Day 12 . . .
We took our time getting out of Wichita the morning of day 12 because everyone (including the trip's leaders) had given up on chasing. We didn't leave the hotel till around 11, and we stopped at IHOP on the way out for a nice, big lunch/breakfast. We had plans to head to Elk City, Oklahoma, which was not a very long drive compared to some of the other drives we had had during the trip. The group was excited about getting to this particular stop because of the famous Holidome at the Holiday Inn there. The Holidome had an indoor pool, hot tub, and a restaurant, but the main attraction was the putt-putt golf course.
So, we got done with IHOP and hit the road with dreams of a nice leisurely afternoon at the Elk City Holidome. We had been traveling for a couple of hours when we stopped at a gas station somewhere in rural Oklahoma. The stop was very similar to the all the many gas station stops we had made before. Everyone used the restroom, most bought drinks, and everyone stretched their legs. One thing was different though. We noticed a little storm trying to build near us. We didn't think much of it because the setup was not supposed to be great for good storms. Plus we had no plans of chasing at all. I decided to name the storm "Last Chance."
We got back on the road and continued to head south towards the interstate where we would then head west towards Elk City. As we drove, we all noticed that "Last Chance" was beginning to grow a little bit and was beginning to display some structure. We kept going, though, and even stopped for a second to help a lady change her tire (aren't we great
. "Last Chance" was beginning to gain some friends as several other storms were beginning to form in the area.
As we got on the interstate, "Last Chance" was really beginning to look good, and we had a great view of it. Soon, it had formed into a classic anvil structure with an impressive overshooting top. We had gotten too far away from it though, and we had to admire it from afar. Some of the other storms to our west were within range, though, and so we had a decision to make as we approached Elk City: do we forget about the storms and head to the Holidome or do we pass Elk City and give it one more shot?
More next time . . .
Drew McCombs
ABC 33/40 Weather Intern
abc3340wx2@gmail.com
We took our time getting out of Wichita the morning of day 12 because everyone (including the trip's leaders) had given up on chasing. We didn't leave the hotel till around 11, and we stopped at IHOP on the way out for a nice, big lunch/breakfast. We had plans to head to Elk City, Oklahoma, which was not a very long drive compared to some of the other drives we had had during the trip. The group was excited about getting to this particular stop because of the famous Holidome at the Holiday Inn there. The Holidome had an indoor pool, hot tub, and a restaurant, but the main attraction was the putt-putt golf course.
So, we got done with IHOP and hit the road with dreams of a nice leisurely afternoon at the Elk City Holidome. We had been traveling for a couple of hours when we stopped at a gas station somewhere in rural Oklahoma. The stop was very similar to the all the many gas station stops we had made before. Everyone used the restroom, most bought drinks, and everyone stretched their legs. One thing was different though. We noticed a little storm trying to build near us. We didn't think much of it because the setup was not supposed to be great for good storms. Plus we had no plans of chasing at all. I decided to name the storm "Last Chance."
We got back on the road and continued to head south towards the interstate where we would then head west towards Elk City. As we drove, we all noticed that "Last Chance" was beginning to grow a little bit and was beginning to display some structure. We kept going, though, and even stopped for a second to help a lady change her tire (aren't we great
. "Last Chance" was beginning to gain some friends as several other storms were beginning to form in the area.As we got on the interstate, "Last Chance" was really beginning to look good, and we had a great view of it. Soon, it had formed into a classic anvil structure with an impressive overshooting top. We had gotten too far away from it though, and we had to admire it from afar. Some of the other storms to our west were within range, though, and so we had a decision to make as we approached Elk City: do we forget about the storms and head to the Holidome or do we pass Elk City and give it one more shot?
More next time . . .
Drew McCombs
ABC 33/40 Weather Intern
abc3340wx2@gmail.com