Two hours earlier, on this last storm-intercept day of our 2010 season, a fast-moving, beautiful, outflow-dominant storm gusted itself to death over the southern Nebraska Panhandle, a cold and blustery atmospheric act fitting of closure. As we headed back to lodging in North Platte, however, the final and most spectacularly constructed supercell of the entire season erupted to our SE, shortly before sunset, all by itself, and directly beneath the waxing gibbous moon. The convection blossomed higher, deeper and wider, irresistibly beckoning our appreciation, as if a higher power were proclaiming, “Lo, I am not done yet, and neither are you. Behold and appreciate this fluid work of art, for it is yours to see, and won’t last long.” In willing compliance, we pulled a mile off the highway and stood by a cornfield for some unkept measure of time, the moist southeast breeze in our faces, watching in relaxed but rapt attention as this amazing storm grew, spread, glowed in the receding rays, peaked, and ultimately weakened. The Great Plains thus bid us farewell for the year, in a most fitting and beautiful manner.
2 SSW Paxton NE (22 Jun 10) Looking SSE
41.0908, -101.361