Stormtrack: Proudly serving who since 1976?

Storm Chasers: the show on Discovery Channel.... If you go to Stormtrack you will see many many replies some good, others mostly nitpicking and complaining. Whom do you see most of the moaning from? You guessed it! NON-CHASERS! For all the senseless rants and whining going on about our hobby, most of it is done by someone who probably hasn't ever seen a storm outside of their own computer monitor. Storm chasing is a passion to me, its like baseball. Someone who says baseball is boring, should actually go to a game and experience the atmosphere first hand. The same with storm chasing, someone who constantly bitches about safety first should actually go out there and see how much of the scenarios that they are preaching about, are actually non factors. If you are a chaser, you would know. Some people like to blow things way out of proportion, why? Could it be to just puff out their chest and pound it and say they are perfect? Or could it be just to stir up controversy, because "Hey! I don't chase, what do I care?" Stormtrack is a storm chasing forum, not a weather enthusiast forum? So why should we allow non-storm chasers to belittle what we love doing? I sure won't. In my "oppinun" these people need to pack their bags and GET OUT. There is no room for the constant ethics and etiquette lessons that are circling around the rooms of ST by non-chasers. Everyone has a right to say what they want, but when is enough, enough? With all due respect.....Chase........Lurk........Do whatever you need to do, BUT keep your mouth shut on the issues of storm chasing until you actually go out there and see what it is like.

November 5th, 2008 - Marathon Chase to Kansas

Departure: 330 AM - November 5th
Who: Me, Adam Lucio, Matt Fischer, Debbie
Where: Initially Western Iowa/Eastern Nebraska - wound up in SE KS/NE OK.
Mileage: 1,460 round trip
Route traveled: I 55 S to I 80 W to I 35 S to US 75 S, to US 166 W, back to 166 E, to
US 69 S, to I 44 W, to I 55 N.
Hours: 28 1/2
Arrival: 800 AM - November 6th.

Summary:

Left Chicago at 3:30 AM on chase day for hopes of hitting Western Iowa by 10 AM to set up and adjust where necessary. Ended up in southeast Kansas chasing tornado warned supercells that failed to produce. After bailing at 7 PM for home, we arrived at 8 AM the next morning.


Rainbow from the early morning elevated convection on westbound I-80 in Iowa.


The beautiful Kansas prairie of Fredonia, Kansas... lol


Initial view of the first warned cell just west of Sedan, KS.






Wall cloud partially visible tucked behind the core crossing 166.


Dick Mc Gowan, Darin Brunin, and gang down the road from us taking in the events, before Darin was mauled by outflow lol


RFD hitting us as 1st storm wall cloud passes to our north.


Outflow winds blowing in my face, whales mouth, yet a tornado warning is issued and a lowering appears to the SSW heading towards us.






Tornado warned area of the storm passing with-in a mile of us. No rotation noted.


Tornado warned portion of storm passing very near. Notice a lot of turbulence but zero rotation








On the ride home the next morning were treated to a beautiful sun-rise

Audio featured on Storms of 2008 available!

I volunteered my audio of the Chicago tornadoes to the production of Storms of 2008. Bill Doms produced the June 7th chapter, so I don't know how much he used or what he did with it, but I am sure it first rate work! I have uploaded both files to StormTube.org and have made them available for listening right here! When the blog page loads simply click pause on the one you aren't listening to and I hope you enjoy!

Interesting feature on June 7th.....

In the same vicinity of tornado #7 through Chicago Heights, I was traveling east on Sauk Trail Road and may have captured this tornado.....



What'd y'all think?

June 7th, 2008 Chicago Tornado Revisted

Initial watch for the area....


The storm reports.....


Big bulls-eye over northeast Illinois

NOTE: I have added models and warning texts just to give you a timelime of the events that occurred prior to, during, and after the intercept of this historical event.

Adam Lucio and I were talking from about 4 PM until we both left at around 530 PM. You can read our convo on his blog page. After he set off, I quickly followed. I grabbed my radio and my camera and ran out the door. As I left my NWR was replaying this message.....

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
WILL AND SOUTHEASTERN COOK COUNTIES...

AT 541 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM
SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO. THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SYMERTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
MANHATTAN BY 555 PM CDT...
FRANKFORT...AND MOKENA BY 605 PM CDT...
FRANKFORT SQUARE...MATTESON...AND RICHTON PARK BY 610 PM CDT...
COUNTRY CLUB HILLS...TINLEY PARK...OAK FOREST...AND HAZEL CREST BY
615 PM CDT...

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THIS
STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY!

After driving south along Pulaski road, I encountered moderate rain from other nearby garbage cells. As I was stopped at the light at 159th Street, Markham and Oak Forests tornado sirens fired up as a very dark horizon approached from the south and west.


Driving south on Interstate 57 in the core of the supercell storm which is producing a large destructive tornado that is currently crossing the highway right in front of me.


Interesting to note that people are parked underneath the over pass at Lincoln Highway (Route 30) Heavy rain and small hail are falling at this time.


Looking east at the edge of the meso as the large multi-vortex tornado is just off to the right of this picture.


Looking straight up at the huge meso, kind of reminiscent of the Red Rock, Oklahoma tornado back in 1991

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN COOK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...
CENTRAL AND EASTERN WILL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT...

* AT 604 PM...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A LARGE TORNADO AND
ON THE GROUND JUST SOUTHWEST OF MONEE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
26 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
MONEE...AND FRANKFORT BY 615 PM...
UNIVERSITY PARK BY 620 PM...
RICHTON PARK...AND MATTESON BY 625 PM...
PARK FOREST...OLYMPIA FIELDS...STEGER...AND CRETE BY 630 PM...
CHICAGO HEIGHTS BY 635 PM...


Radar at the exact time most of the pictures were taken. Notice the tell-tale classic supercell structure as it moves ENE into the South side of Chicago

I was nearing the end of the precipitation core and could finally make out the large bowl shaped wall cloud through the rain.... I quickly realized that the trees would reveal something much bigger.


Finally broke through the core, to the sight of a large violent tornado as it is tearing through Park Forest, Illinois. Looking southeast at I 57 and Sauk Trail Road.


Multiple vortex tornado just east of the interstate.

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM CDT FOR
CENTRAL AND EASTERN WILL AND SOUTHEASTERN COOK COUNTIES...

AT 613 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A LARGE TORNADO ON
THE GROUND ONE HALF MILE WIDE APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE WEST OF MONEE.
NUMEROUS REPORTS HAVE DAMAGED HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THIS TORNADO.
THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR MONEE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 26 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
MONEE...UNIVERSITY PARK...AND FRANKFORT BY 620 PM CDT...
RICHTON PARK...UNIVERSITY PARK...MATTESON...AND FRANKFORT SQUARE BY
625 PM CDT...
PARK FOREST...OLYMPIA FIELDS...AND STEGER BY 630 PM CDT...


Multi-vortex tornado kept forming into hybrid wedge as it was traveling NE through Richton Park. * Note it was not a wedge tornado, this tornado fluctuated from large bowl with multiple vorticity into slender stove pipe before going back into multiple vortex.


Radar capture of the supercell storm from the second the warning for the Chicago Metro until the cancellation.

NUMEROUS SUPERCELLS...MANY TORNADIC...PERSIST ACROSS THE QUAD STATE
REGION FROM SRN MN/IA INTO WI/IL. ONE PARTICULARLY LONG TRACK
TORNADO IS MOVING NEWD INTO THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO OVER SRN COOK
COUNTY. THIS STORM IS SPREADING ACROSS A REGION OF STRONG LOW LEVEL
HELICITY WHERE LOW LEVEL FLOW IS LOCALLY BACKED ALONG SRN FRINGE OF
LAKE MI. NEEDLESS TO SAY ENVIRONMENT ACROSS NRN IL IS QUITE RIPE
FOR ADDITIONAL TORNADIC STORMS


Got off at Sauk Trail Road, heading east as tornado was still on the ground. I didn't know what to expect as I saw fire trucks and ambulances screaming toward the East.

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM CDT FOR EASTERN
WILL AND SOUTHEASTERN COOK COUNTIES...

AT 620 PM CDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A LARGE TORNADO ON THE
GROUND NEAR RICHTON PARK. THIS TORNADO WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 29
MPH.

Was the last warning I cared about as I lost sight of the tornado and had no desire to fight traffic and damage to chase it deeper into residential area.


With the incredibly violent look of the tornado, it THANKFULLY didn't produce the massive damage like myself and many others thought it might have.


Radar image at the time I broke off the chase through Richton Park.


I continued to the east for about a mile before I had to stop because of damage to a car wash and apartment complex. I had to continue east and head south on Chicago Ave. Where I encountered tree damage and.....


Property damage. The main tornado lifted moments later just NE of Governors Highway as I encountered damage from another brief tornado that touched down in Chicago Heights.

Property damage above was from this tornado.


Very interesting here.... The main tornado is further off to the left in this picture. I may have caught tornado number 7 that this storm produced just to the right of the first power pole. The storm cycled so many times in such rapid fashion that there was no telling when or where another would drop. I firmly believe I caught tornado #2 for me that day as reviewing the road I was on and the location of that feature was very very similar.


RECAP/THOUGHTS: This was a gamble today. To stay in IL or go to IA. IA was the RIGHT decision this day, but I am a gambling man and knew I couldn't miss an event so close to home. Nothing was guaranteed on this day. I could have easily busted playing the Northern to Northeast Illinois target. I firmly believe if the Quinter,KS days didn't happen that these tornadoes in Northern Illinois would have been tops for tornado of the year.

On a more un-selfish note. I want to give MAJOR props to the National Weather Service in Chicago for their timely warnings and continuous coverage of this event. Only 2 non-serious injuries were reported with any of these tornadoes which at their strongest were only EF-2's. I commend their efforts and the efforts of the storm spotters giving live ACCURATE reports from the first tornado near O'dell til the 8th tornado in Lansing lifted. Great job all around.

June 7th chaser links:
Adam Lucio:
Andrew Pritchard:
Skip Talbot:

Check out Adam Lucio's new blog!

Hey fellas! Well one of my chasing partners finally gave in and created a blog and I think all of you should seriously check it out. He has a fantastic review of the June 7th Chicago Tornadoes and it brings back many many memories. You can even check out the AIM conversations Adam and I had leading up to the tornado intercept. Adam's a good chaser, I wish he was chasing for as long as I have, we'd have a lot of good times I am sure lol

http://aerostorm9.blogspot.com/ <------ His blog

10/24 - Elevated Thundershowers

It finally stormed today! After a month long absense, the night sky was finally jolted by the streaking electricity of lightning and the booming of thunder. A nice little low pressure moved over Illinois today and just enough sunshine created enough instability for a nice little episode of elevated thundershowers. One even produced .50 inch hail in the far western suburbs. Overall I was pleased with the 10 or so CG I saw. Now to batten down the hatches for old man winter!

Officially A Member of the Evergreen Park Fire Dept.

Well it has happened! I couldn't be more excited either. Today I was officially labeled as a member of the Evergreen Park Fire Department. All be it I was named the dirt on everyone's shoe since I am the newbie! Nevertheless I am extremely happy to have the ability to make a difference in my community. To put it in perspective, I am going through the necessary steps in getting my EMT/Medic so I can complete the full circle. That way if, heaven forbid, I encounter a Greensburg-like situation I will be officially able to help and not just volunteer my services. There will be a lot of hard work ahead of me and I know I will have the will to complete it and become a success!

Dan

SpotterChat is here!

Welcome! I have returned after a prolonged absense since I have been busy with anything and everything! I will try to update as frequent as possible. There are a lot of issues looming out there, some good, the rest not so.....

I will open it with a GOOD innovation that has graced the storm chase community. Scott Bennett has created SpotterChat.org for the purpose of making reporting and communication so much easier and I thank him a thousand times! I just pray to God that this doesn't turn into another terrible mIRC chat where weather is the LAST thing people talk about.

Software looks very good, and I even added an HTML script to this blog so those of you who choose to join us, have the opportunity too. Not to bash ST, but I can only hope this membership is a little more strict than letting every Tom, Dick, and Harry in. Especially if NWS offices have the option of monitoring.

I give this product a 5 out of 5 and look forward to seeing how this pans out!

August 4th, 2008 Derecho

Destructive tornado-like wind producing bow echo is rapidly approaching the Chicago Metro area. Adam Lucio, I, and others are directly in the cross hairs for this potentially dangerous line of storms. No point in battling traffic to get into position as it will be charging into our neighborhoods within the next 90 minutes.

Intense storms moved through at about 8:07 PM

Video #1 - 7:50 PM - Tornado Warning issued for Southern Cook County - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7v9gA0MAY4

Video #2 - 7:56 PM - Tornado Sirens going off in Evergreen Park - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su7aqWFQnDA

Video #3 - 8:00 PM - Gust Front coming in with frequent lightning - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng4Fnjhn0r0

Video #4 - 8:10 PM - Derecho Hits - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljwgEGhjoxY

Video #5 - 8:14 PM - Worst of it moves to the east - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lCuQuMkVGU

Overall it was fun! I measured a 83 MPH gust.

June 21st, 2008 Backyard chase.

Was watching Sox/Cubs game (It is like a holiday around here) and heard thunder so I fired up GR3 and to my surprise a nice little cell was popping up directly above my house. This little storm was actually a potent pea to dime sized hail producer! Heavy rain and hail fell for about 5-10 minutes.








More pictures here!

Video Link

I am sure more storms will form throughout the day so I may have more to add.
__________________

May 2nd, 2008 Evergreen Park, IL Storms

Had a backyard chase today....literally. Was on two hour sleep, my car was unavailable today, and I wasn't too excited about the MCS going downstate. I went to bed at 11 AM and woke up at 3 PM. I talked with Adam Lucio and Matt Fischer as they sat in Rochelle, IL, waiting for something...anything. The line of low topped "crapvection" was quickly marching east and it was only a matter of time before the threat was over. By luck, I glanced out my window at 6 PM to find solid convection going up all over suburban Chicago. So I grabbed my camera and fired off a few shots. Before long the storm to my south I had been taking structure shots of, went severe warned and was more or less making a bee-line for me. The storm produced pretty gusty winds, 40-50 mph gusts, torrential rain but minimal lightning/thunder. What made me happy was the beautiful rainbow appearing against the tornado warned cell in northwest Indiana.

April 10th, 2008 Galesburg, IL Supercell

I met Adam Lucio in El Paso, IL just around 3 PM and we saw what would be the makings of those supercells in NE MO/S IA go up. We held out in El Paso a little longer hoping deep convection would fire up to the SW near STL and head up this way.....that was not to be. We finally made the decision to head for Galesburg via I 74 in hopes that the supercells in NE MO would hold together and make it that far. All day it had been this dreary, damp, and a windy overcast all across central IL. This wouldn't change. By the time we hit Peoria, tornado warnings were already evident over Adams County with a confirmed tornado near La Grange, MO. As we hit Galesburg around 615 PM the storm was coming into view to the SW. We dipped south on RT 67 all the way to Roseville. We went west on 116 until we were 3 miles to the N or Raritan. Storm motions were "said" to be N at 55 but it looked like the core was spreading to the E and we knew we had to get out of there. We started back east on 116 when Adam and I noticed a bowl shaped lowering rapidly approaching from the SW. Strong rotation and a possible tornado was reported with this storm and it was only a few miles away so we took no chances and headed back east to 67/116 jct. When we arrived at that intersection the storm looked real ragged and outflow-y so we decided to let it overtake us. As we were sitting there about to get cored I noticed the winds to be strong out of the southwest, in a matter of 30 seconds we experienced several strong blasts out of the east. Having lost data we could only assume the couplet was wrapped in rain and passed almost overhead (later analysis of GR3 confirmed this) We then gave up on the storm and headed north to Monmouth when Adam spun out into a ditch and I had to go back and help him while only a matter of miles to our north our outflow-y storm would produce a rope tornado, captured by Joel Wright and Jeremy Ludin.
Congrats to all who bagged one and to all that had successful chases, this was a good chase for me because my chase forecast/target ....... was right on having 10 tornadoes within a 50 mile radius of there.





Bowl shaped lowering moving North as we were moving east on 116



This was looking into the direction of the rope tornado





Probably not the way you want to end a chase....

April 25th, 2008 IL and IA Supercells

Initially was thinking Rochelle-Sterling area would be the place to be. So we set off west toward I 39 on I 80. When we got to La Salle, decided to continue west and stopped in Princeton, IL for lunch and gas. Upon eating there, the storms in IA started getting TOR warned. I didn't commit to anything as of yet because I was hoping discrete cells near Quincy would keep heading NE at my location. Finally as a few confirmed tornadoes started coming across the live coverage from Iowa City, I said the hell with it and darted west along 80. Got to the river and noticed a very dark sky to the SW -W - NW. Got to the Eldridge. IA and had to decide whether to dip down on I-280 for the Muscatine Cell or up 61 to the New Liberty storm. Thought we could get the northern cell, and be in position to intercept the southern storm near Clinton, IA.

Above picture was taken from Dewitt, IA on US 30 as the now garbage tornado warned supercell continued north of us. Ragged left overs of what was tornadic wall cloud from De Witt, IA.



We kept heading west on US 30 through Clinton, IA, and Morrison, IL, until we met up with Adam Lucio, Matt Fischer and Dan Hobson in Rock Falls, IL. As Adam said previously we grabbed a bite to eat and such and saw that this interesting feature.















Notice how outflow-y it looked.



Here is the feature of interest. It is a good lookalike if not truly a funnel.

0610 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 5 N ROCK FALLS 41.84N 89.71W
04/25/2008 WHITESIDE IL PUBLIC

REPORTED AT THE INTERSECTION OF IL HWY 40 AND FULFS RD.
RELAYED BY ILLINOIS STATE PATROL.

Report at the time of the picture from NWS DVN.

Overall it was a decent chase, got cored 4 different times from non-severe storms on the way home with some small hail and what not.

http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o124/ILSvrWxTorChsr/04%2025%2008%20IL%20and%20IA%20Supercells/ More pictures here.