Wanted to share a few more of the 2009 Chase Season images – some offering slightly different interpretations of earlier scenes, and some ones I missed posting in the in field.
Here is a picturesque mesocyclone SE of Lubbock TX, on June 2nd:
End of the Rainbow in E Colorado, June 4th:
Blocky Wall cloud before the Goshen County, Wyoming, Tornadoes, June 5th:
The first (very brief) Goshen County, Wyoming tornado. It was not initially clear-cut that there was a circulation on the ground, but a few days later Matt Crowther and I were discussing this event with Josh Wurman and he stated that the their Vortex II data showed the circulation on the ground “a couple of times” before the long duration tornado.
The main tornado assumed a near equilateral triangle cone morphology:
I initially was not happy with the shots during the rain-wrapped phase. I now really like these, as there is a menacing vibe with the tornado partially concealed. The tornado assumed it maximum width during this period:
We moved only once during this event and observed the rope out from this location. There just happened to be a Minuteman III Silo right across the highway (the fenced area), so here is a narrow stovepipe tornado moving towards us with a 300 Kiloton Thermonuclear Warhead in the path (absolutely no threat as the sites are extremely hardened):
The rope-out included this nice sheathed presentation:
Much later in the chase (about 0202 UTC, June 6th), captured this image of a string of chase vehicles blasting south away from this menacing HP core.
11 mm at ISO 1250, as it was getting quite dark (hand held):
Noticed this funnel-esque feature (with what appears to be an RFD cut – time stamp on image is 0215 UTC) – 16 mm at ISO 1250 as it was getting even darker (also hand held).
Not clear -cut as to what is actually happening here, but interesting none-the-less:
Doppler On Wheels (DOW) goes screaming by us (while we are watching a developing cell) on an isolated highway in extreme SW Kansas – June 10:
Nice purple intra-anvil lightning NW of Liberal, Kansas – June 10th:
NSSL Probe (with Vortex II project) outside motel in Lamar, Colorado:
Nice Structure with Pioneer Wagon on Rock Pedestal, Four Corners, Colorado, June 11th (maybe I should try and Clone Stamp out the power lines):
