May 4, 1999 Central and Northeast Kansas Supercells, video stills
prefix "a" = supercell #1, southwestern Saline County, near Brookville
prefix "b" = supercell #2, southern Dickinson County, the storm we got munched on while stranded in the mud south of Abilene
prefix "c" = supercell #3, long lived supercell that started out in northern Marion County and tracked all the way northeast to southwestern Brown County producing reports of short lived tornadoes during its whole life
prefix "d" = supercell #4, the last supercell to develop, which sprung up southwest of supercell #3 near the Wabunsee/Riley/Pottawatomie Co. intersection during
the early evening
prefix "z" = video stills from the mud pit, as we were stranded for over one hour south of Abilene in central Dickinson County

a_wallcld1 ... 2:30pm, traveling ESE on K-140 between Bavaria and Brookville in Saline Co.
a_wallcld2 ... 2:35 to 2:40, wall cloud being undercut by outflow.  3 E Brookville.
a_wallcld3 ... wider view, funnel begins to develop at the center of the wall cloud
a_wallcld4 ... strong rotation noted in this wall cloud, and funnels try to develop, but never fully do so.
a_inflow1 ... inflow tail looking southwest, into the Brookville supercell, which at this time, is beginning to weaken
b_structure1 ... 3:30, at milepost 257 heading east along I-70, in pursuit of supercell #2 now, looking south-southeast towards southern Dickinson Co.
z_base1 ... while stuck in the mud and Jay gone to get help, I monitored a nice flat base to our immediate west
z_funnel1 ... still stuck in the mud with Jay gone, a neat mid level funnel develops to my immediate south, which lasted a couple minutes.
z_funnel2 ... ""
z_funnel3 ... ""
z_funnel4 ... ""
z_funnel5 ... ""
z_hailshaft1 ... still in the mud, stranded.  An impressive hail shaft develops to my northeast, all this time with Jay gone.  We had been stuck for nearly and hour now
z_cb1 ... impressive Cb development to the southwest, with tornado reports in southwest Morris Co and northeast Marion Co... still stranded in the mud!!
c_structure1 ... supercell #3 to our east, with tornado on the ground near Dwight in northern Morris Co.  We were about 25 W of Dwight at the time.  Time about 5:40
c_structure2 ... ""
c_structure3 ... "" continuing east near Woodbine
c_structure4 ... "" north on K-4 just south of Dwight
c_damage ... "" powerlines down at K-4 just north of Dwight
c_rainbow ... rainbow looking northeast, our location 4 W Wamego
c_energyplant1 ... confined area of precip, in an area of very strong rotation, possible large funnel at this time
c_energyplant2 ... "" funnel disappears, concentrated area of precip breaks up, visibility in the bear's cage increases
c_energyplant3 ... smoke from the Jeffrey Energy Plant is being sucked into the updraft
c_energyplant4 ... large funnel, possibly a tornado at this point, north of the energy plant
c_energyplant5 ... tornado, cone-shaped condensation funnel 3/4 to the ground
d_structure1 ... looking west towards newly developing mesocyclone #4.  Current location 2 N St. Marys
c_meso1 ... looking due north at primary mesocyclone in the vicinity of Emmett
c_meso2 ... wall cloud within the meso looking north-northeast.  Time shortly after 7:30pm
c_meso3 ... major upward motion/rotation just above and to the right of the K-63 sign
d_meso1 ... front edge of southern mesocyclone, looking south.
d_meso2 ... ""
c_funnel ... located about 5 W Holton, we see a funnel to the north, then quickly dissipate
c_meso4 ... looking north at northern meso, new TOR went out for radar indicated possible tornado 2 W of Circleville
c_meso5 ... ""
c_meso6 ... "" currently in Holton
c_meso7 ... "" currently in Holton
c_meso8 ... "" currently in Holton
c_meso9 ... "" just north of Holton, laminar "flying saucer" appearance in inflow/flanking region

mscheid@kc.net
last updated:  May 6, 1999

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