Day 5, May 19th 2002
Route: From Fort Davis in SW Texas to Roswell in New Mexico.
Highlights: A hike through the mountains and weak thunderstorms/ dustnadoes
Text: Coen Verrijn Stuart
We try to make the best of another calm day and go for a hike. Then we start heading north so we can reach any significant thunderstorms that might form the following days. The chances for severe weather will slowly increase during the upcoming week.
At 08.15 A.M. we start the day with a good breakfast and take a look at the weather maps for the next 4 days. We are somewhat disappointed that they do not look good until Wednesday. There is a slight chance of storms Tuesday in Kansas or Wyoming. This means we have to move ourselves into a more strategic position, as we are more than 1.000 miles away from these areas. Even if the weather is calm we always have to make sure we are not surprised by any sudden development. It would not be the first time!
Around noon we pass the Mc Donald Observatory where a number of large telescopes are placed to study the universe.
We pass the highest mountains in the area and a new thunderstorm is already developing over the high terrain. With upslope winds against the mountains and rising temperatures, the air is forced to lift. This way the inversion (or cap) can be broken more easily than elsewhere and a storm develops. We decide not to stay as the storms will be weak.
We head north and have lunch in Pecos. At 02.15 P.M. we cross the New Mexico border and along the way we watch a number of dust devils. These develop in the warm unstable air just above the desert. We drive to Roswell and check in around 04.30 P.M. Our hotel has a swimming pool and we jump in right away. We meet some locals who temporarily live in the hotel. There mobile home just south of town was partly destroyed when it was hit by high winds (a tornado?) last week!
Unfortunately we have to be patient for severe weather but maybe we will see some aliens in Roswell tonight!