August 3, 2013

Statistics

Initial Target

Start

End

Storm Intercepts

Tornadoes

Hail

Wind

Features

Miles

Cheyenne, WY

Lusk, WY 11:56 AM 8/3/2013

Bridgeport, NE 10:33 PM 8/3/2013

Windsor, CO

0 mph

None

380

Summary

Upslope play in central Colorado. Originally targeted eastern WY but had to divert to Colorado due to sinking airmass. Attempted core punch of tornado warned line near Windsor, CO but was unable to get ahead of storm complex. Called off chase stopping to visit friends before getting a room in Bridgeport, NE.

Crew and Equipment

Chase partners: Jennifer Brindley Ubl. Equipment: Canon 60D, Canon t2i, Canon EFS 10-22, Canon EF 50mm, Sony HDR-xr500v..

Video

Map

Details

Our third day out on this plains run, and again Brindley and I were hoping for some upslope supercells. We started the day in Wyoming, hoping for initiation near Cheyenne. Sinking air off the mountains plagued us again, however, so we raced into central Colorado after a line of tornado warned storms. We tried to core bunch the link from the north near Windsor, CO but the SE moving line, traffic, and slow roads made it impossible for us to get ahead of the complex. The storms also appeared to be lining out, so we broke off the chase.

Colorado Cloudscape
10 miles SSW of Carr, CO
7:54 PM

We happened to be near Brindley's brother's place so we stopped in for a short visit, before heading back north toward Nebraska where the next day's action looked to take place. Along the way we had some really pretty clouds streaming by us very low to the ground. I shot a time lapse looking west.

Motorcycle traffic was coming in from all corners of the country for the Sturgis Ralley in South Dakota. Finding a motel room anywhere within a state of the location was becoming problematic for us on the chase. We called around a few spots, before we finally found vacancy in Bridgeport, NE. The motel was filled with bikers and we got one of the last rooms, but it was a cozy stay.

Conclusion

Despite the several tornado reports that came in from Colorado, I never saw any good photos of them, so I don't think we missed much. The chase was rather frustrating for us since we were never able to get ahead of our target and into a viewing position. It was nice having the chance for Brindley to visit family though and we still managed to have a fun time despite the bust.

Lessons Learned

Watch for sinking air on your upslope target and keep your eyes open for other adjacent targets.
Avoid chasing the more populated areas near Denver.

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