Central Kansas Delivers Amazing Storms

Storm chases have been few and far between this year.  Drought, cooler air and cold front after cold front have really robbed the atmosphere of the energy potental for severe thunderstorms.  But, May 11th it was a different story.  I had a couple of options:  Drive to Nebraska for an enhanced risk of large tornadoes, or drive to central Kansas and possibly catch individual cells that would be more beautiful in structure, but lacking overall tornadic potential.  Well, knowing that I had to be to work at 8 am in OKC helped make my decision, and Kansas it was.  Overall, it was a tremendous day with tornado warned cells that dropped funnels and even a short lived tornado or two.  Here's a pretty good photo summary of the day.

Storms near Highway 183 in Western Kansas.

A well defined funnel southwest of Larned, KS.

Same funnel a few minutes later.

This cell was south of Great Bend, KS.

South of Great Bend, KS

As the storm moved off to the east.

End of the evening.

The Grand Finale.