5/20/2011 Cold Pools & Cutoffs

Yesterday was the first 'good' chase day for the students enrolled in College of Dupage's ESAS 1800 experiential learning lab course as a vertically stacked 'cutoff' low has been creating unfavorable supercell environments across the Great Plains. We started the day in Norman, OK, with eyes on two potential targets (S central KS & N central TX). We opted for the northern target, which was characterized by marginal CAPE and less than ideal hodographs (backing in the upper-levels). While storms never exhibited any rotation and were surely not to be imminently tornadic, the bubbling CU up and over the cold pool along Hwy 61 between Pratt and Turon KS offered for a pretty view in the early evening hours. We finished the day off in Wichita's Oldtown district with steaks and beverages from Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill. Today (Saturday) looks like a play near the Flinthills in KS with tomorrow shaping up to be interesting in IA/IL. More pics later as we are about to leave for lunch...

Jeff and Paul discuss the importance of nanometers per fortnight
CU's bubbling up over the cold pool near Pratt, KS