June 5, 2006 Storm Chase - Northeast NE and Southeast SD Severe Storms

June 5, 2006 Storm Chase | Northeast NE and Southeast SD Severe Storms
Chase Partners: Randy Baker, Phil Kurimski, Mark Rader, and Kirk Swain
All photos © Copyright 2006 Matt Ziebell

An early morning MCS and subsequent cloud debris really hosed up today's severe potential across northcentral NE. We traveled north from Lincoln to O'Neill where clearing had finally developed by early afternoon, but the presence of a worked over boundary layer here resulted in several small cells popping by mid afternoon. Interestingly, we noted seeing a massive overshooting top well to our north and upon checking radar saw an isolated SVR cell about an hour away in SD. We exercised 15min or so of patience and then made the call to abort these poorly organized cells in NE and blast north for what became the only tornadic supercell of the day. As Murphy's Law would have it, this supercell conveniently gusted out near Mitchell, SD while we were only about 5mi or so away from it. Earlier in the afternoon we met Roger Edwards and company in O'Neill and they were among the fortunate few to witness this supercell and its tornado early on. Check out his account and photos here.

Instead of letting this teaser of a supercell ruin our day, we forged ahead and proceeded southbound to evaluate new convection firing to our south around the Missouri River. After viewing an interesting left moving cell in Yankton, we were treated to what I'll call was a briefly rotating SVR storm around the Knox/Cedar Cty border in NE. It first displayed a rather wide updraft base that later split with the right split showing some impressive growth and a small bell-shaped updraft base. It didn't last more than an hour and we then drifted south stopping occasionally to photograph a great sunset with Cbs nearby.

Towers in O'Neill trying hard and failing

Tornadic supercell in SD

New Cb near Cedar/Knox Cty, NE

Cb undergoing a split

Right split goes SVR and proves photogenic

Somewhat smooth base here

Anticrepuscular rays

Non-SVR Cb

Fantastic sunset

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