10/13/07 Kansas Night Chase

We started the day in Denver with little hope that the cap would break by sundown. Stopped in Great Bend for dinner and just fineshed when storms fired north of Dodge City around 8 p.m. We were treated to an awesome lightning show and some decent storm structure. Our chase ended around 1 a.m. near Wakeeney, where we bunked down for the night. Notice how the lightning is casting shadows upwards in the last two shots. I havent seen this in my lightning shots before.

Chasing Saturday and Sunday

A really nice autmn severe weather episode appears to be in store for parts of Kansas tommorow. Unlike last week, the forecast models have remained consistant in depicting a really nice severe weather day. The cap will be an issue tommorow but we will be positioning our selves on the nose of a dry punch where airmasses are colliding. A 60-80 kt upper jet will begin to enter the area around 0z and hopefully will provide some decent forcing. Based on the latest NAM model guidance, I am inclined to target near Oakley Kansas. The Merage family and myself will be on the road by 11:00 a.m. tommorow morning. Jon Merage and I will also be staying out for sunday's potential setup in central KS or south central NE. Finally a decent chase opportunity!!!

If the cap breaks, this will be the most likely area for tornadoes Surface based Cape approaches 2500 J/Kg

Fall Colors. 50mm fun

I wasent able to make it up to the mountains for the fall colors but had some free time today to check things out near the South Platte river. These are all taken with my plastic fantastic 50mm f/1.8 lens. Going chasing this weekend so expect pictures from that by teusday.