Todd Thorn, owner of Storm Chasing Adventure Tours, repairs a camera mounted to the top of one of the chase vans.
- Two of the Project Rotate DOWs gas up in Russell, KS.
- Can you tell that it’s windy?
If a day was going to produce severe storms and maybe tornadoes, today was the day. The long awaited moisture had arrived and conditions looked ripe for supercell formation from south central Nebraska to central Kansas. As we drove west from Overland Park, Kansas the severe weather model runs kept getting better and better as the day progressed. By mid-afternoon, we pulled off the road in Russell, Kansas for a quick bite to eat and wait for the atmosphere to tell us where strong storms would fire. A typical chase day often involves long periods of waiting as well as driving. Someone had a football, and a spirited game of pass and catch broke out in the McDonald’s/gas station/motel parking lot. Not long after we arrived, the vehicles of Project Rotate appeared and parked near our location. If you have seen any of the Discovery Channel storm chasing shows, you have probably seen these in action. Here was a great opportunity to get a close-up view of the vehicles, equipment, scientists, and support personnel involved in severe weather research. Heading this particular project is Dr. Josh Wurman, and it was my great pleasure to see him in person wish him luck. About 3:30, the atmosphere told us where to go and the chase was on!
By the way, a group photo of our chase team was taken beside one of the DOW trucks and was posted on the Center for Severe Weather Research Facebook page. You can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=139729992828905&set=a.139729886162249.27671.124264927708745&type=3&theater Can you find me?
