Storm Chase Log: July 9, 2007

[SamSagnella]

During the late afternoon hours, a bonafide severe thunderstorm passed through the Norman area, bringing with it pea-sized hail and measured wind gusts of 58, 65, and 68mph. While waiting for the sun to set and illuminate the departing mammatus, Tommy Winning and I did an impromptu damage survey of the areas near and south of the OU campus. We found mainly tree damage, although a refreshments trailer was blown onto its side in the Lloyd Noble Center parking lot and a 'pedestrian crossing' sign was bent over along Jenkins Avenue.


As we were touring the grounds of the National Weather Center (the location of the 68mph gust), a few towers went up to our immediate west, effectively ending our chances of a cool sunset-mammatus combo. We were bummed out for a few minutes before realizing that this was in fact new initiation occurring over the Mustang area of SErn Canadian County.


The storm quickly became better organized, and even briefly exhibited supercell characteristics, before quickly weakening as the boundary layer decoupled around dusk. For approximately thirty minutes the storm was a nearly stationary prolific CG-producer, which provided the perfect opportunity for our first real lightning-photography success.


A third storm, which had a really cool roll cloud with it, came through about 90 minutes later, and gave us one of my favorite images of the day along HWY9 just west of Riverwind Casino.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

Awesome pictures!!!

[CajunMama]

Great lightning pics that you were able to capture.

[Aquawind]

Nice pics! The last is the very cool..

[SamSagnella]

Thanks, everyone! Yeah, that roll cloud was just spectacular; definitely among my top five images that we've ever captured.