Chase report: slight risk area was over the Midland - Odessa TX area and further E. Went S over I-27 and US87 and we stopped at picnic area near Garden City TX to wait. Shortly after, storms started formed W of Odessa. We (me and chase partner Bernard Hulshof) drove 50 miles to our targeted storm, which was severe by the time we arrived and had flanking towers on NW flank. When closing in, this storm split into a leftmover (the flanking towers) and an outflow-dominated storm which moved off SE. We decided to chase the latter, and drive around to view the W flank. An ill-formed wall cloud was present there. We received severe-storm warning for storm to the S of this storm; since our target storm was rightmover, it merged into that storm S of it, forming a multicell with supercell characteristics. We saw nice rainbows, flash-flooding, and hail on the ground while chasing this storm to the E. We attempted several times to reach the SE flank to see a possible wall cloud (since flanking line was present, and downdraft was in the way, looking to SE.). Around sunset, we finally reached the updraft area from the other side, but no organized mesocyclone was present. This storm now behaved as a HP supercell, but with poor structure. Flanking line was very long, however. When sun set, we drove N and after 21h, photographed nice purple CG, CC,CA and IC lightning occuring in and under the updraft tower. This chase was 864 miles long.

4 photos in gallery
Click images for large photos