March 22, 2011 Storm recap: CHASE Episode 2

Its started off like this:

followed by this:

Having to work today until 1pm, I had a late start to getting to the storms in time.  Taking the long roads through central Kansas, it took me 3 hours to get to Emporia, KS.  By this time, the first cells were beginning to fire in north central Kansas.  These storms were moving at about 50 m.p.h. which made it tricky to get into position in time to see the initiation. Surprisingly, SPC put Tornado watch #53 up just as I was north of Independance, KS.

By the time I reach Emporia, I soon realized that I wasn't going to be able to make the storms in time.  They were racing northeast and I was still 3 hours out by 4pm.  With very little time left and only half way there, i decided to give up on these fast movers.  Seemed alot like the cells I chased on May 10th, 2010.  My position:

By the time I decided to turn around, the storms were exploding across the border into Iowa.  It was too far for me to get to in time.  This was the SPC discussion at the time:

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0250
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   0533 PM CDT TUE MAR 22 2011
  
   AREAS AFFECTED...SWRN IA...ERN KS AND WRN MO
  
   CONCERNING...TORNADO WATCH 53...
  
   VALID 222233Z - 222330Z
  
   THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR TORNADO WATCH 53 CONTINUES.
  
   GREATEST THREAT FOR TORNADOES IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ACROSS
   SWRN-SCNTRL IA EARLY THIS EVENING. ISOLATED SUPERCELLS COULD ALSO
   DEVELOP FARTHER SW ACROSS ERN KS INTO NWRN MO POSING A THREAT FOR
   LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES.
  
   DEEP SURFACE LOW WAS SITUATED OVER THE NEB/IA BORDER NEAR OMAHA. A
   DRYLINE EXTENDS SWD FROM THE LOW THROUGH SERN NEB INTO ERN KS...WITH
   A WARM FRONT STRETCHING EWD THROUGH SRN IA INTO NCNTRL IL. A PACIFIC
   COLD FRONT EXTENDS FARTHER W FROM SERN NEB INTO N-CNTRL AND SWRN
   KS...AND THIS BOUNDARY SHOULD EVENTUALLY MERGE WITH THE DRYLINE.
   UNSTABLE WARM SECTOR IS QUITE NARROW WITH ZONE OF 1000-1500 J/KG
   MLCAPE FROM ERN KS...WRN MO AND SWRN IA. STRONG PRESSURE FALLS ARE
   OCCURRING EAST OF SURFACE LOW ACROSS SWRN IA IN RESPONSE TO DEEPER
   ASCENT WITHIN EJECTING UPPER JET EXIT REGION. GREATEST TORNADO
   THREAT WILL LIKELY PERSIST ACROSS SWRN-SCNTRL IA NEXT COUPLE HOURS
   AS STORMS THAT DEVELOP ALONG DRYLINE LIFT NEWD AND INTERACT WITH
   WARM FRONT WHERE 0-1 KM STORM RELATIVE HELICITY IS MAXIMIZED. STORMS
   WILL SUBSEQUENTLY BECOME ELEVATED AS THEY MOVE DEEPER INTO THE COOL
   SECTOR...BUT COULD STILL POSE A THREAT FOR ISOLATED LARGE HAIL.
  
   STORMS COVERAGE WILL REMAIN ISOLATED WITH SWD EXTENT THROUGH ERN KS
   AND WRN MO WHERE DEEPER FORCING IS MORE LIMITED AND CAP WILL LIKELY
   REMAIN STRONGER.
Pulling down the radar, I realized by 4:30, that the watch box had been removed for much of Kansas.  I was glad to see that I gave up when I did.  I'd rather save my money for another day with a better setup.

WHAT I LEARNED:

Its best to be in position either by the day of the storms, or at least the night before.  I didn't consider the distance between me and the triple point and along the dryline.  Another episode to chuck up and learn from until next time.