6/13/2013 - Woodrow, CO Storms

Victor and I left DeKalb at 5 am with a target of eastern Colorado on what was progged to be a marginal day. Nevertheless, we thought there was enough potential to head west, play the upslope on Thursday and target Nebraska on Friday before I meet my brother in Denver for a week of chasing commencing Saturday.  We made the LONG I-80 ferry, approaching the target region near Brush, CO at about 4:30. Storms had already developed near Denver International Airport and were slowly moving east. We ventured south to just a hair north of Woodrow, CO where we paused on a rural road to take in the nice view west toward the maturing convection.  We sat on this rural road for the better part of an hour, lapsing the amazing mammatus and high based structure to the west. A dead tree along the road provided the perfect foreground. As the storm neared, we slid east ... and then, the dust bombs started. We were engulfed in dust for the next hour, with many intense gustnadoes forming near us. It was a dusty good time! We eventually headed south, east, and then back north, but we could never get ahead of the line again. We overnighted in Ogallala. Overall, it was a worth the long drive ... there is just something about sitting in the High Plains soaking in the atmosphere.

Stitch of several images. 

One of the many intense gustnadoes we tried to play with.  

 Yet another intense gustnado.

Chase ends with a beautiful rainbow at sunset.