This day started off with heavy rain and thunderstorms moving in from Oklahoma into Western Arkansas.   The SPC had a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms across the arklatex to near Dallas, and up to Oklahoma City.   I was getting a bit worried however as it appeared that there was quite a bit of clouds in the area.   I left around 11:30am heading for the area just south and east of McAlester, OK.   It was still raining in Fort Smith when i left and clouds were still persisting across much of the area.  


Clouds continued to persist as i headed closer to McAlester, however, about halfway there near Wilburton, OK the clouds started to clear out some.   Just past Wilburton, OK the SPC issued a Tornado Watch for central and eastern Oklahoma.


URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 56
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1215 PM CST MON MAR 21 2005

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND PARTS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA

EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1215 PM UNTIL 700 PM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 50 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF PONCA CITY OKLAHOMA TO 25 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF DURANT OKLAHOMA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6). REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

DISCUSSION...ISOLATED SUPERCELLS SHOULD DEVELOP ALONG THE SURFACE DRYLINE ACROSS CENTRAL OK BY 19-20Z. EROSION OF THE LOW CLOUDS FROM THE W HAS ALLOWED A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DESTABILIZATION E OF THE DRYLINE...WHILE LOW-MID LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR IS QUITE FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS WITH TORNADOES ACROSS CENTRAL/ERN OK. THOUGH INSTABILITY IS A LIMITING FACTOR...IT SHOULD BECOME SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE THREAT OF A FEW TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. STRONG LOW-LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR...AS WELL AS PRONOUNCED VERTICAL VORTICITY ALONG THE SURFACE BOUNDARY...MAY ALSO SUPPORT AN ISOLATED TORNADO THREAT INTO PARTS OF N CENTRAL AND NW OK THIS AFTERNOON.

I arrived at my target destination of Kiowa, OK, which is just south of McAlester, around 2:30pm.   Showers had already begun to develop west but i was happy with where i was due to the ammount of clearing that was finally taking place.  



After just 10 minutes i could see some towering cumulus going up to our West and a storm to the Northwest that would go on to produce a tornado.


Around 3pm i took off heading north on Hwy 69 then taking a small road over to Ashland where a small shower was developing.   It seemed to be intensifying but it took its time.



I continued to follow the developing shower to the north making it Stuart.   From there i headed a little west but the shower by now was evidentally weakening.   I thought about chasing after the very strong storm up in Seminole and Okfuskee counties but decided it wasnt worth the loss in time.   I looked to my south and saw a nice towering cumulus going up and so i headed back to Stuart.   I then took a small road from Stuart toward Hwy 75.   The storm looked like it was having a hard time by now but it was looking impressive still.  


That storm was awesome to look at.   The whole updraft was rotating but it was producing very little preciptation..that mainly hail.   Obviously the problem with the storm was it was lacking moisture and soon the whole updraft weakened and within 10 minutes of those pictures above sun was shining through the updraft itself! It was now 4:40pm and there was no chaseable storm around!

I was seriously regretting not trying to chase the storms that were further northeast and now were dropping tornadoes!


While i was looking at those storms to the north i noticed through a break in the clouds a pretty impressive looking storm to my east southeast.   I took Hwy 75 north and then Hwy 270 east toward McAlester. Past Stuart i started to see a wonderful updraft with a inflow/tail cloud that extended toward the southeast many many miles. The storm crossed the road and i was now in perfect position to view the impressive storm from the south look north.   You could see the tail/inflow cloud rushing into the southeast side of the updraft and there were numerous funnel lowerings.




There were several lowerings and it appeared a tornado was imminent but unfortunately it was just a tease.   As the storm continued to move north of me and with bad road options i just sit and watched as it slowly drifted away.   It was neat to watch the development of the RFD though wrapping around and into the center of circulation!

McAlester Storms Video

The storm continued north by now only the tops were visible.



I eventually headed east into McAlester and then north on Hwy 69 to try and intercept again near Eufaula but that storm died down some so i continued north to Checotah to a severe storm up there.   I saw a lot of heavy rain but nothing much more.