April 18: Northwest Missouri Squall Line
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Several past frustrations in Missouri have taught me to avoid that hilly, forested state, but since I'm already in northeast Kansas, I decide to wander across the state line. View looking south on a hot, humid afternoon.
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Strong cap will keep storms from forming south of the front until dusk, so I stay north of the front in light easterly winds.
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Even north of the front, convection holds off until late afternoon, and then develops slowly. In early evening the dryline sweeps over me and I enjoy the spectacle of strong convection from the rear.
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Proof that falling behind a squall line (intentional in this case, since I didn't want to chase into central Missouri) isn't necessarily a bad thing. The rapid upward motion of this cauliflower-shaped cloud was breathtaking.
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A well-developed squall line at sunset.
April 23: Southwest Kansas Thunderstorm
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It's only a short drive to intercept this high-based storm on a hot day near Dodge City.
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The buffalo are curious.
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Daytime lightning photos are pure luck unless you're taking video, but if you take enough photos of storms with frequent CGs (cloud-to-ground lightning strikes), sooner or later something good is going to happen.
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Looking west from three miles south of Bucklin, Kansas.
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Ragged lowering as shelf cloud develops.
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Turbulent skies under a high-based thunderstorm.
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Southern end of squall line at dusk.
April 28: Central Texas Thunderstorms
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Mid-afternoon, in front of a large upper low approaching from New Mexico, I watch a storm weaken east of Guthrie. Light surface winds and marginal CAPE create poor prospects.
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Thunderstorms die out near Seymour, so I head south to better CAPE south of Abilene.
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Under a shelf cloud as dusk approaches.