June 6 the storms that couldn't

Scottsbluff National Monument

Scottsbluff National Monument

Weak storm near Wheatland, WY

Today, we began in Alliance, NE, and we were in good position for the day's festivities.  After the morning weather briefing, we headed into Scottsbluff, NE for a Walmart run and lunch.  Bill found a place called The Shed, and we were the only patrons there.  The staff was more than happy to accommodate us, and the food was decent.  After lunch, we toured the Scottsbluff National Monument, and the scenes were breathtaking.  It was interesting to read about its history on the Oregon Trail, and the walkways provided cool views of the area.  We left after about a half hour, and we headed into LaGrange, WY to fuel the vans.  Unfortunately, there was not a gas station, so we drove to Cheyenne, WY, where we fueled the vans.  Storms began firing up near Wheatland, WY, so we began driving north to investigate these cells.  They were not looking very healthy, but there was another cell to our southwest that was ramping up fast.  The only downside was that it was in the Laramie Mountains, and it was moving to the southwest, away from us.  Plus, the road network was very sparse, but we attempted to go after it.  After driving on WY 487 for about 40 minutes, the storm looked anemic, so we headed back to I-25 and drove towards Chugwater to investigate new development.  This was the final straw, as those storms also began fizzling, which was the story of the day.  The lack of wind shear was the main culprit, but we at least got a decent sunset out of the day.  We drove 422 miles and stayed overnight in Guernsey, WY.