5/28/2008 - Small Chance with Small Reward

We drove from Hutchinson, KS to Scottsbluff, NE on the 27th in anticipation of a slight chance for a low-precip supercell in Wyoming on Wednesday. On the 28th, things didn’t look all that good for chase prospects – moisture was meager and surface temps left a lot to be desired. Yet, I was reluctant to sit in a hotel room all day – especially on my birthday! Instead, we visited the Scottsbluff National Monument and then headed west toward Cheyenne where we awaited a tiny chance of something interesting to fire. Sure enough, a small LP supercell formed just north of our location east of Cheyenne. This storm had a nice tilt, corkscrew updraft, and even a horseshoe updraft. Unfortunately, it formed in meager CAPE and quickly met its demise. Still, it was cool for a period. We then followed new convection eastward to the Wyoming-Nebraska border where we eventually called it an evening and headed toward our hotel reservation in Ogallala. Thursday brings much better prospects – let’s just hope I don’t find a way to screw it up.

LP with horseshoe updraft east of Cheyenne, WY.