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 materialize. The first round of thunderstorms was forming and sweeping across Arkansas. That initial round would produce a strong, damaging tornado in Little Rock. It would later be rated an EF-3.

So, we missed the Little Rock storm, but got ourselves into position for the next round of cells firing later in the afternoon. We found a gravel road that paralleled a storm we were watching near Wynne, Ark.

This photo shows what Mira and I think was the formation of the Wynne tornado. There's clearly a lowering, maybe a bowl funnel, preceding the tornado. We knew this was our storm, the source of action, so we followed it. I tuned the car radio to a station in Wynne; the broadcasters were live with storm reports and first responder scanner traffic.

As we approached the storm, we knew something big was hiding inside. Upon first viewing, it looked as if the whole mesocyclone was touching the ground. Then dust and rain filled the gaps and obscured our view. In this photo, the tornado is well hidden but is impacting the town of Wynne.

Mira and I decided not to go to Wynne to assist first responders. We have some safety equipment, but there were already police and firefighters heading to the town, so we opted to stay out of their way. Sadly, four people died in the Wynne tornado, as it struck the town while moving at nearly highway speeds. It would also be rated an EF-3.

Mira and I ultimately ended the night in Memphis, trying to keep up with another cell but giving in to terrible construction and traffic throughout the city. We pulled into a shopping area to get some barbecue, and as we did the warning sirens sounded in the city. Serendipitous timing, of course.

All in all, I consider our first chase of the year to be a successful one. We were following the right storm, which did produce several tornadoes -- we just couldn't see them because of our position. Something to keep in mind for next time.

Now it's April 14, eleven years to the day of Mira and I's biggest chase yet. Her, my sister Melinda and I are going to roam around north-central Oklahoma and south-central Kansas today. There's conditional chances of severe storms, with all hazards possible. I have a feeling we'll see something cool, even if we bust.

One thing we will go see is the Twistex memorial site near El Reno, OK. Mira and I have been meaning to visit and pay our respects to Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras, and Carl Young. I'll make a post about that later.

Time to hit the road!