May 26, 2005: Models go haywire, forecast unknown

Can our forecasting roller coaster ride get any longer? The latest runs of the long-range models have gone berserk, throwing the outlook for the next week into complete disarray. The possibilities extend from one extreme to the other - we could have a string of great storm photography days, nothing but blue skies, or anything in between. But it's too late to hold off our trip any longer, we've passed the point of no return. I'll be leaving Charleston on Friday morning, arriving in Tulsa to meet up with Bill, Dave and Justin. Kurt will be on his way from Michigan and will team up with us for Sunday. Unfortunately, Matt will not be able to make the trip with us this week due to unforseen circumstances back in Raleigh.

The tentative plan is to remain on the Plains until around June 12th - longer if the weather cooperates, shorter if it doesn't. We've checked into airfares and we've found that we can fly Matt out to the Plains rather inexpensively, so he may be able to join us sometime later when his schedule permits.

Our first stop will be the much-anticipated cookout in Wakita, Oklahoma on Saturday for the 10-year 'Twister' movie reunion. Wakita is the small town where much of the movie was filmed and based around. After Wakita, it looks like a possible expedition in western Kansas on Sunday. Beyond that, it's anybody's guess where we'll end up as the roller coaster continues.