June 12, 2023
Statistics
Initial Target
Start
End
Storm Intercepts
Tornadoes
Hail
Wind
Features
Miles
Trinidad, CO
Springfield, IL 2:30 PM 6/11/2023
Dalhart, TX 7:53 PM 6/12/2023
La Junta, CO
0
0"
0 mph
Updraft Base, Lightning
1176
Summary
Marginal upslope play in southern Colorado. Targeted cells coming out of Trinidad noting small updraft base and CG lightning southwest of La Junta. Retargeted severe warned cells in northern New Mexico, but cells dissipated as we approached from behind.
Crew and Equipment
Chase partners: Jennifer Brindley Ubl. Equipment: Sony AX100, Canon 60D with EFS 10-22, Samsung S9.
Video
Details
This was my first day out on a multiday chase trip to the Great Plains with Jennifer Brindley Ubl. The first day looked like a marginal High Plains day, but we wanted to be there in case of a surprise and to be in position for bigger days to come.
We left Springfield the afternoon before the event, stopped in Topeka to overnight, and then hit the road at dawn.
We drove through La Junta, Colorado, the anvil of a severe warned cell billowing overhead. We chased a developing cell coming out of Trinidad area while ongoing line with embedded circulation was tornado warned near Pueblo.
Prolific cloud to ground lightning was noted, which suddenly stopped as cell began to die. We bumped into Matt Sellars on this gravel road while watching the cell, before he left to chase near Pueblo home.
We retargeted northwest New Mexico routing to come in behind cells. It was a very pretty drive through canyon lands with outflow driven clouds with dramatically low bases and scud moving.
We drove through a small New Mexico town. A family was having some kind of ceremony in the road on a bridge.
Conclusion
Lessons Learned
- A bust in terms of storm structure, but our first day out was a fun, scenic drive through the High Plains.
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