2005 MAY 10: GRAND ISLAND NEBRASKA, MOTHERSHIP
 


 

 
Mike Hollingshead called me at one point during this storm and asked, "Is this a good enough Nebraska storm for you?" I was glad Mike was there because a storm that beautiful needs great documentation. This storm was one of the top three I have ever seen, and it was stacked, striated, and violently rotating for over three hours. Mike's photos are previewed here.

I saw many funnels and RFD plumes that could have been reported as tornadoes, or maybe they were tornadoes, I don't know. I didn't see anything I thought was a tornado, but Verne Carlson and his crew spotted a full nighttime tube on the southernmost meso.

I was thrilled with this storm, particularly since at around 23z, Neal Rasmussen and I were talking on the phone about how much longer we'd wait before heading south. Right after our last call, cu formed all over, and the GRI mothership began. I'll never forget this storm.

Here's a little forecast discussion I had posted to my blog several hours before initiation: 

"Wow. Well I like my Ansley target even MORE now.. However front might not lift that far north. Broken Bow area under cloud cover. Front intersects I-80 where I am now in Lexington and it is very apparent visually; one of those boundaries with a big neon sign: chase me. And so I will and worry about sleep in July. moisture pooling south of the front nicely and RUC brings wrap around dews nearly to 60F here, CAPE to >2200 j/kg. Low cu already bubbling and front is lifting north of the highway a little now; much hotter than only 20 mins ago."