4th "Chase" day - June 2, 2014

Monday, June 2, 2014

Current time: 11:00pm CDT (Tuesday)

Log:

Location - Hays, Kansas

The highest chance for storms today looks to be in Southeast Kansas so we will be heading towards Salina. The CAPE is pretty decent, in the 2000s and shear is also decent, but there are no lifting mechanisms. If the out flow boundary can provide some lift, then we can see some storms, but otherwise today will be a bit of a dud.

13:00z (8:00am CDT) - Forecast discussion confirms that the chance for storms is not great so we will be doing laundry this morning and then heading to Newton, Kansas. This position would put us south of the boundary and south of any storms that would form from that boundary.

13:30z (8:30am CDT) – We leave the hotel, heading south on 183 to the Laundry mat.

Approx 14:30z (9:30am) – We leave the laundry mat and head west on I- 70 for Salina, Kansas.

16:30z (11:30am)- We turn onto I-135 for Salina, Kansas and eat lunch at Carlos O’Kellys in Centennial Mall in Salina.

Approx 18:30z (1:30pm)- We leave Centennial Mall south on I – 135 for Newton, Kansas.

Approx 19:30z (2:30pm) – We arrive in Centennial Park in Newton, Kansas to observe the weather.

Approx 21:30z (4:30pm) – After spending some time in the park, we leave Newton, KS since no storms had developed on the boundary (or anywhere) at this point and head North east on route 50 for Topeka, Kanas which is our stop for the night.

22:45z (5:45pm) – We turn north onto the Kansas Turnpike.

Approx 23:30z (6:30pm) - We arrive at the Sleep Inn in Topeka, Kansas for the night.

Approx 23:45z (6:45pm) – A few of us go to the local Walmart to get some extra things.

Approx 00:30z (7:30pm) – We play card games in the breakfast room at our Sleep Inn while waiting for Ryann’s parents to stop by.

Approx 1:30z (8:30pm)  - Ryann’s parents bring us Oklahoma Joes for dinner.

Journal:

            Today was not much of a chase day and more of a day off. While it was disappointing that no storms did pop up, the weather forecasted for tomorrow looks insane so that is something to look forward to. We got laundry out of the way, which was definitely a necessity to do eventually, so better today than during an active day. While over packing was a pain when it came to carrying luggage up stairs in hotels without elevators in the building or ramps at their front entrances, it was nice to not have to do laundry and just relax on a bench and make use of some free Wi-Fi. After the laundry mat we ate lunch at a corporate Mexican restaurant popular in the Midwest. The food was pretty decent, I don’t quite understand the O’Kelly’s part of it, but they did serve mashed potatoes with my food so I guess that’s the Irish part? Either way, afterwards we go to a park in Newton to arrive for storms. The radar looks completely clear so most of us play some Frisbee/ Volleyball/ “golf clap” at people playing Frisbee golf in the distance and enjoy the beautiful weather hoping for the cumulous clouds to start gaining some height. The fair weather cumulous clouds remained just that and with nothing on the radar at all except for a very small cell far south which didn’t look impressive, we call it a day and head to our beautiful hotel in Topeka, Kansas. I’m not from New Jersey, but after spending 2 years going to school at Rutgers, I have a pretty good idea of what it looks like and I must say, Topeka could easily pass for a town in central Jersey (insert debate about the existence of central Jersey). I have never stayed at a Sleep Inn, but it appears to be a great chain of hotels since the rooms had big ceilings, everything was clean, and the breakfast was pretty good (especially the muffins). One of the better free breakfasts I’ve had. For dinner instead of going out to eat, Ryann’s dad was nice enough to come all the way from Kansas City to give all 14 of us food. While she was worried that there wouldn’t be enough Oklahoma Joe’s for everyone, there was plenty left and it was all really tasty. I tried brisket for the first time and it was great.  All in all, a great day although not much weather to talk about. Until tomorrow!