may 31st shelf cloud

After getting off work at 4 p.m. I quickly jetted westward to intercept a N-S oriented line of severe storms pushing eastward across E Colorado.  The southern most storm was exhibiting supercellular characteristics and generally keeping just south of I-70 as it headed east.  After reaching Burlington, CO I quickly sped southward down Hwy 385 to get in position for an intercept.  About 20 miles S of Burlington I pulled over and viewed my best-structured storm of the year thus far.  A classic shelf cloud was rolling toward me over a sprouting wheat field with amazing contrast.  I watched the cyclic fluctuations of the storm for a few minutes while snapping as many pics as possible.  A series of wall clouds took shape and lowered like a sharp, dark blade extending just north of the primary updraft.  Little, if any, rotation was visible with these lowerings, however they were extremely eye-catching with such great cloud to ground color contrast.  The shelf cloud extended well to the SW where new updrafts were developing, so I jetted southward as the lowering began to overtake me.  Click here for more pics.  I leap-frogged South and East for several miles as this developing MCS barfed out a huge haboob-like wall of high plains dust.  The outflow really was impressive with a few quick-lived gustnadoes leading the way.  Just west of Sharon Springs, KS I held on and let the outflow overtake me; winds felt like they were at least 70mph, but who really knows.  All in all, it was the most photogenic storm I have seen this year… and it doesn’t hurt that it was so close to home.

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