Tony's Blogbach, Between the Isobars

To say the cameras got a workout yesterday would be an understatement.  I woke up in North Platte after having seen my target shift from northwest Kansas the morning before, to ‘perhaps around North Platte’ the night before, to “oh crap, I’m going all the way to Wyoming, aren’t I’.  Big shift in how I panned this day, but I pivoted, headed west, and was treated to some fantastic daytime lightning which the Bolt Hunter captured very well (that thing has completely changed my lightning chasing).

After some great lighting near Kimball and a quick core check, I got onto the storm of the day after it was no longer the storm of the day, but provided an amazing rainbow scene, some more lightning, and the sunset stormscape of my career (see featured image above).  It was serene, unworldly, all the adjectives that go with it.  It only lasted a handful of minutes, but I managed to capture at it’s peak.  Easily one of my favorite pictures of the last few years.  After which, I caught some more lightning at the NE/WY border and was home before 10pm!

Today is a low-end Colorado day, which again, had my original plans stuck, likely would’ve involved me coming in front the east on I-70, but as Nature would have it, I ended up home, which sets up for a much more chill morning, a quick load-up and go.  Denver to Cheyenne is kinda the initiation zone, so it’s a matter of when I head out and where I end up.  That said, day 3 of this mini-August stint will commence in a few hours.

Meanwhile… while yesterday was the day, TODAY is when I christen the PUMPKIN SPICE for the first time this year 😀

I’m not even kidding… I ran into fellow chaser and friend, Vince while watching a struggling storm north of Sutherland, Nebraska yesterday… we chatted for the better part of an hour while watching this nearly stationary storm struggle, go through an impressive LP phase, then fizzle over our heads.  Toward the end of its life as we were chatting away, we heard a small plunk on the ground next to my vehicle and Eagle-Eyed Vince spotted the source, a single, solitaire piece of hail, which when it fell, was about the size of a penny.  But by the time all-thumbs me could get my phone out, unlocked, and switched to camera, it had melted to this size in his hand.  That was the funny moment of this, despite some better-than-lousy structure when it aspired to be a little LP.

Which leads to today… good morning from North Platte, by the way… today looks messy, albeit a bit more promising for storms that should be more to play with.  As per usual in this cycle of setups, the CAMs have been all over the place in terms of where and intensity, where last night had solid cells early on along and just south of I-80 in southwest Nebraska, current CAMs are showing weaker development further west.  It seems to sway around from run-to-run.

Currently here, we have light rain and clouds with a band of showers pushing through.  These aren’t terribly strong, and SHOULD clear out early enough where recovery won’t be an issue, even if it might delay the onset of storms.  Once again, it’s a milk the checkout kinda morning, and i have already extended myself to noon here.  It’s ALSO Pumpkin Spice Day!  And how happy I am to say there is a Starbies right across the road, so upon my departure here, that may kill an hour.

The idea would be to get on the early isolated storms, then as they move southeast and congeal, let them chase me to I-70 where I would probably bunk down tonight, then chase my way back home tomorrow in an eastern Colorado setup.  Thursday has a marginal risk in Colorado that MAY get consideration, but I should be home Wednesday evening assuming I don’t end up too far west too late, in which case if I do, I will likely chase Thursday just cause I am already out.

So that’s the scheme… another afternoon to kill here in North Platte and hopefully a little more to do than I did yesterday.  See ya on the road!

Another day, another setup.  This one will take me back up into western Nebraska later this afternoon, day 1 of what will probably be a three-spot to kick off the first half of this final week of August, a month that has been very busy.  Once all is said and done and we flip the calendar to the first day of METEOROLOGICAL FALL (omg, please don’t drag summer out), I will have to look back on prior Augusts to see where this sits in comparison to priors.  This month has felt very reminiscent of early career Augusts here in Colorado where it seemed like I was out a lot of days of the month.  This definitely has that feel, so I will save that reveal for when it’s all done (with potential the last couple days hold potential – more on those later this week).

Anywoo, today, nothing special; damaging wind and hail threat with isolated storms early, then clusters leading to damaging winds.  Likely heading out about lunchtime toward Ogallala as its been consistent to see CAMs blowing storms up after 3pm, so that’ll get me up there with some time to spare.  Tomorrow, Tuesday, the highest end threat for the stretch.  Likely a regional damaging wind event across northern Kansas.  There was some potential yesterday about a further south play, southwest Kansas into perhaps the Texas Panhandle, but that’s not as glaring as it was last night.  Something I will keep an eye on just in case the shift south is needed, but right now, all indications are that I will be good to rest up this evening a couple hours from tomorrow’s target.  Wednesday the lowest end threat of the stretch, but would likely be something to catch heading home Wednesday afternoon in eastern Colorado.  Nothing huge to report from that right now, but things look to be pretty close to home, which should be an easy get assuming Tuesday remains a Kansas play.

Quieting down the rest of the week heading into the weekend, but models are showing signs of a pretty hearty system for the northern parts of the plains and Midwest later in the weekend into early next week that will garner some attention as we progress in the week.  That could include northern Illinois, which continues to smash tornado records, and may try to add to that with this system if things pan out.  We’ll see.  But a usual sign that fall is coming is that first big synoptic system.  Nothing on those same runs brings Fall temperatures, but amplification in the stream usually starts to be a thing as we get into September.

Also watching the Tropics, but nothing to note on that other than watching the tropics.  Those with bigger brains for tropical weather will keep better tabs than I will, but the first significant Atlantic storm likely to get going in the next ten days.  Whether that plays for the US or not is highly unknown, but most models are keeping it a fish storm.  One thing I have learned with tropical weather in the far out ranges of the models.  Don’t believe anything haha So we’ll see if that factors into anything for me the first week and change of September.

Okay, off to load up for another multi-day chase trip!  See ya in Nebraska!

Should be a quiet-ish day locally for me, some afternoon storms will likely pop off the higher terrain, but should be less intense and numerous than yesterday.  That said, barring something hyper-local, today won’t involve a lot of effort.  Tomorrow is a maybe up across the western half of Nebraska, so we’ll see how that shakes out.  Either way, it’s something I can wait til tomorrow morning to decide.  It would get me out in the field, which sets up for the one day I am watching with intent, that would be Tuesday.  Above is the hardly-means-anything graphic, but gives a visual of the potential along a semi-stationary front that is draped from northeast Colorado into southern Nebraska and northern Kansas.  It has the makings of a decent storm event, but the specifics of which don’t imply tornadoes a major threat more than hail and wind.  Regardless, SPC already has it a hatched slight in their Day 3, and its easy to see why when you start poking at it.  I would imagine that being an action day.

Beyond that, probably relatively light for storm chasing in the days following, maybe seeing another uptick as we head into the weekend and early next week.  But right now, my focus will be the Monday-Tuesday time period this week, and we’ll see how and where it all shakes out.

Well, despite no real ‘noteworthy’ plans to chase, Ma-Nature brought the action to me today, and in a very well timed manner.  After leaving Greeley from a Sound Bath with the wife and a quick trip to the store, storms exploded off the Palmer, firing off an outflow boundary that would be the trigger to heavy-duty severe storms up this way.  I got home, wet fooded the cats, changed my clothes, and drove straight out US-34 to slip in behind the first severe storm of my outing, a blizzard hailer that lead to all sorts of problems near Wiggins.  When I finished documenting all that, I flipped back west as a new severe storm went up to my southwest near Lochbuie, where I jumped down Weld County Parkway and then cut over to Fort Lupton where I got right in the middle of that heavy hailer, which not only covered the ground in more hail, but flooded streets across town.  All this transpiring over a few hours, and I was home in time for dinner and the Rockies game.

Lesser storm chances tomorrow, but they are there.  I said nothing noteworthy was expected today, but I really mean it for tomorrow.  Monday could also see another round.  Monsoon season has been busy, very reminiscent of some of my mid/late 2000s/early 2010s summers where it seemed like I was chasing local craziness daily.  So we’ll see what the coming days bring.  But after sitting out yesterday, I am happy to say I got out to play today.