First Chase of 2023 in the Books; Time for #2
Good morning! The first chase of the year is under my belt, and as I type this I'm preparing for the second one. First, Arkansas. My chase partner Mira and I met up at her home in Joplin on March 30, ahead of a forecasted outbreak of severe storms across Arkansas, with another risk area marking a bullseye over Iowa and Illinois. March 31 was the big day, as the Storm Prediction Center warned of the possibility of "strong, long-track tornadoes" in its forecast language. The day before the big day, I stopped by a Walmart in Joplin to get some snacks and other supplies. The sky over the town was interesting, showing off some undulatus clouds and generally giving me an "ooky" feeling. My human barometer senses were telling me something was off. The next morning, March 31, the ooky feeling persisted. Mira and I set off for Jonesboro, Ark., as our first target. As we arrived in Jonesboro and got settled at a McDonald's to use wifi, darker clouds began to material...