It was a marginal day for severe weather,
but we were bored and felt it would be a good shake down mission
for the new crewmembers. From Norman, Oklahoma, we drove south
on I-35 to a small lake about halfway to Ardmore. As we conducted
long-distance survey scans, we began to notice midlevel rotation
in the storms and the beginnings of vague hook appendages. In
bewilderment, we continued on southbound I-35, targeting a storm
with a tornado warning between Ardmore and the Red River. It
was not to be. Just south of Ardmore, one of DOW3's tires blew-out.
Having to give-up on the storm, we limped back to Ardmore, where,
after many phone calls, we found a truck repairman who works
out of his home. With his contacts, he was able to find us a
new tire and get us on our way before midnight.