May 20, 2012

Upslope Area of western TX/OK Panhandles/seCO


{Addendum:  we are nearly to the extreme nw TX Panhandle.  Storms are initiating to our west.]

Another potentially interesting pattern....1500 J/kg sbCAPE, 43 knots 0-6 km AGL shear, 300 m2/s2 0-3 km SREH...are the positives.

Where?  Under those deceptive 25 knot WNW winds at 500 mb in the upslope area of the western high Plains.   .   


Actually, the morning analysis indicates favorable upslope flow from Lubbock to Springfield, Colorado...with a substantial southeasterly component to the flow.  Several boundaries are already present in the TX Panhandle.  The latest run of the RAP indicates a focus ...from Springfield, Clayton, down to Amarillo and up again.  The low level helicity values look great there this afternoon, with deep layer shear values nearly 40 knots.   

Here's a graphic showing our initial target area.  And the picture at right shows one of the briefly super cellular storms we saw just north of the New Mexico/border with Colorado.  We were hoping for more, given the outflow boundary's possible interactions with the flow....but such were the cards dealt us this day.

We are drifting to Lamar CO for our overnight stay.