Chase Case #4

[Mike Peregrine]

Quite an orientation on that CF in the current surface map. Practically running N-S through Kansas. But those wind profiles ... e-gad. I'm still thinking big ole' line ahead of that thing. I just wouldn't be confident enough in isolation on a day like this to pull away from my NE Colorado target - even with the lower instabilities, I still like it best. Hoping for a magic moment of some type up here. And the prairie dogs have been good company all day. I've tamed one and have named him Two Socks. And I even see a blip of Cu popping up pretty close by. I'm going to stick here and maybe shoot down toward I-70 corridor if I need, or up to the northeast if I need. Staying put for now ...

EDIT ... maybe I'll drift south a bit ... now that I look at that Cu, it appears to be between my position and Burlington ... I'll say goodbye to Two Socks and take a drive south, I think.

 

[Michael O'Keeffe]

Well after leaving at 12z for Peoria we stopped in Springfield for lunch and are now accessing the 18z. It appears things may go closer to the Mississippi so we going to head west to Hannibal, MO and wait for the front in C Missouri to head east.

 

[Shane Adams]

I'm finding a bar in Chanute, no way I'll make it to where I need to be from here in three hours.

Funny thing, I left at 2am for this actual chase (plenty of lead-time) and still busted.

 

[Derek Weston]

Based on 18z, I'm staying put in Iowa City Iowa. SE quadrant of Iowa interests me the most. Possibly into W/C Illinois later on. Rare to see that sort of dry push into Iowa... and when you do, often good things will happen.

 

[Danny Neal]

Just caught a big fish here at Starved Rock. Laughing at Adam because he was pulled over for loud music . Enjoying the sunshine and looking to the skies for agitated Cu. I contemplate heading south a ways but so far I am not convinced.

 

[Patrick Martin]

I was sitting home watching a lot of clouds build off to my west over the higher terrain, but nothing moving off onto the adjacent plains. Temps bumped a few degrees higher than I hoped, but dews did stay in the low 50 range. I was getting antsy sitting home, and I wanted to get outta Denver before mid afternoon so I headed out on I-70 to Limon. Figured I could move north if anything went up on the Cheyenne Ridge or sit tight if Palmer Divide was in play. Now seeing a few building towers off to the east which vis sat confirms. Going to head eastbound on I-70 towards Burlington CO to see if anything comes about.

If anything does get going, it'll be high based, but holding out for some structure and possible large hail.

 

[Bob Hartig]

Ecch! I'm in Galesburg, IL, ready to chase my bazillionth squall line. The wind profiler did me in--it's looking pretty unidirectional. But this is where the NW flow gets interesting to me, because even with veering surface winds, I see substantial directional shear in the lowest 1 km or so. Thus, maybe at least some spinups, though I doubt anything chaseable.

Right now, the line is getting started and the tail end is to my west. I'm sure the line will continue to build south, but the best winds are headed my way. I'll either race the line southeast toward Normal or else straight east toward Graymont or Odell. This'll be one where the radar is mandatory for picking out possible areas of rotation. My expectation: get some nice shelf cloud and lightning shots, then head home.

 

[Marc Austin]

18Z update

I've hopped on I70 and am heading west toward Burlington. I'll wait there for any development to my north or northwest. I am reluctant to move further west as there are few northbound routes. I have a feeling I'm way off on this one, but hopefully I can capture some nice storm structure and get a windshield busted or something. I do expect some severe weather, but tornadoes appear unlikely at this time. Good luck to all you chasers in the upper midwest!

 

[Adam Lucio]

Still sitting in Peru, I dont like the t-td spread out west. Ready to go after anything that gets going. Ill take a scenic looking shelf cloud and some hail.

 

[Nathan Edwards]

Looks like a CU field showing up south into IL, although the resolution on the image isn't that great. Also, Cells popping west at the IA border. I think I'll have to move south somewhat towards this, but will keep an eye on whats incoming. I may well get the chance for a few spin ups if things stay reasonably discrete for the first hour or so. I would realy aprpeciate a local sounding about now to help me out here I shall head from Madison to Monroe, which is 45 miles, and check for an update. If the stuff in WI isn't doing anything, I'll continue south down Highway 26 with a new target of Dixon, IL.

Eta 19z in Monroe, WI
Eta 20z in Dixon, IL

 

[Dann Cianca]

I'm still in Twin Falls, Idaho, on the west side of town near the junction of US 93 and US 30. I'm getting a little nervous watching the convection fire off the mountain ranges to the south and west, but there is also a nice storm in open country to my south and east and heading right toward me. It's the southern most cell in a line of storms stretching in an arc from Owyhee County into Northeast Oregon. I'll play this junction in case the storm right-moves. There is a decent grid of roads in the agricultural Snake River Plain to my south. If all else fails and I need to move fast, I-84 isn't too far to the north.

Wish my nowcaster *ahem Scott* could get me more detailed surface obs to work with. I'm basically visual here.

Couldn't seem to get a hold of Gerrit (the only chase I know in Idaho), so I got a lunchable from a gas station. I accidentally left part of the wrapper on the Andes mint and it came in contact with one of my fillings. Woo! That was a surprise.

 

[David Wolfson]

Per the 18-19Z surface obs, dewpoints in the low 50s are backing upslope into extreme southeast WY, which isn't too bad. Lacking anything better I'm holding to my plan, so I "left" Sidney and have relocated to Torrington, WY, arriving about 21Z. I'm "seeing" some development starting to move off the mountains to my west.

 

[Jeff Duda]

I've decided to move east along Hwy 24 towards Chillicothe. Not sure what is going to happen.

 

[Darren Addy]

In real life I would be going nowhere on this day, but gas costs me nothing and I don't have to ask for the day off to virtual chase, so I'm busting for Sterling, CO. (maybe literally). If there is still time when I get there, I'd like to make it to Ft. Morgan.

 

[Brian Stertz]

Strong boundary to west and fairly strong deep layer shear should support supercells as they fire along or just west of the Mississippi River and head southeast. This is purely a slight risk situation (no duh) but feel there could be a few supercells that could produce as they move into Illinois from Iowa and Missouri. Think I will fudge a little west towards the Jacksonville IL area. I have had pretty good luck with the "Jacksonville Magic" so feel that this would be a good hang out spot until initiation/early development by 5-6pm. Feel that anything that does go should be toughest along the western periphery of the cloud shield and at the nose of the developing theta ridge.