Monday June 1, 1998
The participants of the chase:
Chase 1 (Red Jet)- Cory Gibson, Bart Wolf, Ph.D (FC), Jessica Irvin, Sarah Van Tol
Chase 2 (Echotop) - Ken Oliver, Tim Hansel (TL), Kelly Smith, Linda Kornowski (Log)
Chase 3 (V-Notch) - Jeremy Hodges, Ed Roberts (TL), Jason Reese, Dave Nelson
Chase 4 (BWER) - Rich Weiss, Greg Cubbon (TL), John Rosich, Dave Cetola
8:56am: Chase departure from Valparaiso University.
10:00am: Heading west on I-80 (mile 145)...under sunny skies
10:14am: Temperature of 69 deg. and dewpoint of 43 deg.
10:41am: Temperature of 71 deg. and 37 deg. dewpoint at
mile 222 on I-55 heading south
11:25am: Mile 175 on I-55 South. TOILET tested...a
couple of strikes to the N/NW in central Iowa.
11:28am: Continous "TOILET training" for the girls
of chase 1
12:45pm: Stop for gas and food
1:13pm: Finished eating and back on the road again
1:19pm: Temperature of 78 deg. At mile marker 95 on I-55
South. TOILET indicates lightning to the N/NW
2:00pm: TOILET is now indicates no strikes
2:10pm: Temperature of 80 deg., dewpoint of 40 deg at mile
30 on I-55 South
2:24pm: Mile 14 on I-270 West - highway change
3:16pm: Temperature of 84 deg., dewpoint of 55 deg. at
mile 213 on I-70 West
4:15pm: Stopped in Kingdom City at Super 8 for the night.
Tuesday June 2, 1998
8:00am: Morning discussion...decision made to go to Miami,
Oklahoma. Slight risk for area and relocation day.
8:21am: Depart from Kingdom City.
9:35am: Lake Ozark on I-54 West. Temperature of 85 deg.,
64 deg. dewpoint
9:59am: Stop for gas. There is a live bait vending machine!!
11:15am: At mile marker 73 on 44 West. Temperature of 90 deg.
and dewpoint of 71 deg.
12:00pm: Temperature of 91 deg. and dewpoint of 67 deg. at
mile 26 on 44 South
12:45pm: Stopped for day in Miami, Oklahoma
Wednesday June 3, 1998
10:55am: Leave Miami, OK...heading west on 10, north 59
Temperature of 88 deg. and 65 deg. dewpoint
11:25am: On 59 North, just north of Chetopa, Kansas.
Temperature of 90 deg., 68 deg. dewpoint, and
calm wind.
12:00pm: Stop for gas and lunch in Parsons, Kansas
12:40pm: Back on the road again
1:10pm: At 59 South and CR 7000...temperature of 92 deg.
and 71 deg. dewpoint.
1:50pm: Again return to motel
Thursday June 4, 1998
10:28am: Leaving Miami, Oklahoma...temperature of 63 deg.
and 51 deg. dewpoint
11:13am: On 59 South...between Miami and Pryor, OK
12:25pm: Pryor, OK...temperature 74 deg. and 57 deg. dewpoint
1:30pm: Over Muskogen River...temperature of 80 deg. and 67
deg. dewpoint
1:56pm: On dirt road E970...temperature of 82 deg. and 71
deg. dewpoint
2:30pm: On 40 East and mile 270...temperature of 84 deg.
and 74 deg. dewpoint
2:41pm: Stop for gas at exit 278 on 40 East...temperature
of 88 deg. and 76 deg. dewpoint.
2:45pm: Head south for better positioning
3:25pm: Return to gas station at exit 278, 1000-mile mark
of trip
4:00pm: On I-40 going to I-69...had our first chaser
convergence with Colorado people
4:07pm: Passed a second chase team. We head south on
I-69...they head north.
4:10pm: Colorado chasers turn out to be from SUNY Albany...
Why Colorado plates???
4:20pm: Light rain begins to fall...McAlester, OK on 69
South...temperature of 88 deg. and 76 deg.
dewpoint
5:30pm: Stop at McDonalds and Dairy Queen in Atoka, OK.
5:45pm: Stop a few miles west of Atoka on highway 7 to
eat a so-called rest stop
6:05pm: Head from Atoka, OK south towards Sherman, TX
on South 69/75...dewpoint of 89 deg. and 75 deg.
dewpoint
6:20pm: Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Lamar
and Delta counties in Texas...92 deg.
temperature and 76 deg. dewpoint in Dupont, OK
6:47pm: Severe thunderstorm warning for Denton and Wise
counties until 7:45pm...west of Ft. Worth...we are
just accross Red River in Texas, exit 69.
6:57pm: Temperature of 94 deg. and 76 deg. dewpoint...On
75 South (exit 57)...let the excitement begin
7:04pm: Severe thunderstorm warning for Hood, Summerville...
south of present location
7:15pm: Gust front hits gas station where we are fueling
up...decision made to head back to motel
8:15pm: Head out to take lightning pictures
Friday June 5, 1998
8:50am: Leave our hotel in Sherman, TX...temperature of 68
deg. and 57 deg. dewpoint...head south on 75
9:45am: On 635 East and I-30...temperature of 71 deg. and
59 deg. dewpoint
11:45am: Stopped for lunch and gas in Temple, TX
12:43pm: Just south of Temple on I-35...78 deg. temperature
and 64 deg. dewpoint
1:00pm: South I-35 near Jarrell, TX...temperature of 82
deg. and 69 deg. dewpoint
1:31pm: Arrive at motel in Austin
2:05pm: leave motel and head south 29000 and 35 South
2:30pm: Take 71 West
2:50pm: NOTE: Do not chase west of Austin
3:33pm: Head back to motel to look at radar
3:43pm: Leave motel again and head east on 290
3:58pm: TOILET registering 205 strikes per minute
4:04pm: TOILET up to 300 strikes per minute
4:06pm: Decision made to go south on I-95
4:18pm: TOILET up to 350 strikes per minute
4:20pm: Head west on 71
4:32pm: Now heading south on 304
4:34pm: Decide to sit under smiling water tower...but
decide cannot because we are under radio tower...
so we continue south
4:45pm: Stopped at intersection of 535 and 304 to observe...
see tremendous CG, heavy rain, and hail is
reported just south of our location at 5:06pm
5:10pm: Pea size hail begins to fall
5:28pm: Decision made to head back north and take 535
east
5:31pm: Severe thunderstorm warning for Williamson
county, moving NE at 30mph
5:51pm: TOILET register 535 strikes pre minute!!
6:04pm: Now heading east on 21
6:12pm: We take 77 North
Saturday June 6, 1998
8:35am: Leave motel for gas...I-35 South to 290 West
9:09am: Heading on 290 West towards Odessa
9:44am: On 290 West and county road 208 just south
of Johnson County...temperature of 70 deg.
and 52 deg. dewpoint
10:49am: On 290 West between Harper and I-10
10:58am: Now heading west on I-10
11:49am: Temperature of 73 deg. and 42 deg. dewpoint
11:58am: After discussion...now decide to change location
from Odessa to Clovis/Portales, NM
12:00pm: Taking 277 North...stop in Sonora, TX
to eat
1:00pm: On the road again...277 North towards
San Angelo
1:59pm: On 87 North on the north side of San Angelo...
temperature of 80 deg. and 43 deg. dewpoint
2:30pm: Stop at San Angelo gas station
4:16pm: Turn on to 137 North from 87 North...temperature
of 83 deg. and 40 deg. dewpoint
4:45pm: Taking 385 North exchange in Brownfield
5:35pm: Stop for gas in Levell, just after highway
change to 114 West...temperature of 79 deg.
and 42 deg. dewpoint
6:05pm: VUSIT records a new state...New Mexico!!
6:22pm: Still on 114, nearing Dora...temperature of
78 deg. and 41 deg. dewpoint
7:00pm: Stopped in Portales at motel
Sunday June 7, 1998
10:55am: At discussion, was decided to go east-
northeast. CAPE and helicity values
are good...the cap may be weak enough
11:18am: Decide to go to a rest stop near Amarillo,
TX...temperature of 66 deg. and 53 deg.
dewpoint
11:50am: Now traveling on 60 North
1:25pm: Stopped for gas and lunch...now heading
west on 1058
1:38pm: Took 1057 North
1:50pm: Stopped at corner of road 1000 and 1057
2:33pm: Still at same location...temperature of 65
deg. and 55 deg. dewpoint
3:25pm: Decide to head north on 1057 again...severe
thunderstorm warning in county to north
3:40pm: Heading north on 385
5:05pm: Stopped for gas at Dalhart
5:25pm: Leave gas station on 87 North
6:17pm: Tornado watch issued for N/E New Mexico,
TX and OK panhandles, and S/E Colorado...
many warnings south of location, such as
around Clovis, NM
7:10pm: Decide to call it a day...81 North still at
NM/TX border
7:40pm: Storms reported due west have urged us to
change our minds about calling it a day...
heading towards Boise City
8:20pm: Dinner in Boise City
8:56pm: Heading east on 64 towards Guynon
9:11pm: Stopped at dirt road and 64 east
9:42pm: Storms going too far north...we are going
to rake 56 North north/northeastward to
intercept
10:45pm: Going south on 51...temperature of 69 deg.
and 58 deg. dewpoint
11:15pm: Arrive at motel in Liberal, KS
Monday June 8, 1998
7:21am: Leaving motel in Liberal...taking 54 North
9:55am: Highway change to 156/56
10:25am: Still on 156/56 heading northeast...temperature
of 71 deg. and 64 deg. dewpoint
11:29am: Highway change to 70 East
12:15pm: Stop for lunch
1:25pm: Back on road and heading west on 70 to 77
South...current temperature only 64 deg!!
1:47pm: Now heading west on 35 to 135...everything
shifted west
1:51pm: Now heading west on 70
2:20pm: I-70 West at mile 252...temperature of
80 deg. and 69 deg. dewpoint
3:20pm: Head south on 81/135...cells to the west
3:50pm: Stopped at gas station to view storm
off of 81/135...storm just to west
4:02pm: Decide to head south for better position
4:08pm: Now heading north on 81/135 to chase
cell near Lincoln
4:37pm: Head south again on 81/135...tornado warning
just west of Tescott, KS
4:59pm: Confirmed tornado on the ground!!...81 South
to 70 East
5:05pm: Tornado on the ground just south of Bennington...
70 East, mile 263
5:17pm: TOILET identified on radio station 93.7!!
Ken's car identified as well
5:20pm: Chaser convergence with Skywarn members
5:32pm: Heading further east on 70
5:49pm: Storm has died out...TOILET detecting lightning
ahead...decide to continue
7:01pm: Stopped outside Topeka for gas
7:18pm: Turned north on to highway 4...we are headed
towards motel
8:05pm: We enter Missouri on 59/4
9:00pm: Arrive at Maryville, MO motel
Tuesday June 9, 1998
9:50am: Leave motel and have decided to head towards
Southeastern IL and the strongest instability...
Taking 71 South to US 46 East
10:33am: Heading south on 29...mile marker 28
10:50am: Exiting on exit 14 to 435 South to St. Louis
11:00am: Heading northeastward on 435...temperature
71 deg. and 60 deg. dewpoint
11:50am: Heading east on I-70 (mile 57)...temperature
of 80 deg. and 63 deg. dewpoint
12:00pm: Stop for lunch
12:25pm: Back on I-70 east
12:43pm: East on I-70 at mile 86...temperature of
83 deg. and 64 deg. dewpoint
2:22pm: I-70 east at mile 208...temperature of 84
deg. and 68 deg. dewpoint
2:52pm: I-70 east to highway 370 east
3:01pm: 370 east to 270 east
3:20pm: 270 east to 255 south
3:25pm: I-255 south at exit 25B...temperature of
87 deg. and 72 deg. dewpoint
3:26pm: I-255 south to I-64 east
3:40pm: 64 to 50 east
4:15pm: Stop for gas
5:00pm: 50 east to go north on I-57
5:45pm: Stop at gas station to discuss situation
6:28pm: Decision made to chase cell and head on
57 South
7:15pm: Stop at exit 80 on I-64 to take pictures
7:40pm: Head back north on I-57
7:42pm: Stop briefly in Mt. Vernon, IL
8:00pm: Leave Mt. Vernon
8:15pm: Heading north to Mattoon and motel
9:55pm: Arrive at Mattoon
Wednesday June 10, 1998
8:40am: Leaving Mattoon on I-57 North
9:26am: Exiting to I-74 East
10:05am: Will take 63 to 41 and eventually Route 2
eastward
12:07pm: Arrive in Valparaiso
Trip total: 3432.5 miles
Chase Log by Linda Kornowski