For a High Risk day, there were a lot of ways to drop the ball on Saturday. My original thoughts leaving Seward around 12:30 were to head to I-29 and drop south towards Hiawatha/StJ, knowing that anything going up is in front of me to the west. And seeing the turkey necks going up north of Topeka told me that it might be the right play. Still, something was tugging at me about playing the Low that was dropping towards the NE/KS border. I stopped for gas in Bennet on Hwy 2 on my way to meet up with Randy Chamberlain (who I believe was fighting a "terrible cold"
) in Nebraska City. After Randy talked to Mike Hollingshead, it was determined that the right play was to drop straight south towards Marysville/Manhattan. Changing directions, and stopping for a quick data stop at a buddy's house (who I easily convinced to tag along for his first official chase), the MD that had gone up for NE KS convinced me that we had to get south quickly.
The plan was to meet up with Randy and Mike H. at the Holiday Inn Express, where another quick data grab would steer the way. By the time we got there (10 minutes behind Mike & Randy), the boys were already hauling A** south! So, it was a game of catch up for about an hour and a half, ducking south and east through Marysville, and pausing to get our bearings after meeting up with them NE of Manhattan, as towers exploded over us. THAT was the fateful decision, and at the time, it seemed like the right play: Drop south and play the cells firing south of Manhattan. All of the parameters pointed to those storms going tornadic. So, off we went, blazing south over I-70, through Alma, and into an area where the song "Dueling Banjos" instantly pops in your head. Yeesh. Finally on an east-west road, we headed back towards Hwy 177 south of Manattan, where things looked fairly unorganized, but still promising. Venturing closer to a lowering (seen in Ryan McGinnis's shot), BAM!! We slammed into the cool outflow, easily a 20-25 degree drop. Depression quickly set in. This storm was in no position to produce much of anything at this point. So, there we sat, wallowing in our own pity, for a good half-hour. (see McGinnis's pic of confused men trying to look important and engaged while staring blankly at the sky.
After deciding just how to play this tail-ender, with other convection now starting up south of Emporia, with each return of the radar it seemed this Manhattan cell was getting some new life.......the only problem was, we were in no position to attack it, without a core punch. So, after dwelling on what might have been, my chase partner and I broke off from the boys and headed to Manhattan, as the cell drifted further NE.
It was a frustrating day for sure, but we were not alone out there. Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20, and when I made the call to Mike peregrine earlier in the day (rural Nebraska: the region that cell phones forgot!), I had every intention of heading that direction. Ugh.
A big thanks to Mike H. for being so gracious with his XM set-up (I feel like I owe him a piece of his monthly bill!), and to Randy, for being, well, Randy. (that's a compliment!)
Nice to meet Ryan McGinnis, as well, as we got acquainted by me backing into his Honda. Ryan, you know where to find me! Send me the bill, man.
Chasing for me will be limited this week, but it should definitely yield some action. Let's not all seek counseling yet, Kids. June has been very good to us in the past, so keep the faith!
