2:10pm Chase Update

06 May 2012 David Reimer 0 Comments

Even with limited possibilities of moisture return today in advance of the approaching cold front, we’re still chasing…because that’s what we do! Jenny is gracing me with her presence today and will hopefully bring us some good fortune in our efforts this evening. We are streaming live video as we head towards our initial target in Bowie, TX. Watch us at www.texasstormchasers.com/live

Another Day; Another Risk of Severe Weather

06 May 2012 David Reimer 0 Comments

This graphic shows the probability of experiencing a severe thunderstorm within 25 miles of your location today and tonight. The brown shaded zones are what we consider a low risk, or a 5 percent chance. Within the yellow zone, the Storm Prediction Center has issued a standard risk of severe weather which means there is a 15 percent chance of experiencing severe weather within 25 miles of any given point. Thunderstorm coverage will be isolated across South Texas with a slightly higher coverage expected across North Texas.

The strongest storms will be capable of producing golfball size hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 MPH. However, all storms will be capable of producing cloud to ground lightning. As it is a Sunday and numerous outdoor events are planned, please keep that in mind. Thunderstorms should begin firing by 4 to 5 PM to the west of Interstate 35 and begin approaching Interstate 35 by 6 to 9 PM. Remember, expect the unexpected when it comes to thunderstorms and have a way to receive weather warnings later this afternoon, especially if you’re planning to be outdoors. When thunder roars, go indoors!

We’ll be chasing northwest of Fort Worth this afternoon and plan on following the storms back into the metroplex. We’ll have live video available after 1 PM.

5/04/2012 – Cisco, Texas Supercell

05 May 2012 David Reimer 0 Comments

5/04/2012 – Cisco, Texas Supercell + Lightning

Texas Storm Chasers’ David Reimer embarked on a local chase on May 4, 2012. Storms formed just before 4 PM in Throckmorton County, Texas. He witnessed brief supercellular characteristics before bugging south to avoid large hail. After being treated to a beautiful sunset with mammatus, he took several lightning photos.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the Hill Country until 10 PM

05 May 2012 David Reimer 0 Comments

A relatively small severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for portions of the Texas Hill Country until 10 PM. Thunderstorms are beginning to develop in an environment with extreme instability values but relatively weak windshear. This means that significant severe weather, such as tornadoes, are unlikely, but some hail and damaging downbursts are possible.

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 

          CENTRAL TEXAS

   EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 505 PM UNTIL
   1000 PM CDT.

   HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
   MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

  REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
   FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
   AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
   THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
   AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
   DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

  DISCUSSION...A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR
   AND JUST E OF A DIFFUSE DRYLINE IN CENTRAL TX.  FLOW ALOFT IS
   RELATIVELY WEAK/ANTICYCLONIC...BUT SURFACE TEMPERATURES NEAR 100 F
   AND DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 60S ARE CONTRIBUTING TO STEEP LOW-LEVEL
   LAPSE RATES AND MLCAPE NEAR 4000 J/KG.  THE WEAK VERTICAL SHEAR
   SUGGESTS THAT INDIVIDUAL STORMS WILL NOT BE LONG-LIVED...BUT THE
   STEEP LAPSE RATES/LARGE CAPE WILL SUPPORT A RISK OF BOTH STRONG
   UPDRAFTS WITH LARGE HAIL...AND STRONG DOWNDRAFTS WITH DAMAGING WIND
   POTENTIAL THROUGH LATE EVENING.

Isolated severe storms expected in the Hill Country

05 May 2012 David Reimer 0 Comments

After a somewhat busy weather day on Friday, we’re expecting a more localized, isolated severe weather threat for Saturday. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a standard risk of severe weather, shown in yellow, along and about 50 miles east of a dryline expected to be located from Del Rio, to San Angelo, to Vernon line. A strong cap will help to limit overall thunderstorm coverage and wind shear is going to be a tad less then Friday. Still, any thunderstorms that develop will have the potential to become severe with large hail and downburst winds possible. The most likely zone to see isolated thunderstorms will be between Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 in the yellow shaded zone, but one or two storms cannot be ruled out north of Interstate 20.