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Storms May 20, 2011

Yesterdays chase could not have gone any better. We picked Pratt Kansas as our target, on a day where parameters were so marginal the forecast had to be perfect and we nailed it. With the vorticity maximum ejected around the base of the trough, right entrance of the 250mb jet and the left exit of the 500 mb jet sitting over the target, this allowed for a weak surface cyclone to develop. For a brief period the winds in the vicinity of Pratt were backed out of the southeast and in behind the dry line around dodge city the winds were veered out of the northwest making for an area of strong convergence just to the east of Pratt. Multiple discrete storms fired off this area with weak rotating updrafts. No tornadoes were able to form due to the absence of sufficient shear, but there was enough to get some hail, rotation, and some incredible structure. The last storm of the day took on all characteristics of a supercell and was barely moving almost due east. We were able to get on it as the sun began to set which made for some of the best structure and lighting.

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