Thursday, June 5th
Northeast Colorado was our target for the day, so we left our Holiday Inn in Lamar and drove up to Limon, CO. Though the SPC gave a greater risk for the Arkansas/Missouri border, we didn’t want to drive all the way to the Mississippi River only to have to miss the action in New Mexico on Friday where conditions looked more promising.
Arriving at Lamar, a thunderstorm had already developed and was headed right for the town. Topping off our tanks and emptying our bladders, we shot southward to dodge the storm. A few clicks behind us was actually Weather Channel Meteorologist Mark Elliot, another Rutgers Meteorology Alumnus, who was chasing with Mike Bettes. He too stopped nearby Limon and began pursuing the same cell we were. We kept in contact with him as best as we could throughout the day, trying to see if our paths could cross. Unfortunately, he did have to leave that cell later in the day for another cell closer to Denver, a move I’m sure that was done for better signal and population coverage. He did wish us a safe chase and expressed his jealousy as we chased the better cell.
Pulling over to our first viewpoint, our storm was visibly strengthening. We evidently had parked ourselves right next to the inflow, witnessing intense winds feeding the storm. The dust that was being kicked up all around us was being sucked right into the storm, right in front of our eyes.
As the storm moved south and east, we followed it… and followed it… and kept following it. We followed this cell for a total of about 4-5 hours, keeping with it and watching its slow, but sure intensification. Throughout the entire ride, we saw countless wall clouds develop and dissipate along with numerous scuds that looked quite intriguing.
While chasing, we also passed by the SUNY Oswego chase team.
We even ran into a white horse while pulled over on one of our many viewpoints! In honor of Spongebob Squarepants, we named him Mystery.
Continuing to chase our cell, we knew it was trying to do something – we could feel it, we could see it! Like Thomas the Tank, it kept going “I think I can, I think I can!” However, we were loosing sunlight, which meant unless it produced a twister soon, we would be SOL.
Eventually, we made it all the way back to Lamar and stopped at a Walmart parking lot to view the storm with the last minutes of sunlight. Of course, it was at this point that a Tornado Warning was issued for the region just north of us with a confirmed tornado. But with little light and too many obstructions in the way, we were unable to view it. However, in the distance, we heard it – tornado sirens. Let me tell you folks that hearing those things in person is much more eerie than on television.
At this point, all we could do is view the lightning show happening right over our heads – literally, it was right over us… and we were outside… in the middle of a parking lot… probably one of the most dangerous things you can do while near lightning – I don’t endorse it or encourage it and advise anyone reading this blog to never do such idiotic acts!
As we piled into the vans to wait out the storm and prepare ourselves for a long-awaited dinner, I suddenly spotted a dog walking around our vans. I alerted the rest of the people in my van of the dog, but the moment they looked, it had hidden behind one of the other vans. Everyone thought I was crazy, until the dog popped back out. Against the wishes of our hungry professor (sorry Dr. Decker), a group of us exited our vehicles to comfort a lost dog that had run away during the storm.
Ryann and Sherilyn found a phone number on the dog’s collar and Sherilyn called the owner. Now, take a moment and just imagine yourself as a humble man living in the Midwest who has just lost his dog when you suddenly get a phone call from someone with a heavy New Yorker accent – “Hellow sir, we fouwnd yur dawg.” Quite frankly, I’d be scared to death. Regardless, the owner was contacted and rushed over to our location to pick up his companion.
The owner was eternally thankful for us finding his dog, although his dog really found us. Doing our good deed for the year, we booked it to McDonald’s to stuff our faces in fast food.
Michael J. Lee 