Link to time-lapse video by TT guide Chris Gullikson<\/a><\/p>\n(The video by Chris has better information as to the route and times.)<\/p>\n
We weren’t too far from where we needed to be when I gave the morning chase briefing to the tour group at our motel at McCook. Some morning thunderstorms were cruising through western Nebraska, and an east-west boundary would be left behind during the afternoon from northwestern Kansas westward into eastern Colorado. \u00a0The models showed development towards mid-afternoon on the Colorado section of the boundary. \u00a0And, the boundary could come in to play as a promoter of tornado development, too.<\/p>\n
We had a somewhat rinky-dink lunch at Saint Francis, KS. \u00a0I saw no reason to head down to Goodland for better lunch options, as good storms come before good food. Goodland was south of the boundary. \u00a0Convection sometimes starts early in Colorado, and with the boundary closer to U.S. 36, it seemed prudent to stick close to that highway.<\/p>\n
After lunch we drifted westward into Colorado on 36, past Idalia and to the Joes area. \u00a0We were on the north side, or cool side, of the boundary, and a lot of perky stratocumulus and cumulus were about as some sunshine filtered through. \u00a0The humid and mild east winds in this area were great —- this day could be a tornado day! \u00a0By about 2 p.m., both Wray and Burlington had E to ESE winds and a dew point near 60F, but Wray air temperature was 64F and Burlington was 82F. \u00a0We killed some time at a fancy rest area somewhere near Joes, I think, and then drifted south past Kirk on 57. \u00a0Less than halfway to I-70 (and Stratton) we found the boundary! \u00a0Skies were quite a bit clearer now to our south, and it was certainly warmer and muggier here. \u00a0While stopped and watching the skies, we experienced a wind shift to northeast with cooler air. \u00a0It was rather subtle, but the boundary was right here right now.<\/p>\n
It was mid-afternoon and time for some storm development. \u00a0I needed a nice east-west paved road here, halfway between U.S. 36 and I-70, but there was none. \u00a0Moisture convergence maps and satellite trends said “drift west, Bill,” so we went back north to U.S. 36 and headed west past Joes to Cope. \u00a0With mid and upper-level flow from the south and southwest, it would be better to be north of the boundary, presumably, if and when a storm tower developed along the boundary.<\/p>\n
A strong storm updraft finally became well-established right along the boundary, and above the large unpaved sections between 36 and I-70. \u00a0We dropped south about 8 miles from U.S. 36 at Arickaree (which is not much more than a bend in the road between Anton and Cope in Washington County) and stopped near the Washington\/Kit Carson county line. From a small hilltop near Roads LL and 1 we observed a healthy and quickly-organizing storm to our west-southwest.<\/p>\n
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