SWIFT: Day 6 In Review

"An Outdoor Jaunt"

After several late nights and early days, Day 6 started with a refreshing sleep-in, giving the team time to exercise, put in a load of laundry, and have a scrumptious breakfast at IHOP. Model guidance and the SPC's convective outlook were not favorable for the development of tornadoes, so the team elected to spend some time outdoors in the Palo Duro Canyon State Park, just outside of Canyon, Texas. After picking up some sandwiches from Schlotzsky's, we headed to the park for a picnic lunch and a hike. The team ate lunch with a few curious turkeys, and then hiked the CCC trail, ascending up the side of the canyon for some incredible views of the park.

After finishing up our outdoor jaunt, we began our journey to our destination for the evening: Garden City, Kansas. However, after noticing several thunderstorms on radar near Pampa, Texas, we decided to make a slight detour in that direction, on the off chance that anything interesting should happen with the storms. They were characterized by high radar reflectivity and transient supercellular structure. We were able to position ourselves well to view several interesting features, including a mid-level rotating updraft. The team also met a very friendly horse while viewing the storms (see picture below). After following the storms for a few hours, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant in Pampa for a delectable dinner. Mid-meal, we were able to capture a beautiful picture of the storm at sunset. After dinner, we set off on our three-hour drive to Garden City and were treated to an incredible lightning show along the way. All in all, the day was filled with great scenery, great food, and fascinating meteorological observations.

-C.J.