Nothing, except Storm Chasing...

OK, so all along, I've been telling folks that I'll get plenty of sleep, that NOTHING interferes with my sleep. Well, I am here at 6:30 (been wide awake since 6:00) to tell you that I was WRONG! Let me say it again for those of you who collapsed in a heap on the floor when you read that. I WAS WRONG! Apparently, the prospect of chasing tornadoes very much keeps me awake. The force is strong! Great googaly moogaly, I hadn't counted on nerves. I usually have nerves of steel. My stomach is tied in knots. It's a good thing I have Tums (I always have Tums). Anyhow, I still have no idea where we are headed. Let me check the forecast and see what I think...

OK, for today, it looks like the action is to our west, so if we're chasing, we need to go west, but here's what I'm thinking... today will probably be a set-up day, get acquainted and all that... then, tomorrow, we can chase the monster. This is the day two outlook map... has been a moderate risk since yesterday (a day 3 moderate risk means business), and the text is strong, especially coming from the SPC. I hate to bore you with details, but this is too good not to share. I'll just hit the points that excite me... (which for you fair weather - as opposed to severe weather - fans, might seem like a lot... well, you're right. The entire outlook excited me!!)

WIDESPREAD/POTENTIALLY-SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE APPEARS LIKELY ACROSS THE PLAINS...AS A VERY STRONG UPPER SYSTEM AND ACCOMPANYING/UNSEASONABLY STRONG DEEP-LAYER WIND FIELD SPREAD INTO THE PLAINS WHERE MOIST/VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS ANTICIPATED.

AS ELEVATED MIXED LAYER SPREADS EWD ACROSS THE PLAINS...DAYTIME HEATING COMBINED WITH A LARGE AREA OF UPPER 60S DEWPOINTS BENEATH STEEP LAPSE RATES ALOFT WILL YIELD STRONG DESTABILIZATION -- WITH MIXED-LAYER CAPE REACHING 3000 TO 4000 J/KG ACROSS A LARGE AREA.

THOUGH CAP WILL LIKELY SUPPRESS CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ALONG/E OF DRYLINE WELL INTO THE AFTERNOON...STORMS SHOULD DEVELOP NEAR THE LOW...AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT/DRYLINE ACROSS THE CENTRAL DAKOTAS BY LATE AFTERNOON.

WHILE CAPPING -- AND SUBSEQUENT POTENTIAL FOR STORM DEVELOPMENT -- APPEARS TO BE A POTENTIAL LIMITING FACTOR WITH RESPECT TO SEVERE STORMS...CAPE/SHEAR COMBINATION WILL NOT...AS INCREASINGLY-STRONG MID-LEVEL FLOW SPREADS INTO THE PLAINS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. AS 70 KT LOW-LEVEL JET DEVELOPS DURING THE EVENING AND 60 TO 70 KT SWLY MID-LEVEL FLOW SPREADS AS FAR E AS THE COLD FRONTAL ZONE...SHEAR WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY-FAVORABLE FOR STRONG/LONG-LIVED SUPERCELLS.

OVERNIGHT...STORM MODE MAY BECOME A COMBINATION OF SUPERCELLS AND SMALL-SCALE LINES/BOWS...THOUGH A TORNADO THREAT WILL LIKELY EXIST THROUGH THE PERIOD IN ADDITION TO VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. GREATEST TORNADO THREAT -- INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES --APPEARS TO EXIST ACROSS CENTRAL AND ERN PORTIONS OF NEB AND SD AND VICINITY THROUGH THE EVENING. DEPENDING UPON EVOLUTION OF STORM MODE WITH TIME... POTENTIAL FOR MORE WIDESPREAD/SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE MAY ALSO INCREASE INTO THE EVENING.

I'm going to go ahead and say that I expect a PDS tomorrow, and I also expect to catch me a tornado!!! Woohoo!!! Outstanding CAPE, super strong shear, strong/long-lived supercells, very large hail, few significant tornadoes... OK, folks... it's showtime! I'm off to get ready!

Reaching for the sky! My heart really does have wings, and folks, I am fixin' to chase that dream!!!
~Storm Chaser Dewdrop