Re All
First off, apologies for not updating my blog for so long, and as the season progresses -- I will be updating it way more frequently. But, here is a few new tidbits... LOL
I chased two supercells on SUN afternoon and evening... The first produced the freak tornado events, as it progressed east-northeast across northern MO, way north of the surface warm front -- in a zone of low-level WAA/extreme helicities and meager low-level moisture (e.g. 38-44F Tds in the inflow sector). In fact, most of the RUC proximity soundings around the supercell inflow environment didn't show any CAPE until lifting parcels near the 750-800-mb layer, and carried no instability originating from the boundary layer -- which would officially make this supercell elevated. However, by the time I got on it... It was beginning to show linear charactoristics and blowing out cool/dry RFDs -- which was definitely not a good sign. The best part of that storm was the hailstorm which quickly proceeded the forward flank gust front. The biggest stone wasn't much bigger than an inch, with mostly penny-sized stones falling -- but it fell down hard enough to make it a cool scene.
Then, after meandering around northcentral and northeast MO during the mid-afternoon, I finally intercepted which to be one of the longest-lived supercells documented in history -- just southwest of Springfield, IL. After getting pounded with hail almost golfball-sized, I ran into rampaging inflow. The thing had the strongest RFDs that I have ever seen (some of the gusts just south of the main tornado surpassed 100mph, nearly knocking over my car). Then, the gigantic tornado emerged... Not much more than a quarter mile up the highway -- a gigantic, stumpy tube -- sucking everything into it (later confirmed to be F2 as it entered SPI). This supercell was the most intense storm that I have witnessed, hands down... But it was also one of the least photogenic I have ever captured -- with VERY few shots coming out of it ( http://www.midwestchase.com/march12th-springfield-tornado.wmv -- only a second ) as powerflashes illuminated the tornado.
2006 will be my fourth year storm chasing -- and this is also the first year that I got a tornado on my first chase of the year. My first chase in 2003 was a multicellular cluster in southeast MI. My first chase in 2004 involved a linear segment which developed along an outflow bndry from intervening convection (dropping 1" inch hailstones on me). The first chase of 2005 was a marginal supercell in southeast AR and northwest MS. Now, the first chase of 2006 featured a gigantic tornado in early MAR in Illinois! So, I am looking forward to what 2006 will bring me.... I took a chase "vacation" for just under six weeks last year... This year, I would like to chase slightly longer. I hope to be out on the plains throughout May and June -- and I sure wouldn't mind chasing a few JUL NE/SD setups -- and I hope to be on at least a few of the "surprise" supercells which develop on old outflow boundaries and drop south in northcentral NE :-)
In other news somewhat relating to my chasing... I will be picking up my long-awaited car within the next hour. I'm just about out the door. I got the rest of the money ($2,000) to purchase the Mustang. I'll post pics of it later. I'll also be updating my website in a bit.
posted 1:24 PM by Nick Grillo
First off, apologies for not updating my blog for so long, and as the season progresses -- I will be updating it way more frequently. But, here is a few new tidbits... LOL
I chased two supercells on SUN afternoon and evening... The first produced the freak tornado events, as it progressed east-northeast across northern MO, way north of the surface warm front -- in a zone of low-level WAA/extreme helicities and meager low-level moisture (e.g. 38-44F Tds in the inflow sector). In fact, most of the RUC proximity soundings around the supercell inflow environment didn't show any CAPE until lifting parcels near the 750-800-mb layer, and carried no instability originating from the boundary layer -- which would officially make this supercell elevated. However, by the time I got on it... It was beginning to show linear charactoristics and blowing out cool/dry RFDs -- which was definitely not a good sign. The best part of that storm was the hailstorm which quickly proceeded the forward flank gust front. The biggest stone wasn't much bigger than an inch, with mostly penny-sized stones falling -- but it fell down hard enough to make it a cool scene.
Then, after meandering around northcentral and northeast MO during the mid-afternoon, I finally intercepted which to be one of the longest-lived supercells documented in history -- just southwest of Springfield, IL. After getting pounded with hail almost golfball-sized, I ran into rampaging inflow. The thing had the strongest RFDs that I have ever seen (some of the gusts just south of the main tornado surpassed 100mph, nearly knocking over my car). Then, the gigantic tornado emerged... Not much more than a quarter mile up the highway -- a gigantic, stumpy tube -- sucking everything into it (later confirmed to be F2 as it entered SPI). This supercell was the most intense storm that I have witnessed, hands down... But it was also one of the least photogenic I have ever captured -- with VERY few shots coming out of it ( http://www.midwestchase.com/march12th-springfield-tornado.wmv -- only a second ) as powerflashes illuminated the tornado.
2006 will be my fourth year storm chasing -- and this is also the first year that I got a tornado on my first chase of the year. My first chase in 2003 was a multicellular cluster in southeast MI. My first chase in 2004 involved a linear segment which developed along an outflow bndry from intervening convection (dropping 1" inch hailstones on me). The first chase of 2005 was a marginal supercell in southeast AR and northwest MS. Now, the first chase of 2006 featured a gigantic tornado in early MAR in Illinois! So, I am looking forward to what 2006 will bring me.... I took a chase "vacation" for just under six weeks last year... This year, I would like to chase slightly longer. I hope to be out on the plains throughout May and June -- and I sure wouldn't mind chasing a few JUL NE/SD setups -- and I hope to be on at least a few of the "surprise" supercells which develop on old outflow boundaries and drop south in northcentral NE :-)
In other news somewhat relating to my chasing... I will be picking up my long-awaited car within the next hour. I'm just about out the door. I got the rest of the money ($2,000) to purchase the Mustang. I'll post pics of it later. I'll also be updating my website in a bit.
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