Mike Hollingshead
Well I just about busted tdday. Took the "scenic" route to northern Nebraska via Watertown SD. The MN storm went up as I was west of it, but I really don't care for "new" outflow boundaries. So I chose to go north and chase the western portion of it, wondering why I left home. It's sort of stupid to chase behind the 850 front, where it is veered. It's also silly to chase a boundary orientated like it was that far west. I couldn't catch the storm east if I wanted to, but didn't matter as it seems being that close to the convection forming the outflow boundary never works. It looked like bust so I headed back south a little after 4. I had a tiny bit of hope for the better cu field in se SD, but not much. Saw one tiny cell go up east of Brookings but it was just too small.
I get to the Vermillion exit when I see the storms that fired in sw and central NE. I was like yay, why couldn't I have at least went out there and seen whatever those do. With that thought I took a side trip west for the hell of it. They'd head ne, but I didn't have much hope for them. They were tiny on radar and had the cores/anvils going se a bit much(often a good sign they are elevated and won't amount to much). It was early in that activity so I just went anyway. I soon ran out of data, let alone a cell signal at all. I got one radar image and it had a couple cells near one another sw of O'Neill. That was hopeful as maybe their interaction could cause them to root better and deviate east. Also before I left Vermillion I looked at the ruc and was pretty excited what it showed after dark for the llj, and that disturbance coming east out of WY. It had it very strong and southerly, with some backing. I thought if a storm could root it could go nuts. Well it wound up close. I watched the cell north of O'Neill from west of Niobrara then south of town. I'd say it was likely supercellular at times, but mostly just an organized multicellular storm. What it was not short of was lightning. Just after dark it became extremely electrified. Anymore that's all I hope for, at least lightning. It didn't dissapoint, 60 or so still later. I only wish I had gotten a better angle on the moon-lit anvil and dark sky/stars before it died. The one cc bolt I got later was pretty cool with that scene. Pics later, maybe some tonight yet when I get home.
On an alltel data note....it goes to hell fast west of Crofton on highway 12. I rarely had any bars, with the phone constantly saying no service.
I get to the Vermillion exit when I see the storms that fired in sw and central NE. I was like yay, why couldn't I have at least went out there and seen whatever those do. With that thought I took a side trip west for the hell of it. They'd head ne, but I didn't have much hope for them. They were tiny on radar and had the cores/anvils going se a bit much(often a good sign they are elevated and won't amount to much). It was early in that activity so I just went anyway. I soon ran out of data, let alone a cell signal at all. I got one radar image and it had a couple cells near one another sw of O'Neill. That was hopeful as maybe their interaction could cause them to root better and deviate east. Also before I left Vermillion I looked at the ruc and was pretty excited what it showed after dark for the llj, and that disturbance coming east out of WY. It had it very strong and southerly, with some backing. I thought if a storm could root it could go nuts. Well it wound up close. I watched the cell north of O'Neill from west of Niobrara then south of town. I'd say it was likely supercellular at times, but mostly just an organized multicellular storm. What it was not short of was lightning. Just after dark it became extremely electrified. Anymore that's all I hope for, at least lightning. It didn't dissapoint, 60 or so still later. I only wish I had gotten a better angle on the moon-lit anvil and dark sky/stars before it died. The one cc bolt I got later was pretty cool with that scene. Pics later, maybe some tonight yet when I get home.
On an alltel data note....it goes to hell fast west of Crofton on highway 12. I rarely had any bars, with the phone constantly saying no service.
