- Jun 9, 2017

PRESIDENTS & PREPARING FOR THE BIG DAY!

There’s no grass growing under these boots. In the past four days, we've tracked through nine states. Tonight we hung up our spurs (although I am the only one wearing boots) in Bismarck, North Dakota.

It appears everyone is in agreement. The best potential for super cells is north of Bismarck. Victor Gensini agrees. He’s a college professor at the College of Dupage in Illinois. He and his band of student chasers are also stalking storms this week. Terry, Kholby Martin (meteorologist and storm chaser) and Victor compared notes and were in accord. Go North. So we did.

To underscore our decision, the DOW (Doppler On Wheels) overtook us as we headed north. It’s a big rig. Crazy to see that huge dish sitting on the back of a truck. The DOW is part of the Center for Severe Weather Research and it plays an important role in collecting data on tornadoes and severe storms.

Tomorrow’s offerings will give us the best chase potential for the week. There, of course, is never a guarantee but all the signs are there for a great day of watching super cells form and explode. Some of the high resolution models are breaking out isolated storms by late afternoon. The Storm Prediction Center or (SPC) is predicting a slight risk for tornadoes. Kholby is betting that will be upgraded to an enhanced risk by tomorrow.

So while we were in the neighborhood, we decided to check on George, Abe, Teddy, and Thom. Yup. Mount Rushmore. It was only about 20 minutes out of our way to Bismarck. Such a gorgeous place. The scenery makes you want to sit down and write poetry.