2026-04-03 REPORTS: MO/IL

[Dan Robinson]

Targeted the Quincy area today. Ended up on the western of two supercells at Havana. I didn't see a tornado today (at least I don't think so), but this was a quality chase with the #1 structure I've seen in the Midwest, and lightning that cooperated with *two* close strikes with incredible effects and finally catching the lightning "attachment" process at 6k fps (upward/downward leader connection).









Chase log is here:

March-April 2026 Storm Chasing Recap

stormhighway.com

Video:

 

[Dan Ross]

Regarding that "dirt explosion" bolt in your video - I can hear a little snap sound at the moment of the strike, which would mean whatever produced it would be extremely close by (no time delay). I once experienced the same phenomenon with a scary close strike. There was a 'snap' at the moment of the strike, followed by a huge boom from the bolt a fraction of a second later. I hypothesized that maybe a failed streamer coming up from the ground nearby might create a snap sound like that. Does that sound plausible to you? Have you experienced this snap-boom combo on any other occasions?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Though it could be from an upward leader, I believe it comes from inductive current-induced sparking on power lines. I've heard similar sounds many times from them. Some of the bigger high-tension lines, like the ones across from the Arch in St. Louis, will make buzzing and snapping sounds with every nearby or overhead flash. In that first CG to the power lines, the flashover (power line current arc across an insulator) occurred on a separate set of lines across the road. The flashover itself is started by a small spark that jumps across insulators during a nearby or direct strike, and I think that is what is making that snapping sound in most cases.

Even overhead "anvil crawlers" produce a high electric field on ground-based objects that can produce small sparks. I've felt this twice in my years while shooting lightning photos in the form of hair raising during an overhead flash.