Saturday, September 16, 2006 Bust Chase Through Northern Kansas And Southern Nebraska.

Departed Pittsburg, Kansas: 11:00 A.M.
Arrived Pittsburg, Kansas: 12:00 A.M.
Total Time On Road: 13 Hours

Tornadoes: 00
Wall Clouds: 00
Supercells: 00
Hail: None
Flooding: None

Today's chase is what all chasers hate to see, and that is a busted chase. Severe thunderstorms and a possible tornado outbreak was forecasted for Eastern Nebraska, and Northeast Kansas. A better chance for severe weather was forecasted for Eastern Nebraska. I decided I wanted to get as far north as possible, so I would have a better shot at bagging the big one.
I headed north on U.S. 69 highway, and then made my way west through Lawrence, Kansas. I made my way to Marysville, Kansas, where I checked data via wifi in a Best Western motel parking lot. After looking at the updated Storm Prediction Center severe thunderstorm forecasts and the current location of the dryline, I decided that I would make my final trek north to Beatrice, Nebraska.
I found free wifi internet in the Super 8 motel parking lot, located on the north edge of Beatrice, Nebraska. I decided that I was in a pretty good location, if storms were going to fire along the dryline in Southern Nebraska today. I waited around for almost three hours, when I decided that if severe storms did develop along the dryline, then it would now likely be after dark.
I saw some pretty pitiful cumulus clouds along the dryline on my way home, and that was about it. I traveled a long way today, and didn't even get to see as much as a drop of rain. That's just the way things go with this hobby. I will probably have to wait until next Spring to get my severe weather fix once again. I just hope we have a more eventful severe weather season next year.
All was not lost during this bust chase. I learned quite a bit about forecasting severe weather, and the science is not perfect. It also taught me that I have a long way to go in my forecasting skills.

Russel Parsons
Pittsburg, Kansas