Hello devoted followers of the SWIFT team! Wow, these past two weeks have been a whirlwind of driving, chasing, eating, and adventure; I can't believe it's already coming to an end. This trip has been everything I expected and everything I didn't. Who could've known how complex storm chasing actually is? To be successful, it is important to understand and to analyze various models ahead of time, while also being able to adapt and change course during the heat of the chase. However, to make it even more confusing, the models we base early decisions on aren't even always correct. We experienced this on our last chase day. The morning models suggested PDS tornadoes in our vicinity, however, the models failed to pick up on certain thermodynamic forcings and tornadoes were a bust. This made me realize the models are not perfect and the scientific community is still working to innovate our current technology and understanding of them. Real storm chasing requires understanding, yes, but also luck. I have tremendous respect for forecasters and the work they do everyday to make the most accurate predictions with the information they have. At the end of the day, the weather is up to mother nature and completely out of human control, we are all just trying to do better everyday at understanding her.
The Final Chase
The storms we chased were breathtaking. We had a sunset supercell early on in the trip, a funnel cloud, and a beautifully structured supercell in Kansas. Besides the storms, we also got to enjoy the gorgeous Rocky Mountains in Colorado and the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma. The road trip aspect of SWIFT has been a lot of fun. I loved watching America's scenery roll by outside the van. Now, some people may consider being "stuck" in a van with seven other people a type of torture, but it's all about the company. We were lucky enough to have an amazing team that filled the trip with non-stop laughter.
Sunset Storm
I am thankful to have had the chance to roll through 13 states with such awesome people. Without this internship who knew if I would have ever gotten to see even half the things we did (or try half the food we did haha). From our outreach in Wagner, to our somber experience in Joplin, to the amazing storms, amazing food, and amazing people, it's been one heck of an internship!
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