3/21/07 NOW: IA/MO/IL

[Jesse Risley]

Storms are starting to fire and some warnings have already been issued in this region. A trough moving into a favorable thermodynamic enviornment with steel mid-level lapse rates and capes AOA 1000 J/KG has initiated activity in the past few hours. If more sunlight is able to penetrate the eastern flank of this activity, it appears a damaging wind threat would become more imminent later this afternoon.

 

[Angie K Holliday]

I'm sitting here in NE Mo, hoping to see something!!! I woke up to warm humid weather, and sunny skies and I wondered what we were missing to not be seeing a chance for storms today, then a little bit ago saw a watch box go up, including me here! I feel very much like I am not doing a good job forecasting since I don't get to use my skills much, but I had a gut feeling that something might happen today, and now I feel good that it was at least somewhat backed up in reality.

I still can't remember all my stuff from school, but I keep trying to find the right things to look at in this kind of weather.

Currently here it is 67 with strong southerly winds and dewpoint in the upper 50s. Clear skies and a beautiful day

 

[David Draun]

Man, I haven't posted on here in a while. I'm sitting here at school in Dekalb, IL right now. I was just outside, and it is definitely obvious that the warmfront has pushed well north of the area. 55/52 last observation, and the sun is now breaking out. I think SPC will shift the slight risk area to the east this afternoon to include much of N. IL The new MD out seems to reflect this. To the immediate south is where a lot of the insolation and heating are occuring right now. I wouldn't be surprised to see dews going above 60F this afternoon due to all the moisture on the ground. SBCAPE is increasing in the clearing area, and that will soon advect up this way.

It sure is nice to see some vertical development in the clouds once again!

 

[Joel Wright]

We've had several thunderstorms move through here in the last few hours. Lots of soaking rain and quite a display of cloud to ground lightning. The storms are non severe, but still interesting since these are the first storms of the season here. Some pea sized hail has been reported around as well.

Even with the heavy rain and thick clouds it's still 65/58 here.

 

[Jeremy Ludin]

Just got back from a "long lunch break" () to catch the first storms of the year. Periods of heavy downpours and numerous CG's but nothing severe. I did encounter areas of pea size hail, but nothing to write home about. Spring is here!

 

[Danny Neal]

Just walked out of baseball practice......Currently Cook and Kane Counties were severe warned with a line of strong thunderstorms. Those have since expired. I am on the south side of Chicago and experience some of the smaller cells, which briefly produced pea sized hail and a lot of cloud to ground lightning. I went into practice at 49/41, I got out at 67/55 what a difference 2 hours make.

 

[Brandon Sullivan]

well mode will soon turn linear.. storms are beginning to fire and move ESE... I will probably sit at home since I have school tommorow.. watch has been issued for W IA

 

[Jim Zandonai]

Here in NW IL Around 5pm A pretty strong cell moved ENE and caused Penny sized hail in Byron just before 5p and by the look of the VIL a little later was probably up to Nickel when it was over N Dekalb Co.
Here in RFD IL. I caught the backside of it around 530pm as I was getting off work.
It looked pretty impressive for an elevated storm with DBZ in the low 60s and some good CG strikes.
I didnt think it was enough today to take the day off for any chase potential and was right but this one would have been okay for a hail report.
In any event looks like another line will move through Early A.M on Thursday but the greatest potential for severe weather seems like it will be west of us.
Not bad though for mid march around here..I am looking forward to April.

 

[Michael Rogers]

Here in Northeast Illinois it has mostly been a flood event. Several major streets still remain closed due to flooded roads. Numerous reports of pea sized to quarter sized hail have been reported. In my town, we got hit with 3 different storms which produced pea sized hail. The CG lightning was wonderful. Had the power go out do to a close strike at my house. What a great way to welcome spring. Oh the sound of thunder, how I missed you!

 

[Justin E. Reed]

TORNADO on the ground in Bosworth movin east at 25mph

 

[Scott A. Kampas]

I hadn't even looked at data, not expecting much, then got the red box (SPC wasn't either per the D1 and MCD). Low-level flow is very favorable per VAD and profilers, and very muggy T / Td too, it feels very much like spring and the LLJ is evident --and I love it. Nice tor-warned supercell maintaining rotation with rotation in other weaker cells as well (not surprising giving the low-level environment).