minneapolis mammatus show.

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The mammatus became more streaky.

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Sunset colored the mammatus red, orange, and gold.

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Sunset from Minnesota.

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A simple sunset picture.

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Dusk in the Upper Midwest.
June 16 - Oshkosh, NE

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We could not make it to South Dakota, so we settled for storms in western Nebraska.

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Unfortunately, these storms were not long for this world.

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We passed by Lake McConaughy near Ogallala, NE.

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As we crossed the reservoir, we took some dam pictures.

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The dam spillway was impressive.

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Nebraska truly is beautiful.

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The south shore of the lake.

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Magnificent lighting.
June 15 - Lubbock, TX

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Half of the assembled VORTEX2 armada in Lubbock, TX.

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The rest of the VORTEX2 armada, preparing for the group photo shoot.

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StickNets, tornado pods, and mobile mesonets, oh my!

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Probe 12 and crew: Lindsay, Mallie, and Phil.

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Probe 11 and crew: Eddie, Eric, and Rachael.

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Probe 13 (Scout) and crew (and others): Erin, Travis, Andrew, Rutger, Alex, Mareike.

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Probe 14 and crew: Carrie and Tim.

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DOW6 and crew: Jacob, Justin, and Matt. Nice chops!

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Herb and Karen atop DOW7.

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The mobile mesonets were all lined up.

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Eddie and Phil carry a pod. Each pod weights about 120 lbs.

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The field command vehicle and crew.

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After the mission, we thought we had clear sailing to tomorrow's chase in South Dakota.

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Until DOW6 blew a tire and severed a brake line (DOW7 was getting repaired).

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Herb to the rescue!

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The sunset was still nice from the side of the road.

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Distant clouds gave the setting sun an unusual shape.

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We spent three hours a long way from anywhere.
June 14 - Tahoka, TX

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Our storm began kicking up dust almost instantly. Not a good sign.

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A gustnado formed just out my window.

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Another (of many) gustnadoes formed behind us.

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We tried in vain to stay ahead of the gust (or dust) front.

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Blowing dust severely reduced visibility near Post, TX.

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Tahoka, TX, had the opposite problem: Too much rain.

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An appropriately-placed sign.

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The flooding was even worse just west of town.

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This dirt road was transformed into a raging river.

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A CSWR group shot with DOW7.

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A CSWR group shot with Scout.
June 13 - Booker, TX

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Sometime overnight, storm damage occurred near Bryan's Corner, OK.

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This was on a Sunday morning, unfortunately.

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DOW7 deploys in some new lakefront property in the Texas Panhandle.

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DOW7 scans a storm in the swampy conditions.

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The second storm down the line begins to develop a wall cloud.

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The circulation intensifies as the storm passes south of Perryton, TX.

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The NOAA X-POL (NOXP) radar scans the storm.

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Just north of Booker, TX, the cloud-base circulation rapidly intensified.

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These rain curtains rotated rapidly.

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A funnel forms right out my window!

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The tornado quickly grew, but became lost in the rain.

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We intercepted another supercell, but it was not very interesting.

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We began a lovely drive back to Amarillo, TX.

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Billowing clouds on the south end of a line of storms.

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The sun peeks out from behind the clouds.

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The sun and the clouds put on a grand light show.

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The terrain was bathed in perfect lighting as well.

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The tail-end cumulonimbus cloud matures.

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Did I mention it was Sunday?

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One word: Heavenly.

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A silhouetted BNSF locomotive.

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The sunset paints colors on a storm to the southeast.

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A copper-sky sunset from Amarillo.
June 12 - Spearman, TX

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A mesocyclone passes behind DOW7 and our probe vehicles.

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The storm becomes outflow dominated and develops a shelf cloud. Not good for tornadoes.

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Driving out from under the shelf cloud to escape the threat of hail.

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We beat the shelf cloud to Spearman, TX.
June 11 - Limon, CO

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We intercepted our storm southwest of Limon, CO. Fingers of scud were beneath it.

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A small wall cloud forms underneath the updraft base.

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Sometimes, scud can look like something it is not.

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A weak tornado passes to our north as we deploy along US 24 southwest of Limon, CO.

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The storm of the day was 200 miles away in Kansas. There are always surprises...

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Looking out from under the gloom near Siebert, CO.
June 10 - Last Chance, CO

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A view of a windmill south of Chadron, NE.

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DOW7 group photo: Josh, me, Herb, and Karen.

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We intercepted our first storm southwest of Hoyt, CO.

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The storm drew closer and we had to run away from the hail on dirt roads.

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That storm quickly died, so we drove toward the next storm to the south.

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Our new storm dramatically improved as we drove south.

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A small funnel developed as we passed south of Last Chance, CO.

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The sometimes-ragged funnel extended toward the ground.

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A zoomed-in view of a beautiful cone tornado.

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Unfortunately, the tornado was very far away, hampering data collection.

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After approximately 8 minutes, the tornado dissipated.

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A second tornado formed, but was less visible due to the rain.

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The storm got closer, but it did not produce any more tornadoes.

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It was almost time to bail eastward!

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Lightning illuminates a corkscrew updraft to our east, north of Anton, CO.

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A lightning flash makes most of the updraft visible.
June 9 - Mitchell, NE

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A view of the Dominator from a gas station in Kimball, NE.

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We drove north from Sidney, NE, to target a storm with a big wall cloud.

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That storm died. Here are Courthouse and Jail Rocks near Bridgeport, NE.

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Another view of Courthouse and Jail Rocks. These were Oregon Trail landmarks.

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I want to drive on THAT road!

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We stop to wait for storms near Harrisburg, NE. Scenic bluffs are nearby.

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I'm guessing that property values are pretty low, despite the scenery.

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We were here once before. June 5 of last year. That was a good day!!!

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The road west toward Wyoming.

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DOW7 with a bluff in the background.

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A bluff and a bridge.

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Just south of Mitchell, NE, we deployed on a storm to our west.

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The storm approached with its lowered base.

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The mesocyclone, a ragged wall cloud, and a clear slot were visible.

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The rotation was also apparent from the edge of the updraft.

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Five minutes later, the storm became outflow dominant. Not good for tornadoes.

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As we left our deployment spot, we saw these awesome wave clouds to the north.

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There was a lot of hail north of us, causing hail fog to form.

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Some of the hail fog was swept into the updraft.

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Another tower formed to our east around dusk.

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A lightning bolt shoots from the small cell.

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Intra-cloud (IC) lightning.

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A new storm formed to the southwest. It was also electrically active.

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Zap!
June 8 - Denver, CO

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Driving west from Limon to Denver into crepuscular rays. No storms for us today.

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As we drove west, the Rocky Mountains came into view.

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The mountains are even closer and appear more detailed.

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A view of downtown Denver and the Front Range from behind our hotel.

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The sun shines down on the Front Range.

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The Flat Irons as viewed from Denver International Airport.

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A zoomed out view. We are, in fact, quite far from downtown Denver.

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The mountains bathe in evening sunlight.
June 7 - Scottsbluff, NE

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There is a missile in a park in Kimball, NE.

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The bluffs in western Nebraska are beautiful.

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Not what you think of when you think of Nebraska.

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A rock spire.

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The anvil of our target storm overspreads Scott's Bluff.

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Scott's Bluff and a covered wagon.

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Driving west toward our target storm.

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The base of our target storm viewed from near Torrington, WY.

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We caught a second storm near Scottsbluff, NE.

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These are rotating rain curtains and it was a tornadic circulation.

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The tornado passed a couple of miles south of DOW7's location.
June 6 - Ogallala, NE

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On June 5, we chased an uninteresting line of storms in Iowa. This is a distant storm at sunset.

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We drove to Big Springs, NE, in time to see this supercell develop.

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The storm had a large base and a rotating wall cloud.

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This was as close as the storm came to producing a tornado.

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This was not a tornado, but was along the outflow boundary.

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We followed the storm to near Imperial, NE, and saw this great inflow tail.

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Here is another rotating wall cloud near Imperial, NE.

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We abandoned the first storm and caught a second storm south of Ogallala, NE.

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A shelf cloud in the foreground and a wall cloud in the background.

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The was yet another supercell just south of our second target storm.

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As we deployed, a stick net, the field coordinator, and many photographers were near.

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A shelf cloud developed on the leading edge of our storm.

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This shelf cloud was quite long.

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DOW7 with the shelf cloud in the background.

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DOW7 scans the approaching shelf cloud.

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The shelf cloud nears.

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The turbulent underside of the shelf cloud.

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A black and blue sky beneath the shelf cloud.

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Looking south toward blue skies.

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As we arrived at the hotel, we were greeting by yellow skies and adoring fans.

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Looking east, the clouds danced chaotically.

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Sunset from Ogallala.
June 3 - Niobrara, NE

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Lush green hills just west of the Missouri River in South Dakota.

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The Missouri River Valley in South Dakota.

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We waited for storms to form near Lake Francis Case, created by damming the Missouri River.

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The second storm of the day split. Our target was the right-mover (left in this picture).

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The storm began to become more vigorous as it moved down the Missouri River Valley.

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This funnel was associated with an almost tornadic strength circulation at the ground.

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As we traveled east, the storm became outflow-dominant and developed a shelf cloud.

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A view of the shelf cloud as we crossed the Missouri River into Nebraska.

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Most people would turn around at this sight. Not us.

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The shelf cloud is almost upon us south of Niobrara, NE.

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After the storms, we were treated to a red sunset.

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The glowing red remnants of the sunset.
June 2 - Benkleman, NE

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After much patience, a supercell with a wall cloud finally develops. We were near Max, NE, when this picture was taken.

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A view of our target storm as we approached Benkleman, NE.

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The wall cloud began to fracture into scud beneath the updraft.

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There was a storm collision between Benkleman, NE, and Bird City, KS.

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After we abandoned the storm, we drove north to the Nebraska Sand Hills just in time for perfect lighting!

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Nebraska Highway 25 south of Sutherland, NE.

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Look closely in the white streaks falling from the cloud. There is a faint rainbow.
June 1 - Seward, NE

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The day held promise, but the storms quickly formed a line. Here is blowing dust near Seward, NE.

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As we headed west from Salina, KS, the sun played tag with the updraft of a distant storm.

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The sunset paints the clouds different colors.
May 31 - Memorial Day

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In honor of Memorial Day, we visited the Veterans' Memorial just south of North Platte, NE.

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Another view of the memorial.

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A large brick sculpture.

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Never forget.
May 29 - Thedford, NE

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Flash ponding in a field in north-central Nebraska.

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The Nebraska Sand Hills are beautiful.

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DOW7 took a couple of one lane roads. At least they were paved.

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A painted horse.

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Not much traffic on this road...until we showed up.

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The rain-free base of a storm approaches our location.

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Water, water everywhere...in Nebraska!

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A squall line approaches DOW7, just north of Thedford, NE.

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Looking north on US 83. It is a long way to anywhere.

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A shelf cloud approaches from the northwest.

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DOW7 scans in anticipation of precipitation.

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Looking east from under the shelf cloud. This system was not at all threatening.
May 28 - Devils Tower, WY

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Natural beauty in the Black Hills of northeastern Wyoming.

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A cliff and a river on the way to Devils Tower.

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Crossing the Belle Fourche River.

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Devils Tower viewed through the haze.

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DOW7 and Devils Tower.

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There are a lot of boulders around the base of Devils Tower.

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Rocks around the base of Devils Tower.

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The view from the base of Devils Tower.

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Silhouetted trees near Devils Tower.

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Climbers on Devils Tower. Not for me, thanks.

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The northern side of Devils Tower.

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Turkey vultures in a dead tree.

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A prairie dog town near Devils Tower.

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Devils Tower silhouetted as the sun sets.

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A longhorn and Devils Tower.
May 27 - Travel in Wyoming

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A metallic buffalo atop a hill along I-25 in far northern Colorado.

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An old caboose in Chugwater, WY.

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The oldest soda fountain in Wyoming. This is also in Chugwater.

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Laramie Peak dominates the horizon north of Chugwater.

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Crossing the North Platte River near Guernsey, WY.

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The forest and mountains meet the plains in this part of Wyoming.

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A forest fire occurred here sometime in the past.

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A sculpted hill along Wyoming Highway 270.

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Following DOW6 through Wyoming.

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The scenery was just gorgeous.

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A lone windmill spins in the breeze.

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We stopped in the middle of nowhere to enjoy the sunset.

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DOW6, DOW7, and not much else.

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Cirrus clouds prior to sunset.

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A bird flies through the sky.

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The distant Rockies and closer butte at sunset.

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The glow of the sunset over a hill in Wyoming.

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The last remnants of daylight cling to the clouds.
May 26 - Wiggins, CO

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Small hail covers Colorado Highway 52 east of I-76. This is common in Colorado.

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All of the white in the fields is accumulated small hail.

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A weak low-level circulation forms just northeast of our location.

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A sculpted Colorado updraft base.

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The updraft base as viewed from our second deployment site.

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DOW7 scans the supercell. It was non-tornadic, but very slow moving.

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The sun and the anvil of another storm after the mission is over.
May 25 - Tribune, KS

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Gravity waves over a dam near Imperial, NE.

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Look just to the right of the slanted pole. A tornado!

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The second brief tornado formed as we were just west of Tribune, KS. It lasted for 2 minutes.

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A pair of horses were very near our deployment site.

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The third tornado of the day was very brief, weak - and behind us.

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A small wall cloud near our second deployment site.

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The sun begins to set and we begin a long drive to Boulder, CO.

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The sunset begins to paint the clouds.

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Sunset in Kansas.

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There are also mammatus clouds visible courtesy of a nearby storm.

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Notice the shadow on the anvil cast by the distant cloud.

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A grain elevator and a rainbow sky.

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A closer view of the grain elevator.
May 24 - Ogallala, NE

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A backsheared anvil viewed from I-80 east of Ogallala, NE.

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Strong winds overturned this semi-truck on I-80 near Roscoe, NE.

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A wall cloud in the background and weak rotation in the foreground near Sutherland, NE.

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A second storm approaches near Gothenburg, NE.

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This storm had a wall cloud as well, and may have produced a brief weak tornado southeast of town.

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As the squall lines moved east, we saw a great sunset and mammatus show south of North Platte.

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The sunset and copper sky.

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We pulled off on a dirt road to take some photos.

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DOW7 and mammatus.

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The DOW7 dish and mammatus.

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The mammatus covered the entire eastern sky.

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The colors became more reddish a little later.

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The clouds and the colors remind me of a nebula.

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Looking west. Wow.

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Looking north. Wow.

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Another view of DOW7 and a magnificent backdrop.

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Triple wow?

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Looking at the sunset through the grass.

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Light begins to fade.

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Wispy cirrus clouds are illuminated by the setting sun.
May 23 - Leoli, KS

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The ragged wall cloud on our target storm north of Leoli, KS.

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Weak rotation was observed in the storm. DOW5 is in the foreground.

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As the storm passes north, the sun hides behind a cloud.

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A golden aura.
May 22 - North Platte, NE

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We spent an ill-timed down day visiting some of the rail-themed attractions in North Platte, NE.

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The machine shop at the Union Pacific Bailey Yard in North Platte, NE.

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Locomotives to the left, cars to the right.

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The Bailey Yard is the world's largest. This photo only shows half of what we saw from the observation deck.

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The other portion of the yard, heading eastbound.

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The hump here sorts arriving eastbound cars into new trains based on destination.

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A yard switcher and a Southern Pacific locomotive with a strange contraption in between.

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It is strange to view a DOW from this angle.

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A Christmas tornado? This was in the Union Pacific gift shop.

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Next up: A park in North Platte. There was a small zoo. Here is a goose and a deer.

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There were lots of geese around.

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An old rail depot and some trains were also in the park.

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Just a portion of the mail sorting compartments in the mail car.

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A real live caboose. Don't see many of these anymore.

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Herb, myself, and Justin in front of a locomotive. Why are we all wearing yellow?

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Fortunately, this train was not moving.

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A Union Pacific Challenger.

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A deer and three elk.
May 21 - Agate, NE

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Hogback Mountain in the distance viewed from north of Kimball, NE.

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The road cut through Hogback Mountain.

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A rock spire in far western Nebraska.

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Approaching Scott's Bluff near Scottsbluff, NE.

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A closer view of Scott's Bluff.

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The other side of Scott's Bluff.

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The wall cloud of our storm near Agate, NE. The storm was still in Wyoming.

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A well-defined clear slot develops. This is associated with the rear-flank downdraft.

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DOW7 scans another small wall cloud. The storm never got more interesting than this.

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Almost time to head to the hotel!
May 19 - Kingfisher, OK

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The updraft base of our storm far to the northwest. We are kind of near Butler, OK, but not really near any town.

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A tornado! It was about 20 miles away and lasted for a minute, but it was still a tornado.

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A cloud forms along the rear-flank gust front just north of Watonga, OK.

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A nice inflow tail is visible from just north of Watonga, OK.

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There was a circulation in there somewhere. It passed just to our north.

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Near Kingfisher, OK, a stronger tornado formed. It is wrapped in the rain. These are dangerous!

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The tornado dissipated, but the mesocyclone followed us down the road. A traffic jam of chasers was frustrating.

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Just east of Edmond, OK, is Pops, a gas station and Route 66 landmark.

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Pops, obviously, specializes in pop.

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Meanwhile, a shelf cloud was present across the street.

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Pops has many different kinds of pop to choose from.

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Back at the hotel, Old Glory flies over the DOW with yellow skies in the background.
May 18 - Stinnett, TX

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Burlington Northern Santa Fe locomotives just north of Channing, TX.

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The updraft base of our target storm viewed from southwest of Dumas, TX.

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The wall cloud begins to look interesting.

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The wall cloud was clearly rotating.

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The lowered cloud base gets even lower.

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The storm approaches, but no tornado is evident. Note the precipitation to the left of the updraft.

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The two cells merge, and the result is a monster high-precipitation supercell.

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DOW7 scans the menacing skies.

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We got ahead of the storm again and saw this awesome HP structure.

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The storm was now behind us. Look at all of the striations.

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A more complete view of the storm.

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The updraft almost looks like a stack of dinner plates, at least at low levels.

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The storm went into a huge road hole, so we went way east to wait for it...

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The base of the storm becomes visible.

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Too bad light was fading as the storm neared. Its structure was still awesome!
May 17 - Roswell, NM

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Much of Texas is characterized by Mesquite forests.

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Changing the batteries on the tornado pods during a down day in Lubbock, TX. It takes a couple of hours.

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East central New Mexico is quite flat. At least there were no stink factories this time.

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Vigorous convection develops to our south near Carlsbad, NM.

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The updraft base of our storm, southwest of Roswell, NM.

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The mountains to the west. We would not come any closer.

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Orphan anvils from dead storms as we approaches Roswell, NM, after the chase.

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The courthouse in Roswell. No aliens here, but there are lawyers!

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The Roswell McDonalds has a UFO theme.

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Northeast of Roswell, we were treated to an impressive mammatus show.

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A New Mexico sunset.

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DOW 7 and mammatus.

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DOW 7, mammatus, and the open road.

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We took pictures for almost half an hour.

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I pose for a rare photo.

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Mammatus seemingly covered the entire sky.

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This picture was taken with a different camera setting.

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The sky reminds me of a blurred painting.

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Deep blue is visible between mammatus just after sunset.
May 15 - Artesia, NM

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Oil is big business in West Texas.

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Clouds reflect in Salt Lake, just east of Carlsbad, NM.

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A train passes by Salt Lake. Just don't drink the water.

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The scenery begins to look more and more Southwestern.

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Heading north toward Artesia, NM.

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An airplane in a park in Artesia, NM. The park was across the street from a gasoline refinery.

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Local police advised against photographing this stink factory for national security reasons.

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West of Artesia, the vegetation became even more sparse.

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Our target storm, with a small cactus in the foreground.

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The jagged peaks of the Sacramento Mountains can be seen in the distance. Our storm formed over those peaks.

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Fall streaks from the anvil of our storm as it approaches.

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The meager updraft base of our storm as it draws near.

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This bush was near our first deployment site. You won't find these in Kansas.

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Another view of the updraft base. Rotation was present, but was difficult to see.

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DOW7 deployed around unusual scenery.

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Storm chasing in Eddy County? Let's go!

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A nice view of our storm as it passes east. It was not especially intense at this time.

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Back near Artesia, this strange appendage was all that remained of the updraft and mesocyclone.

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A view of the anvil as the storm continues to dissipate.

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Count the oil wells. The air was rich with hydrogen sulfide (smells like rotten eggs).

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Mammatus hanging from the anvil near sunset.
May 14 - Notrees, TX

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The skyline of Midland, TX. Kind of reminds me of Las Vegas in how it suddenly rises from the surrounding plains.

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Dark skies behind Union Pacific locomotives. This storm would produce a tornado, but we would be out of position to see it.

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The updraft base of our target storm.

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A roll cloud forms in the outflow.

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This inflow cloud moved rapidly from left to right.

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Another view of the inflow cloud.

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A new updraft forms a bit further south. There were storms everywhere today!

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Flooding was a major problem when we returned to Midland. The underpass beyond was completely flooded.
May 12 - Carter, OK

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A stretch of old US 66 near Foss, OK.

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We stopped for a picnic lunch at Foss Lake State Park.

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There was a gaggle of geese nearby after lunch.

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The young goose among the group. It was eating some bread.

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These geese were not afraid of people.

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Small cacti were growing on a hill near the Foss, OK, exit off of I-40.

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Wildflowers on a hill near the Foss, OK, exit off of I-40.

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That device supposedly records the sound of a tornado. We attract strange followers.

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This lowered cloud base (left of the trees) was falsely reported as a tornado (but later corrected).

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This downdraft and scud reminds me of M. C. Escher.

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The greenish precipitation core gets closer to Carter, OK. We took two inch hail as we bugged out.

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This was a high precipitation supercell.

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Outflow from the storm to our north.
May 11 - Woodward, OK

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This was a Love's gas station near I-40 and Choctaw Road. People took shelter in the refrigerator.

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We ate lunch near Tinker Air Force base, home of the first successful tornado forecast.

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We gradually made our way from SW OK to near Woodward, where a supercell formed near sunset.

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I wouldn't want to drive on this road in the rain.
May 10 - Seminole, OK

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On May 9, we tested the radar near Minco, OK. These bales of hay were nearby.

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Judging by the sky, these test storms were very non-interesting.

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On May 10, the Vortex2 armada met at an old outlet mall destroyed in the May 3, 1999 outbreak.

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We did not see any tornadoes, but we passed through a damage path on US 377 north of Seminole, OK.

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Cattle were loose near the road.

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There were emergency vehicles aplenty.

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More destruction. Very depressing.

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These buildings used to be a greenhouse. Looked like mainly EF-1 damage here, but it was worse to the west.

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Contrast these well-built homes to the greenhouses.

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We drove out from under the anvil near sunset. Our hotel did not have power.
May 7 - Travel Hays, KS to Amarillo, TX

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A grain elevator just southwest of Kinsley, KS

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That is one way to make DOW7 look very small.

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There are doors at the bottom of windmills leading to stairways inside for servicing.

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The sun behind a windmill.

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This wind farm is located near Montezuma, KS, southwest of Dodge City.

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Green fields and severe clear. Obviously, no chasing on this day.

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Stark contrast between the dirt road, green grass, and blue sky.

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A mesa near the Canadian River in the Texas Panhandle.

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This facility, in Panhandle, TX, is the only place in the US where nuclear weapons are disarmed.

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The National Weather Service Office in Amarillo, TX. The white ball is the radar.

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The DOW crew rode to the Big Texan Steakhouse in style!

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This was in the Big Texan gift shop. Yeah, it's a tourist trap.

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The inside of the Big Texan Steakhouse.

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Group photo #1.

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Group photo of our second table.

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Welcome to Texas!

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My 18-ounce strip steak, cooked medium rare.
May 6 - Oberlin, KS

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Michigan vs. Ohio State in the front of DOW7.

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The Kansas countryside as viewed from the hilltop perch at our first deployment site.

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A windmill, a tree, and a fence.

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Our second deployment site was very near a bull.

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The storms were not interesting, but here are some gravity waves in the clouds as we drove back to Hays.
May 5 - Coldwater, KS

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An Abandoned farmstead in far southern Kansas.

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A closer look at the old farmhouse.

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We stopped for lunch at Lake Coldwater, in southern Kansas.

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An absolutely beautiful day...for anything except storm chasing!

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Hiding in the reeds.

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DOW7 by the lake.

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A gorgeous day for a picnic!

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Herb has a fish story to tell.

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Lush green fields on the way north to Hays.
May 3 - Travel in Kansas and Oklahoma

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A long straight road.

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A hilly, curvy road.

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The kings of the DOW fleet?

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There was recently a fire in this area of Oklahoma.

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Lush green prairie near the Canadian River in Oklahoma.
April 30 - Boulder, CO

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An anvil somewhere over Nebraska. This storm reportedly produced nickle-sized hail.

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It snowed in Boulder our first night. The Colorado Avalanche had to cancel their tee times the next morning.

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The DOWs share their hangar with a couple of private planes.

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The Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

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The Flat Irons, with a trailer park in the foreground.

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The Flat Irons.

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Another view of the Flat Irons.

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Downtown Denver on our way out of town. The freeway is I-25.

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I hear Commerce City, CO, is beautiful this time of year.

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The trains on the Plains are mainly filled with grains.
June 13 - End Of Season, TX

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That's a lot of radar trucks.

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Me next to DOW 7.

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More equipment arrives for the big group picture.

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Josh surveys the scene from atop a cattle truck.

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Stick nets, tornado pods, disdrometers, and a mobile mesonet.

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We have a lot of scientific equipment.

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The principle investigators of VORTEX2.

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These folks were in both VORTEX1 and VORTEX2.

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DOW 7 scans the final storm of the project just east of Panhandle, TX.

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Clouds.

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This is about as impressive as our storm got, which doesn't say much.

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The sun sets on VORTEX2.

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Afterward, we went to the Big Texan in Amarillo, TX.

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Me and Grizzly.

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Greetings from Endofseason, TX!

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The inside of the Big Texan has a decidedly Texas theme.

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Vegetarians beware!

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If you can eat a 72 oz steak, 3 shrimp, a roll, baked potato, and salad in an hour, your meal is free.

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Isaac attempts the feat.

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Where did all the food go? Isaac finished his meal in 54 minutes.

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Isaac celebrates his feat.

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The big pink board of gluttony.
June 11 - Lamar, CO

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Boise City in the far western Oklahoma Panhandle. In front of the caboose is a bomb dropped during World War II.

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The Twin Buttes in southeastern Colorado appear to float above a mirage.

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This supercell was our original target, but a better one developed it its immediate south.

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A menacing wall cloud hangs over La Junta, CO, from the southern storm, now our target.

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Is the storm giving us the finger?

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Incredible storm structure.

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It is obvious that this storm has strong rotation.

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The mesocyclone base draws ever closer.

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DOW 7 scans the storm, but a tornado was not imminent at this time.

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The storm had actually lost some of its impressive structure by this time.

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What is that lowering seen as we drove back east through Las Animas, CO?

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Core punching on US 50 east of Las Animas, CO. The largest hail we took was about quarter-sized.

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This is what the storm looked like as we exited the precipitation core.

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The bell-shaped updraft and the setting sun put on a show south of Lamar, CO.

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The sun illuminates the side of the updraft.

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At this time, we were stopped due to pilot-car construction. About a half hour later, cars caught here took baseball-siz

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The storm produces a surge of outflow just before sunset.
June 10 - Hugoton, KS

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A dog looks on from the hotel parking lot in Wichita, KS.

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Could you imagine the DOW passing this house? Well, it happened. Kind of gives a new meaning to the term "moving day."

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Comrades, behold the grain elevators in Moscow....Kansas!

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Approaching our first storm west of Hugoton, KS. The structures are chicken coops. We had over a dozen encounters with c

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This is not a tornado, but is merely scud rising into the updraft of our first storm.

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Out first storm quickly became outflow dominant, which is not a good thing for the storm.

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After our second deployment, a shelf cloud began developing right outside our window. This is the beginning of it.

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The shelf cloud grows and nears DOW 7.

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The shelf cloud gets closer. As it passed, the winds shifted, treating us to the smell of more chicken coops.

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We were treated to a double rainbow arcing across the entire sky just before sunset.

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Once again, the other side of the rainbow.
June 9 - Ford, KS

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Metal artwork on the western side of Mullinville, KS.

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A wall cloud hangs over a feedlot just north of Ford, KS. DOW 5 later deployed here and became obscured by blowing...dus

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This storm became a classic supercell and split as soon as we arrived. Rotation is clearly evident in this photo.

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As we followed the storm east, it became an LP (low-precipitation) supercell.

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Another view of the LP supercell.

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As the storm passed over DOW 7's final deployment site, it quickly died. By the time we departed, this is all that was l
June 8 - Travel to Salina, KS

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The UMass XPOL radar took some of the big hail yesterday. Here is one large dent in the hood, likely from a baseball-siz

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The Kansas State Capitol Building in Topeka.

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Fort Riley as viewed from I-70 in Kansas.

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A helicopter comes in for a landing at Fort Riley.
June 7 - Amity, MO

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IMG_1859.JPG 2009-06-07

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The back of DOW 7 in action. Josh has 8 monitors in front of him.

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This supercell thunderstorm had a broad updraft base.

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This thunderstorm turned the tables and began chasing us. Its hook echo contained baseball to softball-sized hail. Hail

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An odd ring-shaped cloud encircles the eastern portion of the updraft. This storm was a monster.

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The storm approaches us near Amity, MO. It was great storm but did not produce any strong tornadoes. A wonderful null ca

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The setting sun as viewed through the approaching (and thankfully weaker) hook echo makes this look like an old-time pho

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A rainbow arced across the sky to our east.

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The other side of the rainbow, I guess.

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Sunset in Amity, MO. Notice the ripples on the pond in the foreground.
June 6 - Mullen, NE

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A solitary windmill in the Nebraska Sand Hills.

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Cows apparently like windmills. Who knew?

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DOW 6 looks for a deployment site south of Mullen, NE. Notice the road signs.

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The mesocyclone of our first storm near Mullen, NE.

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DOW 7 deployed very close to the mesocyclone. This was OK since we could see that no tornado was imminent on radar.

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DOW 7 scans the threatening skies.

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An updraft forms along the flanking line.

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A small rainbow is visible beneath this developing cloud.

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IMG_1823.JPG 2009-06-06

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Insert religious reference here.

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We intercepted a second supercell thunderstorm near North Platte, NE. It was beginning to weaken as we approached it.

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Notice the fall streaks aloft in this picture.

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It is almost sunset in North Platte, NE.
June 5 - Lagrange, WY

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A small ranch in northeastern Colorado.

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This bluff in northeastern Colorado appears artificial, but I don't think it is.

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Interesting rock formations north of Kimball, NE.

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The stripes on this bluff are owing to alternating layers of bare rock and vegetation.

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A wall cloud emerges from behind the bluff near the Nebraska/Wyoming border. The weather is about to get very interestin

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The wall cloud as viewed from DOW 7's deployment site. It was rotating.

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A funnel cloud forms.

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Tornadogenesis. The first tornado of VORTEX2, and it's about time!

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Although the funnel briefly lost contact with the ground, it maintained tornadic intensity as viewed from the radar.

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A beautiful cone tornado as seen from near Lagrange, WY. The tornado was actually closer to Chugwater, WY, when this pic

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Rain curtains, along with baseball to softball-sized hail, descend around the tornado.

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DOW 7 bugged out when the tornado was about 3 km (1.5 miles) away. You could see a lot of turbulent motion when the torn

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A look at the post-tornadic mesocyclone after DOW 7 had driven south, then turned east, near Albin, WY.

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We intercepted the storm again north of Kimball, NE. This was as close as the storm got to producing a second tornado.

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The new mesocyclone north of Kimball, NE.

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We retreated southward to I-80 and caught this beautiful storm structure on our storm.

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This bluff was seen from I-80 west of Sidney, NE.

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A railroad cut west of Sidney, NE.

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We headed north from Sidney, NE, to intercept our storm for the third time.

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The storm had a large wall cloud at this time as viewed from near Gurley, NE.

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It appears that this is a large tornado near Dalton, NE. However, this was only a wall cloud scraping the ground and was
June 4 - Cheyenne, WY

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Driving behind the Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV) on I-70 in eastern Colorado.

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A bluff north of Greeley, CO.

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A ragged wall cloud beneath a weakening storm north of Hillsdale, WY.

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Our first storm strengthened slightly as it moved east into Nebraska. Visible here is the anvil, hailshaft, and the over

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Scud rises into the updraft of a second supercell just southeast of Cheyenne, WY, as DOW7 scans the storm.

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The Rocky Mountains are finally visible through the haze as we head back southward toward Greeley, CO, near sunset. The
June 1 - Fairbury, NE

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Brian, one of the Weather Channel photographers, has some fun with the lack of tornadoes we have seen this year.

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A disorganized thunderstorm cell is quickly absorbed by a line of thunderstorms, resulting in this shelf cloud.

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Notice the kink in the shelf cloud. A few minutes after this picture was taken, DOW 7 drove through a gustnado, which is
May 31 - Omaha, NE

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What must it feel like to have your picture taken by the DOW as you drive down I-80?

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BNSF locomotives rumble through Council Bluffs, IA.

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DOW 7's dish and the edge of the anvil cloud are seen in this shot.

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The lighting make the precipitation core of this storm south of Council Bluffs, IA, appear worse than it really was. Onl

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Peering out from underneath the anvil. There were lightning bolts aplenty at this time!

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The sun peeks out from between cumulus clouds. Our storm did not last very long.

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The hallways at the Hilton in Downtown Omaha are very long.
May 29 - Brewster, NE

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Much of north-central Nebraska is rather beautiful.

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We scanned a storm as it moved away from us just south of Ainesworth, NE. A rainbow began to form as it was still rainin

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A full-arc double rainbow was visible.

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The other side of the rainbow.

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The rainbow begins to fade.

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One of our cameramen gets some unique shots on a desolate stretch of highway in northwestern Nebraska.

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DOW 7's shadow.

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DOW 6 got stuck in the sand. It's DOW 7 to the rescue!

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Is this the road to nowhere?

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The sun beings to set...

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A nice silhouette of a hill and a few trees.

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The sun gets lower in the sky. Notice the small pond in the foreground.

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The distant storms and low clouds in the eastern sky are painted many different colors as the sun sets.

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The remainder of the drive back to Grand Island, NE, will be in the dark.
May 27 - Travel to Topeka, KS

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What is the significance of this bridge? This is likely the bridge under which the TV crew sought shelter from a tornado

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Herb and Justin take shelter under the girders.

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An interesting look at a pillar of the bridge.

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The Flint Hills in east-central Kansas are quite scenic.

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This vehicle was right next to DOW 7 as we waited in line at the toll booth near Topeka. It was a little freaky - the ca
May 26 - Gainesville, TX

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Crepuscular rays stream around a towering cumulus cloud to the west. We are located at the US 377/380 intersection, just

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Mammatus clouds frame a dirt lane at DOW 7's deployment site. This storm was a left split of the Fort Worth storm. Fortu

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In the western sky, the setting sun, the updraft, and the anvil led to a bit of an optical show.

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DOW 7 with mammatus clouds in the background. DOW 7 is located near Slidell, TX.

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Another look at the mammatus.

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Light rain had already begun at sunset, leading to this shot.

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The setting sun tinges the approaching precipitation core red. In the foreground, the Weather Channel does a live shot.
May 25 - Sentinel, OK

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Paul Markowski delivers the morning weather briefing.

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Happy Memorial Day! Remember that freedom isn't free!

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DOW 6 has a big dish. It was performing a solar alignment test as we stopped for lunch in Clarendon, TX.

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Sean Casey's Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV2).

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An old diner in Estelline, TX.

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DOW 7 dominates the town square in Estelline, TX.

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A closer look at the Estelline town square. The dark clouds are associated with the first storm of the day, which prompt

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Lake Altus with the Quartz Mountains in the background as we passed near the town of Granite in western Oklahoma.

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An updraft base and a wall cloud on the forward flank of a dying supercell near Sentinel, OK. For the non-meteorologists

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Trees perfectly illuminated by the setting sun north of Sweetwater, OK.

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The sun is obscured by the anvil of a distant storm near Canadian, TX. The storm we were targeting died, making us three

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Corpuscular rays seem to burst forth beneath the anvil of a storm to the west.
May 24 - Travel - Nebraska to Texas

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Smells like Kansas!

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The Buffalo Bill statue near Oakley, KS.

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The aptly-named Storm Machine Shop in Scott City, KS.

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Southwestern Kansas is very flat.

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The abandoned mall in downtown Liberal, KS. This downtown was in worse shape than I remembered.

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US-83 heads straight for a thunderstorm.

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Not all of the Texas Panhandle is flat; the Canadian River Valley can be quite butte-iful.

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A rainbow is visible as we cross the Canadian River.

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Another view of the rainbow.
May 23 - Paxton, NE

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We retraced our route southward toward I-80 in Nebraska. Here is a better view of Courthouse Rock and Jailhouse Rock nea

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A shelf cloud approaches DOW 7's deployment site just south of Paxton, NE.

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How would you like to come home and see a DOW in your driveway? Well, someone did, but they didn't seem to mind. In fact

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Can you guess why this cloud formation is known as the whale's mouth?

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There was a lowered cloud base on the eastern end of this small cluster of multicellular convection. No rotation, though

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Karen steps out of the back of the DOW for a quick look at the storms.

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Enough cameras for you? Don't forget that I am holding one too.

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Karen sloshes through the mud to help DOW 6.

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Dirt roads get very muddy after it rains. Fortunately, Herb is the best DOW driver in the business.
May 22 - Hot Springs, SD

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A view from above of one of the valleys in the Black Hills. It may be scenic, but you cannot deploy a radar here.

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An isolated ranch in the Black Hills.

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Descending the western slopes of the Black Hills. Much of eastern Wyoming is very flat, but we never made it that far w

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The best storm of the day developed over the central Black Hills. It remained quite unimpressive during its lifecycle.

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TIV kept busy getting shots of various vehicles for their IMAX movie. One mesonet vehicle had a close encounter with a b

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There are no paved roads in the small town of Buffalo Gap, SD.

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DOW 7's final deployment site was near some beehives. Now you know the latest buzz.

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A small farm just east of the Black Hills.

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A line of NSSL mobile mesonets and the field command vehicle in front of one of our hotels in Hot Springs, SD.

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DOW 5 is a Hard Core storm chaser.

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Two anonymous Penn State professors.
May 21 - Black Hills, SD

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A lonely house in the Pine Hills of Northwestern Nebraska. Some of the trees behind the house were recently burned in a

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A lake with a few dead trees nearby just across the South Dakota border.

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Buffalo grazing in Wind Cave National Park.

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Some of the buffalo were surprisingly close to the road.

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An antelope atop a ridge.

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The Black Hills contain many granite outcroppings such as this one.

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The Crazy Horse Monument will not be completed anytime soon.

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A lake in the Black Hills.

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The side of George Washington's face as seen from the highway.

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VORTEX2 at Mount Rushmore.

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We weren't the only ones who made the trip.

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A zoomed-in shot of Mount Rushmore.

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Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.

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A group photo at Mount Rushmore.

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Looking up at the presidents from a half-mile trail below Mount Rushmore.

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We spotted a mountain goat along the trail.

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One final look at the presidents before I ate an elk steak dinner with Moose Drool beer. The Dark Horse restaurant in Cu
May 20 - Alliance, NE

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Courthouse Rock and Jailhouse Rock as viewed from US-26 in Western Nebraska.

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Anyone need any spare tractor parts?

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Chimney Rock is visible about 2/3rds of the way to the right in this picture.

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This is the traffic that results when the entire VORTEX2 armada descends on a small Nebraska town.

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Nice contrast between the sand hills and a dark precipitation core.

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Corpuscular rays above one of the many coal trains in this area.

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The spray from an oncoming truck is illuminated by the sun.

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Peaceful.

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Here comes a BNSF locomotive!

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The updraft base of a small supercell north of Alliance. Weak rotation and pea-sized hail were observed with this storm.

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We were treated to this great shot following the storm intercept.

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A picturesque view of a windmill and a rainbow on the Nebraska prairie.

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Mammatus clouds with more distant convection behind them.

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A redneck rest area that consists of an easy chair and a toilet on top of bales of hay.

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DOW 7 makes a visit to Carhenge with a storm in the background.

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Carhenge. Yes, those are actual cars that have been painted gray.

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A storm backlit by the setting sun as seen from our hotel in Alliance.
May 19 - Ogallala, NE

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The sand hills rise in the distance as seen from I-80 in Western Nebraska. Contrary to popular opinion, most of Nebraska

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Wind turbines near the edge of an anvil in extreme northeastern Colorado.

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DOW 7 scans a meager storm in northern Colorado, only a half a mile south of the Nebraska border. The precipitation from

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The scenery is reflected in the side of the radar truck.

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DOW 7 hit a lot of very large bugs the previous evening.
May 16 - Wakita, OK - Greensburg, KS

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Wakita, OK, is definitely off of the beaten path.

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Dorothy, myself, and one of our tornado pods at the Twister movie museum in Wakita, OK.

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Herb climbs inside Dorothy.

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Croatia conquers Wakita.

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The World's Largest Hand-Dug Well in Greenburg, KS. The well is over 100 feet deep and is over 20 feet across. Unfortu

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Two years after the devastating tornado, new houses begin to sprout up among the old streets and broken trees in Greensb

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This tornado-damaged car now serves as a billboard for a home builder.

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Some of the trees damaged in the tornado have surprisingly begun to come back to life.

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Greensburg is a mix of new homes and vacant lots. The old streets give it a feel distinct from a new subdivision, howev

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Nothing else need to be said.

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Some areas of Greensburg are well on their way to recovery.

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This piece of crumpled metal was thrown into this tree by the strong winds in the tornado.

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This foundation is one of the few tornado-damaged structures left. It sits just across the street from brand new homes.

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Did a family take shelter in this basement?

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The only structure in the downtown area to survive the tornado.

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Corpuscular rays break through an altocumulus deck between Greensburg and Hays.
May 15 - Enid, OK

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DOW 6 and DOW 7 synchronize their scans in Enid, OK.

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DOW7 deployed well ahead of the approaching squall line northwest of Enid, OK.

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Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain...

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And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet when the wind comes right behind the rain.

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Is this the road less traveled?

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Me hiding in a wheat field.

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The squall line and attendant shelf cloud approach DOW 7. Notice the striations in the lower part of the cloud.

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Here comes the shelf cloud....

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You can see the turbulent underside of the shelf cloud in this picture.

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The sky implies much worse weather than what actually happened.

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Wave goodbye to the warm, moist air needed for tornadoes for at least a week.
May 14 - Yukon, OK

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From left to right: DOW 7, DOW 6, and DOW 5.

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Correcting wiring issues on the tornado pods.

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A strangely named restaurant that happened to be right next door to our hotel.

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Three of our twelve tornado pods.

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Josh and Karen in the back of DOW 7 after a hard day's work.
May 13 - Binger, OK

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Anyone know why this road has four lanes?

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A ragged wall cloud near sunset east of Binger, OK.
May 12 - Silverton, TX

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The Field Command vehicle is on the left and the NOAA dual-polarization radar is on the right. VORTEX2 owns I-40!

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So this is how they ship wind turbines.

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Me in the town square in Silverton, TX.

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Looking up at the old windmill.

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An old jailhouse and windmill in Silverton, TX.

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The small building in the center of town is an old jail museum. I've been locked up!

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An anvil spreads over the main street in Silverton, TX. According to the Weather Channel, the burritos from this Allsup'

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Blowing dust beneath weakening multicellular convection west of Silverton, TX.

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DOW7 casts a long shadow as it arrives in Childress, TX, for the evening.

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A rainbow over the mobile mesonets in Childress, TX.

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Our hotel is about to be cored!
May 10 - Departure

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Wave clouds over Norman, OK, suggest that the atmosphere is stable and that this will not be an operations day.

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Justin prepares DOW6 for departure.

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Wave clouds and the DOWs.
May 8 - Media Day

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The Media fill the auditorium at the National Weather Center in Norman, OK.

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Josh Wurman gives one of many interviews on Media Day.

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Mobile radar trucks and satellite trucks.

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Dorothy, from the movie Twister is on the left and TOTO, used by NSSL in the 1980s is on the right.

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The new National Weather Center at the University of Oklahoma doesn't hold a candle to Walker Building. Not even close.