Saturday, May 18 (23:04 CDT)

Fairview, Oklahoma

With our week of scheduled academic activities complete and no severe weather in the region today, the Severe Weather Field Experience class enjoyed a visit to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma. After a stop at the Meers Store & Restaurant for lunch, we hiked up Elk Mountain. The group encountered bison, longhorn cattle, elk, lizards, and even a rattlesnake! We will spend the night in Fairview, Oklahoma in advance of an exciting day of storm chasing on Sunday.

Clockwise from top left: Piper, Andrew, and Evan take in the view across southwestern Oklahoma and northern Texas; the class at the summit of Elk Mountain; the first crew to reach the top; and a bison poses for a photo.

Friday, May 17 (23:08 CDT)

Moore, Oklahoma

Today, the Severe Weather Field Experience class visited the National Weather Service forecast office in Norman, OK. Our hosts entertained dozens of questions and gave invaluable advice for those interested in a career with the National Weather Service. After lunch at the Flying Cow Café in the National Weather Center, we visited the Radar Innovations Laboratory, home of the latest meteorological radar research. Dr. David Bodine showed us the RaXPol mobile radar and an anechoic chamber for testing radars. After an official tour of the National Weather Center, punctuated by an impromptu lesson in dual-polarized radar variables in the hallway, we wrapped up the evening with a viewing of the classic movie "Twister".

Clockwise from top left: the Norman National Weather Service forecast office; Jack issues a (demonstration) tornado warning at the National Weather Service forecast office; the RaXPol mobile radar; and an anechoic chamber for testing radars.

Thursday, May 16 (23:34 CDT)

Moore, Oklahoma

After averaging over 475 miles in the van for each of the last three days, we decided to stick closer to Norman and Oklahoma City today. We began the day with a fascinating tour of the Radar Operations Center with Operations Branch Chief Mike Miller and Radar Focal Point Cynthia Fay. Each student bravely ascended five flights of stairs to climb inside the radome of a NEXRAD WSR-88D! Following our radar experience, we crossed the parking lot to visit the Advanced Technology Demonstrator phased array radar and to learn more about the newest version of this technology. Photos from inside would necessitate a lot of paperwork, so we can’t show you that. After lunch, the students met with the OU School of Meteorology graduate liaison Danika Hines-Barnett to learn about the graduate school application process. We wrapped up the educational part of the day with an extended visit to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey’s Fred V. Brock Standards Laboratory, where Ethan Becker explained calibration procedures, followed by a study of the instrumentation setup on an Oklahoma Mesonet tower just outside the National Weather Center. We wrapped up the day with dinner at "Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill" in Oklahoma City, followed by a stroll along the Bricktown Canal.

Clockwise from top left: The Radar Operations Center; the Fred V. Brock Standards Laboratory; the Advanced Technology Demonstrator phased array radar; and the Dr. Kenneth C. Crawford Oklahoma Mesonet site.

The students explored the inside of a NEXRAD WSR-88D radome.

More pictures appear on the UNC Asheville Meteorology Facebook page.

Wednesday, May 15 (23:59 CDT)

Moore, Oklahoma

We started the day with a trip to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) where Bill Bunting, Deputy Director, gave the class an overview of SPC operations and a sneak peak at future forecast products. We later visited DTN, where Matt Gaffner provided his perspective on the role of meteorologists in private industry. This afternoon, we drove to northern Oklahoma where we found our friend, Reed Timmer. With a great forecast for the location of convection initiation, we quickly intercepted a beautiful supercell near the Kansas–Oklahoma border that produced a rotating wall cloud and some large hail.

The class and their supercell.

Clockwise from top left: Bill Bunting discusses the SPC; a visit to DTN; large hail; and Reed Timmer and the Dominator.

More pictures appear on the UNC Asheville Meteorology Facebook page.

Tuesday, May 14 (23:41 CDT)

Moore, Oklahoma

We drove to Norman, Oklahoma today. We first met with Dr. Daphne LaDue to discuss REU programs and internships in the atmospheric sciences. We wandered into the National Weather Center library where we explored the archives and marveled at the historical documents. Then we visited KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City and enjoyed a fantastic tour and discussion with chief meteorologist and UNC Asheville alumnus Damon Lane. More pictures appear on the UNC Asheville Meteorology Facebook page.

Clockwise from top left: Dr. Daphne LaDue speaks to the class; the KOCO-TV helicopter and chase vehicle; a group photo at the National Weather Center; and the KOCO-TV weather studio.

Monday, May 13 (23:54 CDT)

Conway, Arkansas

The 2024 Severe Weather Field Experience is off to a great start! This evening, we dropped in for dinner and great live music at B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. We also visited Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid to take in the vast retail space inside before heading farther west. For several people, this is their first trip across the Mississippi River and for some, it was even their first visit to Tennessee! After 675 miles, we made it to Conway, Arkansas for the night.

The class walked on Beale Street in Memphis, TN.