What a long day Wednesday was! April 8 started with a moderate risk for severe weather in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma. We started the day in Denver and got to southern Kansas just as storms were getting fired up. We started the chase in Wellington, Kansas, and headed west towards some cells that looked fairly promising but ultimately a bit disorganized. Then, an isolated supercell popped up in northwest Oklahoma, so we high-tailed it south. We got there just as the tornado warning was issued, but the cell quickly weakened. However, as is the case when storms aren’t panning out, we found a tourist attraction to visit! Gloss Mountains State Park in Major County, Oklahoma is a very interesting site to visit for complex geological formations normally limited to New Mexico and Arizona.

We met up with friends for dinner in Watonga, Oklahoma, just in time for a nighttime tornado warning to be issued directly to our west. We watched the lightning for quite some time, hoping to see an illuminated tornado. Didn’t see one this time, but we can’t wait for the next chase!