Sunday, May 26 (16:47 EDT)

Asheville, NC

After 5508 miles (an average of 459 miles per day), five chase days, and countless life-changing learning opportunities, the Severe Weather Field Experience class returned safely to Asheville early Saturday morning. Thanks to all of our students for a fantastic trip!

Saturday, May 25 (00:34 CDT)

Oklahoma City, OK

On Thursday, the Severe Weather Field Experience class woke up in Olathe, KS. After a morning map discussion, we decided to target evening thunderstorms along the dryline in western Oklahoma nearly 500 miles away. As we traveled southwestward, we took a detour to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve to explore the terrain and history of eastern Kansas. After a short hike across the prairie, we continued toward Oklahoma and intercepted a storm near Sayre. Just as we arrived, it gave us one rumble of thunder and evaporated before our eyes! We hopped in the van and targeted a stronger storm even farther south near Hollis, OK. As we approached, the new storm produced a tornado, but we were on the north side. To remain safe from hail, we drove around the slow-moving storm to approach from the southeast. Unfortunately, the storm weakened and gusted out just as we arrived, so we did not see the tornado, but we did see a rotating wall cloud. Nevertheless, everyone thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the chaotic warm, moist inflow and cold outflow winds. After dark, we drove to Vernon, TX for dinner and then enjoyed a lightning show on the way back to Oklahoma City for the night.

We have only a few hours left of a 1000-mile journey before we arrive at UNC Asheville late tonight.

Clockwise from top left: The class observes the rotating wall cloud in a tornadic supercell; students enjoyed the high winds as the supercell gusted out; the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve; students with a bison at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

Thursday, May 23 (00:23 CDT)

Olathe, KS

The Severe Weather Field Experience class traveled to Kansas City, MO today to visit the NOAA Aviation Weather Center. Our hosts described the various operational and support positions within the organization and offered great advice for our students as they choose their careers. Several of our students were so impressed that they are seriously considering pursuing careers with the Aviation Weather Center. This afternoon, we scheduled a visit to the private weather forecast consulting firm Weather or Not in Shawnee, KS. Despite Dr. Godfrey cold calling them with only 20 minutes lead time while they are in the middle of an office move at the end of the day, they graciously met with us for an extended discussion of their operations and shared attributes that they look for when hiring meteorologists. We will spend the night in Olathe, KS.

Clockwise from top left: The class at the NOAA Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, Missouri; the students learn about tropical aviation forecasting; an extended career discussion at the NOAA Aviation Weather Center; the geographic center of the United States between Colorado and Iowa on Tuesday.

Wednesday, May 22 (00:05 CDT)

Ottumwa, IA

The Severe Weather Field Experience class targeted northeastern Colorado on Monday. After a long drive from Central Oklahoma, we found a beautiful supercell near Woodrow, CO. Better yet, we also found UNC Asheville alumnus and NWS meteorologist Gerald Satterwhite! At one point near sunset, it looked like our storm would produce a tornado, but it couldn’t quite get its act together. Instead, the storm produced an enormous quantity of hail from an 80 dBZ core. We of course avoided that part of the storm and spent the night in Burlington, CO.

On Tuesday, we targeted an area of significant tornado potential in Iowa. The challenge was getting there in time for the early afternoon event. We left our hotel at 6:20 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time and logged approximately 650 miles by mid-afternoon with only two stops. Unfortunately, we needed one more hour to make it to central Iowa in time to catch the storms that moved across the landscape at a blistering pace. The storms were just too fast to intercept safely. On the way, though, we crossed over three fresh tornado damage tracks, including the path of a tornado that later produced significant damage in Greenfield, IA. After a lovely meal at a local Italian restaurant, we will spend the night in Ottumwa, IA.

Clockwise from top left: The class in the Colorado High Plains; Zachary and a supercell thunderstorm; a supercell in the Colorado High Plains; hail curtains in a supercell near Melrose, Iowa.

Monday, May 20 (01:50 CDT)

Weatherford, Oklahoma

The Severe Weather Field Experience class began the day in Fairview, Oklahoma with a lengthy map discussion and decided to target potential storms along the dryline in the Texas panhandle. After a quick lunch in Woodward, Oklahoma we headed toward a lone cell in the northeastern Texas panhandle. We diligently chased this thunderstorm for over four hours to just east of Weatherford, Oklahoma. The storm showed excellent rotation on radar once it reached the moister environment near the TX-OK border, and we carefully stayed south of it to avoid the large hail, though the rear flank downdraft (RFD) pelted us with lots of wind and rain a few times! Once the storm matured, we and a host of other chasers, including a few radar trucks and other university groups, followed the storm east-southeastward. We observed a rotating wall cloud on several occasions, but rain eventually wrapped around the mesocyclone, reducing visibility, and it was not safe to get any closer given the very strong RFD. Just past Weatherford, Oklahoma and several miles south of the main rain-wrapped rotation, we pulled off the road to reevaluate just as a gustnado (a strong rotation not attached to the rotating parent mesocyclone) passed directly over our van! We felt the van rock a little as it was pelted by rain and gravel for a few seconds, then watched a swirl of water a few meters wide cross the road in front of us and travel up the grassy embankment of I-40. Suddenly, the roof and walls of a barn across the highway lifted into the air! We decided to check on the occupants of the adjacent house before driving further. Dr. Godfrey discovered a family trapped in their storm cellar by a barn roof section and a downed power pole and was able to summon the authorities to help the family and their four dogs to escape to safety. Thankfully, their home and truck were not damaged. It was dark by the time we finished helping, so we decided to call it a night and grab dinner and a hotel in Weatherford, Oklahoma.

Clockwise from top left: The class looks up toward mammatus clouds; Jack grabs his tripod before jumping into the van; Lexi photographs a scud bomb (despite its appearance, this is not a tornado); Dr. Godfrey helps firefighters remove roof sections and a power pole from a tornado shelter where a family was trapped.

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.