Date: October 7, 2018
Time: 2:00 - 5:30 PM MDT
Place: Logan, San Jon, New Mexico
Distance: 478 mi (169 positioning, 100 chasing, 209 to home)
Camera: T3i, GoPros5 & 7, Karma, RX100ii
Warnings: None
Rating: S1

Pre-Chase

11:20 AM - 2:05 PM MDT: It's been a minute since our last fall chase (way back on September 27, 2013). But today looks like a nice Sunday gentleman's chase in eastern New Mexico. In anticipation, I charged all the myriad batteries, cameras, and drone last night -- seemingly eager for one last bout of 2018 chase punishment. But maybe today is the season's redemption arc ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Perhaps wisely, Toni decided to sit this one out -- not tempted by the beautiful bowling-ball low digging into the 4-corners and drawing up some tantalizing moisture and instability into the eastern NM plains. Me on the other hand, bring on the punishment. There was enough shear, turning with height, and CAM support to make this worth the 3-hour drive to Tucumcari.

I left the house leisurely at 11:20, even wasting some time filming b-roll timelapse near Santa Rosa. But it wasn't long before I realized my error; storms started initiating by 12:40 near Clovis -- earlier and well east of my forecast. I was behind before the chase even started...

The Chase

2:05 - 4:00 PM MDT: Pulling into Tucumcari just after 2pm, I had a tough initial target choice. 40 miles to the east near the NM/TX border was a decently robust and discrete storm. But just 20 miles northeast were some newly initiating towers near Logan. Given the NNE storm motions, I opted for the new development over the mature storm that was moving into a road hole.

Headed towards Logan, I was actually pretty hyped as the new towers looked healthy and the motion would keep them near Hwy54 for quite a while. Just NE of town, I got my first good view on the consolidating updraft -- noting a very low base and some tight rotation (very much a cold-core kind of look).

Next step was to get ahead of the growing cell for some good timelapse. I continued up Hwy54 under the base, but whereas the backside of the towers had nice, clear visibility, the inflow region was awash with low clouds in the chilly, moist air. I could squint back to the horizon and make out some interesting motion in the base, but otherwise my view was a grey-on-grey mess. But without any radar updates, I decided to wait while the storm caught back up to me.

Over the next hour, I watched as the low, misty base back-built -- always seeming to loom closer but never quite approaching my location. There were occasionally hints at some low-level rotation, but without being right under the base, situational awareness was poor. By 3:35, I'd had enough waiting -- time to drop back south and get some radar updates.

4:00 - 5:35 PM MDT: Besides, I'd had enough of these Logan storms -- occasionally teasing but always with a cold, murky look. Radar showed a new, baby cell developing to the SW near Melrose. With nothing else feasible to target, I decided to catch this one on the edge of the caprock south of San Jon. Along the way, I finally got back into cell reception, just in time for Toni to call: "Why aren't you heading towards any of the tornado warnings?" An unintended burn as she watched my spotter location and the warnings east in the TX panhandle.

There was just a moment where I thought my plan might actually work. The baby cell was small, but exhibited a definite little hook on radar. Hwy469 dramatically climbs the caprock south of San Jon, and as I rounded the final curve on the climb, I expected an epic, sweeping view of a compact, LP supercell. Instead.... I was met with a pitiful, high, dying storm.

Honestly, it was a perfect encapsulation of the entire 2018 chase year. I spent the next hour flying the drone over the caprock cliffs and exploring the abandoned Wheatland School. After that, it was time to make the short jaunt back to ABQ. So long, 2018.

Recap, Filmmaking Notes, and Lessons Learned