High Plains Drifter


disclaimer:  "The meteorological views/forecast thinking expressed are those solely of the author of this blog
and do not necessarily represent those of official National Weather Service forecast products,
therefore read and enjoy at your own risk and edification!"

July 10, 2009

7/10 end of chase

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 9:20 pm

I will b staying in chadron nebr tonite.
(Sent by Mike’s Alltel Blackberry smartphone)

Distant storm to the northeast moving into south dakota

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 8:53 pm


Time 852pm cdt
(Sent by Mike’s Alltel Blackberry smartphone)

7/10 in-situ update

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 8:09 pm

I am sitting along Hwy 71 halfway between Harrison and Alliance, NE.
The initial storm I intercepted had a nice look to it, however it
croaked. Apparently, the local shear enviornment here favors LEFT
split supercells, instead of the typical RIGHT member. The LEFT mover
is up near Chadron and looks like a beastie on radar! It’s moving
away from me unfortunately. There is, however, another smaller storm
trying to take shape back to my northwest… a little LP thing, which
will probably die as the sun sets here in the next hour. Did get some
images of the first storm, but it is unfortunate it died not too long
after I got close to it. More later.


Mike Umscheid Photography

http://gallery.underthemeso.com

mesomike@gmail.com

Target storm near harrison nebr

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 5:58 pm


Looking northeast
(Sent by Mike’s Alltel Blackberry smartphone)

lets drive back and forth

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 4:47 pm

I left the area I was sitting at near CYS for fears of the Wheatland
and northern Goshen county area going up… and there were very nice
attempts at convective initiation… so I bolted north. Now I am in
Wheatland and these attempts to my north were suckers… well at least
for now. I am watching fairly hard towers, the first attempt already
glaciated up in far northern Goshen county. Now, it would appear,
visually, that the area back to my south…closer to where i was
earlier…is starting to tower fairly hard. I will either head
northeast to Ft. Laramie along hwy 26 from this point…or retrace my
steps back south on I-80. Not sure what to do quite frankly, so I’ll
wait it out for a little bit I guess here in Wheatland.


Mike Umscheid Photography

http://gallery.underthemeso.com

mesomike@gmail.com

Small tower NW

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 2:58 pm


Already a small attempt at a tower. Good sign for this time of the afternoon!
(Sent by Mike’s Alltel Blackberry smartphone)

Incipient cu field

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 2:50 pm


Looking w from just northwest of CYS at 150p mdt
(Sent by Mike’s Alltel Blackberry smartphone)

early afternoon update 7/10

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 1:25 pm

Currently in Cheyenne as of 12:30pm mountain time… just finished
lunch and plan to head north of town just a bit along I-25, hang out
and watch the sky for awhile. I may end up drifting all the way to
Cheyenne. Very warm 700mb temperatures reside just south of Cheyenne
with the 700mb baroclinic zone from Cheyenne northward. Winds are now
light southeast here in Cheyenne, so the 60s dewpoints will be
creeping west toward me. Anything that forms off the Laramie Range
will not take long to suck in the real good moisture. The RUC has
consistently been generating convective QPF on each of the hourly runs
valid later this afternoon/evening… so there’s hope. More later.


Mike Umscheid Photography

http://gallery.underthemeso.com

mesomike@gmail.com

Chase Acct: July 9, 2009 (South-Central NE)

Filed under: Chase Accounts,Latest Chases,Storm Chasing — Mike U @ 7:15 am

This was a bust.  No storms developed in the target area.  I actually had two target areas, and even the secondary target area failed to produce a supercell storm… so I’m really not all that disappointed.  My primary target was the slowly moving front across Central Nebraska.  A couple versions of the NAM and even RUC models hinted at possible convective initiation along the boundary in central Nebraska, and per model soundings, if surface temperatures reached 95 degrees up along this front, there would be a shot.  Well, the warmest temperatures I saw on obs as well as per my car’s thermometer, the temperature in the vicinity of maximum convergence along the front never got much above 91 or 92.  The mid level temperatures were simply too warm.  When the cumulus looked at flat as they did for so late in the afternoon, I knew I was in trouble, and it would take a miracle for something to grow into substantial, hard towers and even further into a storm.  The cumulus field did become a little agitated by 5:30 to 6:30pm where I was sitting at southeast of Minden, Nebraska, but it never got beyond that point.  At 7:30pm, I called it quits and headed west toward McCook to set up for Day-2.  Below is one photo I did take of some high level virga that crossed the area around sunset:

July 9, 2009

Bustola. Heading to McCook

Filed under: chase mode updates — Mike U @ 7:33 pm

It’s 7:30, nothing has happened with this cu field, so I am waving the
white flag on this chase day. Heading to McCook for the night.
Hopefully better luck tomorrow on the High Plains!


Mike Umscheid Photography

http://gallery.underthemeso.com

mesomike@gmail.com

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