CHASE CASE #8

On the tail-end cell by Grinnell. Wish I'd headed east earlier--I could be on that damn Washington County storm. But what I've got looks promising, and the storm directly to its northeast is in grabbing distance and looks like a monster on radar.

EDIT: I can see the towers of the southeastern cells to my east. Just continuing to bust east on I-80 should put me in position to intercept, but I'm reluctant to do that just yet and abandon what I've already got. For all I know, it may have organized and be putting down a tornado. That lack of situational awareness is one of the big differences between virtual chasing and real life.
 
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I decided to call it a day and go home around the 21z update when I realized that the surface winds started blowing out of the SW and dews dropped to 40s. I would have to jet east into IL to see any action, No Thanks, just makes for a longer drive home! Day is over for me! BUST!
 
Well last update I was moving east on 34, should have made it past Ottumwa, IA by now and closing in on the storms in SE IA. For a target I'll say Brighton, IA just NW of Fairfield, IA. Worst part is I could have stayed home in MN and caught some tornadoes but I couldn't imagine it would have been easy to find them..
 
Haha, thanks! and you actually had to make those?

Indeed. I sapped some NARR data and made the plots using Grads.

The 23Z update will be out by later in the afternoon, followed by the final update - the 00Z update - sometime this evening. Results, and a write up, for this case, will be posted by late this evening.
 
Realistically I think I would have seen the Eagle Grove, IA tornado from a distance turned west back towards Denver and by dumb luck gotten in position for the tornado in w IA. Storm motions off to the east look too fast to have played it any other way for where I was.
 
Bustola for me, was hoping something would form on the dryline in SW IA but was wrong, crazy fast storm motions east of me has me heading back home down I-35.
 
I'm heading further north and east towards Fair Grove, MO for a 45 minute drive. The CAP is looking to win out, but I wouldn't call it off just yet.
 
23Z update

Thanks for sticking with me here. Sorry for the delays.

-As of 5:45 PM CDT, the tornado previously seen in Washington, Iowa in Washington County was still on the ground, now moving southeast of Iowa City.
-At 5:50 PM CDT, a tornado was sighted 7 W Mondovi, Wisconsin in Buffalo County.
-At 5:54 PM CDT, a tornado was spotted 8 SE of Durand, Wisconsin in Buffalo County.

23Z update

Satellite:
National IR
Central Plains visible
Mid-Mississippi Valley visible

Radar (with watches):
National
Kansas
South Dakota
Iowa
Illinois

Wind profilers:
Lower troposphere
Upper troposphere

Surface:
Northern US
Southern US

-At 6:05 PM CDT, a tornado was sighted 3 S Meridian, Wisconsin in Dunn County.
-At 6:06 PM CDT, the tornado that had previously moved through Washington and Johnson Counties, Iowa was seen near Downey in Cedar County.

Keep at it! The 00Z update will be posted after dinnertime tonight, followed shortly after by the results and a write up of the event.
 
From looks of tornado reports, I see that I may have had small tacos compared to the monster beefy burrito that was hammering E. Iowa. The old progressive DL strikes again.

Good case Jeff...found the date and remember this one now. Am cold fronted now so time to head back to my sister's in DSM before heading back to KC.
 
Bah, I missed posting before the 23z update... at 23z, I've hit Doolittle, MO, continuing east on I44. A few minutes before 00z, I arrive in St. Clair, MO and await new radar.
 
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