Minnesota Storm Chaser Convention

My Convective Addiction group has been invited to speak at the 2nd annual Minnesota Storm Chaser Convention. Website can be found here: http://www.mnstormchasingconvention.com/

I will not be the main speaker, that duty will be left to Ryan Wichman, since it was his case study of the June 17th 2010 Tornado outbreak that got us the invite. I am tagging along to co-speak along with Jesse Risley since we actually chased the event and captured some of the best footage of our lives that day. The plan [as of day 1] is to take a look at the case study and relate it to what we the chasers were seeing at the ground at given times. Obviously we haven't even begun to work on this yet, so that is all I can provide at this time.

Oh, well have a booth too which will showcase our DVDs and perhaps some other goodies that nobody really knows about. Whether or not the rest of the members chose to come is up to them.

I am excited for this. One thing I enjoy is talking about severe weather and storm chasing, especially to people who are eager to hear what I have to say. Not only that but anything that helps get the group some exposure is always a good thing.  Public speaking generally does not frighten me, and I will be eagerly awaiting this opportunity, albeit a small one.

The convention is a fairly young thing that has only been recently started but has the potential to become a pretty significant yearly gathering, if that is the case, it will be cool to be apart of it during the early years. One thing for sure though is the people attending will be the die hard passionates who are really into it, before [if] it becomes a more mainstream event.

More details as they come! As far as the local weather goes, expecting lots of rain and maybe some thunderstorms tomorrow. I won't hold my breath just yet though...

Dallas Tornado VS Chicago Lake Breeze

The weather in Dallas, TX today [image courtesy of News8:]

The weather in Chicago today [image courtesy of GR3:]

For those who don't know...that is a lake breeze that moved through here earlier today.

Yea, guess where I would have rather been. Things have been pretty boring around here lately. Aside from some dying severe storms last week its been a pretty boring 2009 like pattern. The tornadoes today in TX were the result of the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine which have stalled out over the area. Originally those remnants were supposed to swing our way but now looks to pass well south of here. Those types of setups don't warrant a chase all the way from IL.

I've started eyeballing the models more and more again looking for that random fall chase op but right now nothing stands out. There are a couple marginal chances but at this point don't justify a long marathon haul on my limited funds.

So what have I been up to? Well, mostly working with my Convective Addiction group on our many projects. So many good ideas this group has that keep me really excited and busy. I do need to start working on my own personal DVD, but don't want to get too deep into that until I have a computer that can at least completely make them on my own.

Furthermore I have been getting ready to embark on a new business adventure that holds promise but won't come easy. After reading all those sad statuses from chasers in TX today who missed tornadoes because of work it just reminds me why I never want to work for someone again. I will never deem myself successful if the phrases "I cant chase because of work/money" still come out of my mouth. Maybe other people like to work and chase some of the time...but I don't. I'd rather struggle for a couple years and be scrutinized for it than just hang up my dreams and conform to a normal life.

Ugh, is that first fall chase here yet?!?!

Plainfield, Illinois F5 Tornado 20th Anniversary

The Plainfield tornado is without a doubt the most significant tornado to strike near home. That incredible F5 tornado is not only the lone F5 to strike the greater Chicagoland area but it is also the only F5 to strike anywhere in the country during the month of August. Unfortunately 29 people lost their lives making it one of the deadliest tornadoes to strike this region. It is a classic example of an unseen event as the day called for potential severe thunderstorms but the thought of tornadoes never crossed anyones mind. The tornado struck without a watch or a warning. It was spawned from an incredible HP monster and to this day there are no known photographs or video of it which makes it somewhat of a mysterious monster.

That day was August 28th, 1990. I was only 7 years old at the time but do have several vivid memories from that day. I remember the evil green sky and the newspaper photograph of a demolished church. Plainfield is still a good 20 miles from my home, but close enough.

What caused such a violent storm? Weather observations weren't as in depth as they are today, but there was obviously an extreme amount of instability in the atmosphere, temperatures had soared into the mid 90s with dewpoints into the upper 70s, that alone provides an extreme amount of energy. A cold front was sliding south through the area but the wind field wasn't anything that screamed weak tornadoes let alone an F5, and this perhaps is was fascinates modern day forecasters to analyze this day using the vast network of new and improved forecasting techniques that have come since then. The unusual direction the tornado traveled [northwest to southeast] is yet another piece of the overall unique puzzle pieces that came together this day. The storm had to have some sort of boundary interaction and my guess is the odd movement of the storm against the very unstable surface flow coming from the opposite direction really enhanced its srh [storm relative helicity.] One can only speculate though until another similar event occurs and is further analyzed.

Could another event like this happen? Absolutely. The advantage we have now is a better understanding of weather, better radar technology along with more active spotters and chasers out there. It is hard to believe that such a significant event could happen again without warning.

The NWS put out a great pdf article of the event which includes video at the end of the storm before it produced the tornado. Its quite an eery video showing a mean green HP machine sporting a violent wall cloud and some insane rising motion. That article can be seen here: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lot/newsletter/summer2010.pdf

I decided to pay a visit to the memorial to pay my respects to those who lost their lives in this underrated hazard that exists in our area. The memorial itself is quite a site, it stands taller than me [I am 6'3"] and is lazer carved from beautiful black granite.

Blowing It.

Yea, Ive seen to have blown lots of good chase opportunities lately. There have been several gorgeous tornadoes in MN this past week and I never even made an effort to even try and think about maybe wanting to see if I can perhaps chase. Alas though, I dont feel angry or any "SDS" about it...I guess thats what having an amazing season will do. Still though, I really would have like to been there for some of them.

Only a handful of chasers chase this time of year and the odds of getting something unique are greater, however one of the problems with tornadoes this time of year is what has always made me not want to chase them. They are needles in haystacks. The fact is allot of these summer setups all look the very same, at least to me and my moderate forecasting skills. Its hard to justify having the funds to run out great distances this time of year when every day looks similar. You can have the same setup 8 days in a row, and only 1 or 2 with tornadoes. Often times these come down to last minute mesoscale details which by the time I am able to pick out, its too late to make it to the target area in time. Damn this living location of mine! I never imagined the main 2010 season would be as active as it was and thus I exhausted all my chase funds early...lesson learned.

Unfortunately I am not one of these chasers whos rich parents can help fund my chasing. I do everything on my own and the fact of the matter is I am still not making enough money at the moment. What money I do have coming in is going to paying off the expenses of the active chasing I did from March - June. My chase partners help with gas but what they dont help with is the vehicle maintenance from the intense abuse I put it through, especially since I have driven 26 out of 27 chases this year. I chose to do it that way though. I don't really like being the passenger.

Speaking of March, April and May...I wouldn't even bother with those months if I knew June/July/August would be like this every year. Thats the other thing about it, the northern plains tornado season is never a sure things. In 08 and 09 it was practically non existent, this year just happens to be a year where it is very active.

Hopefully I can recover some chase funds soon to go after things in the coming months. I still hope for some local chases. Other than June 5th, IL has had a relatively quiet tornado season but there have been plenty of bow echoes and MCSs to mess around with. Those types of things I like to just sit at home and let them hit me. Especially knowing if they do anything significant I can make a media sale without putting up any cost up front. Its been a great year for local storms though so I can't complain there.

I keep a "thunderstorm log" of all the days with storms at home [yea, Im a huge nerd] and so far I have around 30 entries. Last year there was a measly 20 the entire year...stupid 2009.

I sort of get a kick out of watching spotter network on any given day there are storms around here. Allot of new names and aspiring spotters/chasers zipping around after garbage crap storms. Ahhh I remember those days...the days where I would wait for a storm...any storm to be in progress and just drive around it not knowing what the hell I was doing...luckily back then noone could track and laugh at me.

The problem I see is a serious increase in bogus reports. Yesterdays MCS came with a whopping 6 funnel cloud reports. No tornadic signatures on radar whatsoever, the storm rolls over me and I see lots of pointy, scuddy lowerings which explains the false reports. Not to mention some of those spotters bombard our beloved Tom Skilling with these "funnel" pictures...to which there is NOTHING resembling a funnel in...but alas, such is chasing and spotting these days.

Anyways, back to the point. I've sat out some good chase days and missed some good storms, but I wont be sitting out much longer! I see some chasers have donation buttons on their websites...I wonder if people actually donate...I should try it. Even a dollar can get me a value meal on the road!

4 Times the Irony

4.

Thats the number of times my neighborhood has been smacked by damaging severe storms this year. I cannot recall any year that had so many damaging rounds, but then again I never paid as much attention.

Want to know something ironic about that....check out the dates:

June 18th, June 23rd and then July 18th, July 23rd

The definition of irony shows itself in thunderstorm form. It makes me wonder what August 18th and 23rd will have in store for me? Think I am making this up? Behold the proof:

June 18th:

June 23rd:

July 18th:

July 23rd:

All of these events featured damage within 3 blocks of my house. The event of June 23rd was most significant in that it was caused by a tornadic supercell which if you look closely on the radar image you will see the white box which indicates the tornado warning. The rotation passed right over my house and of course, I was not there. Had there been backed winds [winds from the southeast] that day I am certain a tornado could have touched down.

While its fun to  speculate that the dates have some mythical significance I know better. That does not change the fact that it seemingly has been way stormier than normal around here. It is to be expected though seein as how this is the warmest summer in over a decade. We have more 90 degree days this year than we have had in the last 2 combined. With the heat comes the humidty and with that comes the energy to spark these powerful storms.

It also helps that the jet stream this year seems to not have migrated as far north as it could. Leaving us on the southern end of stronger than normal jet streams, so any storm that does form has the ability to tap into that jet and bring those winds down to the surface. Typically in the summer around here we see lazy flow aloft and we get popcorn pulse storms that pop up, dump on ya for 10 minutes and then die, but not this year. With the storms tapping that jet energy they can sustain themselves longer and become severe.

The stronger than normal jet also explains why that despite being so hot an humid this year, we have had no air quality alert or ozone action days. When the jets flow is lazy the air can stagnate. So I guess there is some light in this stormy tunnel right?

The most recent barage of storms on July 23rd brought flooding to this area that I have never seen before. I have lived here my whole life and never have I seen my street completely covered in water higher than the curb and onto the lawn. I have all that documented here on my site: http://www.aerostorms.com/072310-chicago-severe-weather.php

I was also able to get some footage of the extreme weather and damage onto ABCs Good Morning America which was another personal victory for me. How I would love nothing more for than my lifes work to be documenting such events and reporting them to the world. Alas, Ive been living a pipe dream, but its fun when it comes true even for just a day before reality sets back in.

The forecast this Wednesday calls for more severe storms but I think the timing of the FROPA is ill for this area and we will see another south of I-80 type event. We shall see though.

Also makes me wonder what the fall will bring. The northern plains have been extremely active this year and when that jet makes its yearly sag back south in another month, the true insane-o shear will return. I havent looked at the long range GFS in awhile but it did snow a major pattern shift suggesting this explosive pattern could finally come to an end in August...but as always with the weather, we will have to wait and see!

So much more I can write about. More later!

Bullseye Bowdle.

By now I am sure you know this exists, but if for some reason all you know of me is through this blog, read on.

The group I have aligned myself with, otherwise known as Convective Addiction has released its first full length DVD titled "Bullseye Bowdle" The DVD centers on the infamous May 22nd 2010 chase. That day a single supercell dropped a family of tornadoes ranging from photogenic trunks, fat cones, drill bits, stout stove pipes to a violent EF-4 wedge. The DVD covers every single tornado [just how many that was I still don't know!] from our multiple angles.

Projects like this were the reason I joined up with CA in the first place. I alone would not have enough footage to make an interesting DVD on the day, but combined with the others there is more than enough to tell one heck of a story. Those who did not chase could contribute by handling the bulk of the project itself, and that saves me time to do other things. Splitting the profits 8 ways isn't the best, but its profits I otherwise wouldn't have on my own. So why complain?

I also think it is something unique we have to offer. Chaser DVDs are all pretty much the same, a summary of key events. No real story. I mean, while the footage can be good, the sad reality is I can get my tornado video fix on youtube, which [along with every damn cell phone having a video camera] has nearly killed the market. So unless a DVD has something more to offer than just tornado footage, why bother? Others might not see it that way but hey, opinions are a dime a dozen these days.

Tornado footage itself used to be the draw. It was rare, mostly unseen and the only way to see for yourself what went down was to purchase a DVD or be lucky enough to catch the news that night. Times have changed and technological advances have new footage popping up almost daily at your fingertips so why spend 20 bucks for something when you don't have to?

However, chasing is quickly gaining in popularity and as much as I hate to say it, is becoming a trend and a fad. With that being said, one has to think of new ways to tap into the financial side of this booming field. I think our group is well aware of this and that is why we are offering a unique style of DVD. The DVD not only has over an hour of good tornado footage but also tells a story, and hopefully will give people more satisfaction when they watch it.

I am proud of the production as it is the first one I have been apart of. I got to see just what a real pain in the ass it is and now know what I need to do to release my own personal DVD hopefully at the end of this year too. I look forward to the challenge. I have several ideas to go about implementing a new style of chaser DVD, and it will take some time to be done right. Before I jump into lumping 10 minutes of this chase and 6 minutes of this chase onto a DVD, I have begun actually writing the DVD. I am not a writer...so my first challenge will be to become one.

That being said, head on over to Convective Addiction and pick yourself up a copy, you will not be disappointed and if you are, beef it up with mother nature and tell her to somehow make a better storm.

The trailer:

The Storm Bubble.

I see it all the time. People always say "The best storms always go north and south of me because of *insert something unique to their area here.*"

The dreaded STORM BUBBLE. Their existence cannot be proven by science, but just like ghosts, many are believers. Take the past 3 days here in Chicago. Multiple rounds of thundery onslaughts, yet not one single one passed over my house. Luckily thunder and lightning can be seen/heard for many miles otherwise I would probably be blogging photos of the local squirrels I just fed my leftover 4th of July fireworks to.

Lets take a look at the evidence from the past 3 days, 7-6-10, 7-7-10 and 7-8-10. My spotter network icon is circled and shows the exact position of my house.

It makes me wonder, hmmm...am I wearing my storm repellent today? The logical mind would laugh at this and realize that storms are completely random and their location is determined by the happenings of the atmosphere and nothing man made. Terrain DOES have some influence on storm development on a larger scale such as the uplsope area in the high plains and the caprock in TX but not on such a small scale.

So how does one explain the seemingly sure existence of the storm bubble?

The fact of the matter is, when watching radar there are millions of other places a storm can hit other than your house. We live on a teeny tiny plot of land on earths general surface. So "north and south" of me are pretty big generalizations. 1 mile south? 10 miles south? 50 miles? 100? It is easy to watch the radar and see where storms are going that aren't hitting you yet are hitting everyone else. If, however, you were to put a pin mark on a radar in one of the locations you think gets hit all the times. You will probably in due time notice that single tiny spot has just as many near misses.

Thus, if seeing storms is so important to you, I suggest setting yourself up in a way where you can watch them easily. A house not surrounded by trees, A house with a 2nd story window facing west or south. A house on top of a hill. Not living so far north. Otherwise, you will be in the bubble you're entire life. Don't fret though, your time will come, because even the biggest bubble pops.

2010: Thats Most of What She Wrote!!

Wow.

Its hard to comprehend it all, but I finally hung the towel on chase season 2010. With the events of the last few days I can say the jet has finally migrated to its summer position and we have transitioned into MCS season. It did so in a blaze of glory that had my region stuck on the edge of the "ring of fire" pattern for nearly 2 weeks.

The preliminary stats are:

Chases: 26
Tornadoes: 32!!!
Largest Hail: 2.75" [baseball]
Highest wind: close to 100mph
Miles: not sure, but rough estimate would be close to 20,000!

I chased 3 states for the first time: WY, OH and MN.

I saw not one, but 2 EF-4 tornadoes which are the strongest I have seen in my 6 year career

Until this year I never had a day with more than 2 tornadoes. This year I had one day with 6, one day with 9, and one day with 8!

I made my first ENG sale to CBS and FOX news.

I got into the most intense situation of my life, one that will follow me around for awhile in the chase community [the infamous SD field incident.]

My first DVD productions are in the making.

Yea, Its safe to say that this season has completely blown away every other season. I mean, its sick, other seasons don't even come close to 2010. I did have some major fails though, May 19th and May 24th rank as the biggest, both of those days we missed major tornadoes from bad decision making, however I am thankful for each fail because with each fail comes a lesson learned, and it helps keep my expectations of chasing within reality.

I have so much content to go through, so many projects to work on and updates to my site to make. During the season I largely focused on getting the chase logs up. There is much more to my site than chase logs though, and I will be busy with the insane amount of content for months to come.

Chasing is not completely over with either, don't get me wrong. We have transitioned into MCS season and I will not make regular trips to go intercept those. I tend to average one chase a month from July through October, so if I see something I think will be more than just a bowing MCS I will of course make a run for it. I might even chase a major hurricane too. Living in the midwest the season never really ends, but from this point it will definitely come to is yearly slow down. I will be a little more reserved about when I go out and chase.

Peak is over, summer is here, and I have no complaints!

Much more to come in the future.

Junehem?

Yes, I am still alive.

It has not slowed down since the end of April, so I hope everyone has been able to follow along. I don't think I have any unique followers here on blogger that don't know where to follow along elsewhere. This blog takes low priority when things are active.

Ive finally caught up with chase logs which can all be seen on www.aerostorms.com

June looks to bring allot of marginal days, the kind where I sit there and debate whether or not I want to chase. Nothing in the future stands out as a major day, but they can happen anytime anywhere.

Anyways, just chiming in here briefly to keep it alive. I am working on a number of projects for the time being and am still busy. I will have much material to work with once things die down.

I hope everyone is having a good year! 2010 really turned around from the slowest start in history to complete insanity.

MAYhem

My friend said it best the other day "I am the busiest jobless man in the world."

Its true, between searching for work and chasing I am as booked as booked can be.

That being said, it looks like things are about to start getting active again. I could be chasing as early as Friday somewhere near Ohio. If I didn't own my summer trailer so close to the target area I probably wouldn't consider such a chase...but logistically for me it would be a cheap chase...and ya never know. There is also an opportunity to be one of few chasers on any given event, something I long for these days. Now that it is May and the hordes are out in full swing...it will be painfully difficult to find any sort of ambience with any given plains chase.

Furthermore, the competition for sales is tough, Ive been getting skunked by those I consider enemies as well as those I consider friends. So it has been a bit frustrating for me considering I NEED the extra income where as many others don't, but alas...we're all in it for the same things.

I am having a record year though so I can hardly complain, if things keep on track I can release my first DVD by the end of the year!

Recent chase logs have been posted to the site, if you don't know it by now then shame on you! I don't have too much time to get into a detailed forecast, time only allows for me to make it for myself. Its too much effort to save, upload and link pictures right now.

Things are busy and with luck Ill be seeing some BIG ASS TORNADOES next week!