Tour 3 - Bonus Chase Day (29th May 2023) - SW and SC Nebraska - SLGT Risk

[MikeUpjohn]

A bonus chase day on 29th May 2023, for those already in Denver, with a nice small SLIGHT Risk from SW to Central Nebraska, with 2% tornado risk, and 15% hail and wind risk. A chance of a brief tornado, with some large hail, but gusty winds the main threat with storms becoming outflow dominant later.

We headed out from the good old Days Inn on Tower Road, Denver about 1230, and blasted up the Interstate into Nebraska stopping for a quick grab and go lunch at Julesburg. Storms were already coming off the Rockies to the North, and paralleled against us along the Interstate. Continued East to North Platte, NE but storms were really struggling, with virga evident everywhere. A storm to the West on the CO/NE border went severe warned just before 6pm (magic hour!), so we headed back West, and picked it up, near Sutherland.

Stopped at a couple of points South of Sutherland on the US-25, and were treated to a huge shelf cloud, regular powerful lightning and moody skies. A mini haboob type feature from the outflow, quickly caught us, as we watched it race across the fields at us, before heading South to Wallace, NE and then East out ahead of it. Really strong outflow winds, made it a job for cars to stay on the road. Eventually, turned North as the storms started turning to the NE, and went straight through North Platte, NE as the storm rolled into town with bright pink positive lightning bombs. Watched it move away to the NE just North of town before an Applebee's dinner together.

All in all, a brilliant chase day, overnighting in North Platte, NE.

Mike.