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:
Hi Mike,
I busted with ya in NE yesterday. At least I was in good company. I was further Northeast where it was even cooler. The cool t
surface temps caught me by suprise. I had looked at satellite imagery and thought there was enough clearing but alas it was not to be.
Comment by Stephen Lockr — July 10, 2009 @ 9:07 am