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Click here for more on the trip from the Virginia Tech "Hokie Storm Chasers" site

DALE, Ind. -- "Every hand's a winner, and every hand's a loser," sang Kenny Rogers in his 1980s hit song "The Gambler."

In storm chasing, we know that every hand can be a loser. Even in the most potent tornado outbreaks, veteran chasers are sometimes left behind without much to show for the day because of bad positioning, sudden changes in the weather pattern, or just bad luck.

This year's hand dealt by the weather pattern is full of junk (for storm chasers ... residents in Tornado Alley are pleased!). Almost every conceivable factor that could be working against large-scale severe weather in the central U.S. has been in play. But can that hand prove to be a winner for the Virginia Tech Storm Chase team? We've managed to pull off spectacular supercells every year despite being dealt some very poor cards.

We see a few clues that could lead to a little bit of heightened interest in the High Plains, all the way from Dakotas to northeast New Mexico. But pinpointing an area that might have at least an outside shot at severe, preferably rotating, storms is extremely difficult. It's a big gamble. Tomorrow, we will try to set ourselves up to move toward an area that might have a better chance of severe weather come Saturday and Sunday.

Tonight, we're in Dale, Ind. We ate a good home-style, Midwestern meal at Windell's Cafe in Dale. We met tonight and looked over some weather parameters, and will again in the morning before deciding on where to roll the dice. Tomorrow will be a travel day, and, hopefully, if we gamble correctly, we will be chasing something thunderous on Saturday.