This weekend has been a roller coaster for forecasting and chasing. With the crazy weather setups and forecasts for the Midwest looked great the day before, on the day of the chase, everything was not as great and chase targets have been way off target for a lot of people.
On June 4th, the main area of risk and where most of the chasers went to go cover was in central Kansas. A few stayed in Wyoming while the Colorado chasers I work with knew that the Palmer Devide area is always magical for weather. That was the day Eric Treece and Verne Carlson got amazing if not insane footage. Tony was pretty pissed that he went to Kansas along with others but all it takes is a degree or two in the cap and you get major storms or major busts. The setup was a little different in Colorado then it was in Kansas and with the dynamics of the area, Colorado won the day for severe weather.
The next day, virtually everyone that was in Kansas and could chase went back to Colorado to chase. A few unlucky chasers I know had to go back to work and go home. No disrespect to them since obligations are just that, OBLIGATIONS. I know I get shit from a few arm chair SPC chasers that say I don’t chase anymore when I have 50 people out in the field and I have obligations to them to make sure I’m working the news desk and to take care of them. At the same time, were in the June weather setup now, the weather pattern is shifting north, and we have the ridge setting up where it will bring the storms up north. Why drive all over the place when I don’t have to and can just wait for the weather to come to me?
Saturday was just one of those days where I wait for it to come to me. I woke up early to what I thought would be a pack up and take a trip to Nebraska to chase and then looking at the forecasts I said, eh, I think I will stay home. The area by McCook Nebraska would fire first and the area to the northeast would get screwed over. Where there storms in the area of northeastern Nebraska? Yes! Where there storms that were worth my time to drive 10 hours round trip along with an additional 4 hours of waiting and chasing to blow off a possible local chase where I saw a major flooding issue? That’s where I said, eh, no, I will stay home.
The decision to stay home was a good call as the flooding event did take place.
The area just to the north and west of Saint Cloud was hit with at least five inches of rain. At one point Neva and I were documenting the flash flooding in Sartell, MN where several feet of water was in front of the police and fire department.
As we checked into the areas further to the northwest, the flooding and washed out roads were also pretty bad. You would have never known since MPX seems to have ignored the reports of the flooding in the area yet again. After seeing the flash flooding and the reports once again being blown off by the weather service, I’m just not going to bother to report anything anymore.
This week looks to be a busy week for severe weather again and I’ll be out chasing with the setups being closer to home and up north.
P.S. Last nights storms, missed those due to staying home to repair the dishwasher and I was not able to get out in time. Neva took off in her truck and shot some cool lightning photos while I was trying to play catch up with the storm.