Chase Log: May 18th, 2004

Click on any of the SPC products below (Convective Outlooks, Watches, or MCDs) to see the SPC's "Severe Thunderstorm Events" page pertaining to this event.

NO CHASE MAP EXISTS

Total Distance: 460 miles
Target Area: Wellington to Wichita, KS
Chase Area: BUST
Maximum SPC Risk category: Slight
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs): 744, 749, 753, and 755

We left Norman / Moore knowing that there was probably a better chance than not that any convection would be inhibited by a decent cap. That being said, a nice juxtaposition of strong instability (3000-4000 J/KG CAPE) and good shear north of a resident outflow boundary across southeastern KS gave a too-good-to-miss scenario to us. We met up with several other chasers in Wellington and proceeded to meander northward to stay with the boundary and areas of best convergence. A few towers really tried to break the cap near Wichita by late afternoon, but none could hold for more than 10-20 minutes. Realizing that this was going to be a cap bust, we decided to check out the tornado damage south of Harper from the tornadoes on May 12th. After looking at the incredible damage, we headed home, storm-less. Seeing that damage and thinking of the incredible power of the tornadoes from May 12th made the trip worth it.