6/16/17 | Leigh, NE

I found this setup to be very intriguing from a few days in advance. A west/northwest flow, tons of instability and moderately favorable mid level winds usually means a derecho is coming. In this case, though, there was a warm front and some leftover boundary potential with enhanced low level shear. If supercells could form early and latch on to any of these boundaries, tornadoes could occur.

This was one of my first “official” storm chases. I made my way into Nebraska and did my best to follow the meteorology, not necessarily forecast models or the Storm Prediction Center (using both as guidance, of course). I was able to observe a powerful supercell near Leigh, NE as a result. A tornado occurred with this storm, but it was buried in rain. These storms were high-precipitation in nature almost immediately.

There were a few storms that formed along a boundary layer in the afternoon and provided an opportunity for great photos as the sun began to set. It was a classic Plains day – hot, humid, supercells. Eventually, the stronger mid level winds and intense instability – with a lack of more substantial low level shear – led to organization into a linear complex. An incredible sunset followed, and that was topped off with a beautiful mammatus display as an MCS formed and moved towards Omaha.