Late yesterday afternoon, a massive Pacific storm was centered over Wyoming and its counterclockwise winds were dropping heavy snow in the Colorado Rockies. As the storm moved eastward, its cold front ignited severe thunderstorms (some harboring tornados) across the Northern Plains.
During our journey east on Interstate 70 this afternoon, strong north winds raked the High Plains, producing ominous upslope rain clouds along the Palmer Divide. Fortunately, the highway skirted most of that precipitation but I did note that wind turbines across eastern Colorado had been shut down due to the high winds. Beyond Limon, we drove toward towering, white cumulus clouds, drifting south on the backside of the storm; carrying a residual cargo of moisture, some dropped curtains of rain or virga.
The massive system is now centered over South Dakota and its destructive storms arc through the Midwest. We will spend the night in Hays, Kansas, thereby remaining on the relatively safe backside of this atmospheric monster.
