SURPRISE! I chased anyway… fortunately out of pity (more on that below), Ma-Nature threw me a bone in the form of a mediocre-for-CG, decent-for-crawlers lightning show and even some blanketing hail. It was enough to add a couple shots to the summer lightning portfolio and get some more video into the Monday TV rotation, and best of all, it only required about two-digits worth of miles.
Turns out, the HRRR-predicted supercell happened, and where it initiated the storm was well timed; problem was the storm formed about 5 hours early and much further west. Turns out I could’ve picked this up in Limon and followed it southeast all evening, starting as early as 2p. The storm was severe, producing large hail, for quite some time, fizzling as it hit the KS border down west of Tribune, but all it was, a hailer. No tornadoes despite the 2% (at least none I have seen), so I most certainly picked the better of the two days. No question I would still be out shooting lightning as storms are peppered all along my route home, even had I stayed in say Lamar or Limon, I would’ve had a decent evening. Still, I chose wisely.
Football-wise… not so much. The final play of a very competitive first half against Dallas ended tragically when Jayden Daniels (again) dislocated his elbow on a 4th and Goal in the final three seconds. Hindsight, should’ve kicked and taken the three points. It ultimately cost us our franchise QB for, maybe weeks if not months. We lost handedly as well. I jokingly said I would have rather chased, and yes, I would’ve. But given the distance and the host of obligations I do have tomorrow, it was the ‘adult’ choice. And out of pity, maybe out of reward for my resisting temptation, I got tonight’s storm.
This week offers little in terms of severe, but a potential storm system in the northeast MAY get me called out later in the week? Tomorrow will shed more light on that, so we’ll see what the heads are thinking for that. Otherwise, expect a quiet first few days at least. And no 90s; I think we’ve finally turned the corner into fall!