The 2005 Season Summed Up This Evening

[Tony Laubach]

I wrote an entry in my blog tonight that basically summed up 2005 for me... I've copied it here cause I thought it was worth sharing...

The season got summed up tonight by a few lyrics in a song. Storms did flare this evening prompting severe warnings east of the Metro area. Obviously I made engadgments for the evening and missed the daylit show. I stalled at the apartment til after sunset in hopes of catching some good lightning shots. With storms firing everywhere, it seemed like a good bet. Well, my girlfriend and I jumped into my car and headed out to E-470 and Quincy to try and shoot lightning which was very active to our east. As we pulled onto a side street, a very close, vivid, and beautiful bolt dropped from the sky. That was basically Nature's way of smacking me in the face. As soon as I pulled off and armed the camera, the CGs were nowhere to be found. After 30 minutes, I bitched more 2005 frustrations and packed the camera away to make the trip back home. When I turned on the car, Roxette's "Fading Like a Flower" was playing; the first line that came on...

"Beaten by the storm..."

That right there summed up the 2005 season... I can't even get lightning on a stormy evening to appear for me. When I returned home, a second chance was offering itself in the foothills near my place (figures). I dropped Dania off to bed and ventured out. None of the storms would get passed the mountains, thus all the CGs were blocked. I finally threw in the towel and headed home after eating a consolation snack from Wendy's. I pulled into my complex with 98 useless miles tacked on to this dismal season. I wasn't looking for tornadoes... all I wanted was some CGs... I can't even get that... I am cursed this year... I now have no doubt. As the thunder echos into the night sky tonight, I am left with the endless repeating of Roxette's words...

Beaten by the storm...

 

[Dan Robinson]

I felt that way in 2003 - all I can say is stick it out, it will get better next year!!!

In 2003, after dismally missing everything during the 10 days in May, I drove all the way out to the Plains during a northwest flow period in mid-June just to get some lightning. I figured out there, I'd have no trouble getting some good CG shots. Besides, it was vacation time and I wanted to get on the road and go *somewhere*.

I got a couple mediocre bolts on film from storms in TX and OK that died as I approached. Huge line of storms dies on me in the TX panhandle!!! I said, "Come on, this is supposed to happen in West Virginia, not on the Plains!" I came home with nothing that season, and it was harder because I had put more into chasing that year than ever before.

2004 and 2005 virtually erased 2003. Though, I did have some good memories from the travels that will stay with me.

 

[Steve Miller TX]

Tony,

I guess the only words I can offer is that there is always next year. Heck, with you living up in CO, you can still get some action tis summer! I've been noticing in the crystal ball models that the upper air pattern may get a little more favorable in the near future along with decent upslope. Who knows what Ma Nature has up her sleeve? You could be frolicking amongst the CO supercells before you know it while alot of us are cooking under a big upper ridge stuck in a job with no more vacation/sick days left.

At one point in the middle of my chasecation this year, I had missed a couple of tornado events, had some bad luck, made a couple of bad decisions based on a good forecast,....and while I was sitting in South Dakota watching high-based linear crap while tornadoes and supercells were going bonkers on wither side of me in MT/ND and NE, I got so frustrated that I seriously considered packing up and going home. :x I'm glad I didn't though because the next day I had an amazing chase followed by successive good chases including the Kansas tornadofest and the Kent County, TX tornado-o-rama.

Outside of that, I would only add that you had the opportunity to spend alot of time chasing this year despite the bad fortune. I've had seasons that I had to skip because of starting a new job, family/personal issues, or lack of finances. In retrospect for those years that I missed, I would have enjoyed a dismal season. Besides, "A bad day stormchasing beats a good day at work".

 

[Verne Carlson]

Yeah Tony, who would've guessed that the best action we'd get is the cold core tornadoes from April 10th in Trego County. If you would have told me after that day that that would be it for the season I would 've never believed it. For me too it was the year of the 'Near-nadoes'! :?

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

I feel ya Tony...I dont think the state of Illinois has had ONE tornado producing supercell...and I know there have not been more than 9 or 10 tornado reports in the entire state. I've put in countless hours, and many miles this year, and still havent broken through with that elusive 2005 tornado. Illinois has sucked...and everytime there is an out of state set up that looks promising...It ends up being on the one day that week when I cant leave town.

Many times I've felt like just giving up and waiting til next year...but I just feel like persistance must pay off sometime. Bad luck comes and goes...just stick it out.

 

[Shane Adams]

Not to rain on the pity party, lol, but if my only tornado day in 2005 was April 10, I think I'd be able to deal. Maybe just one event, but damn guys, I've looked at your websites and you really killed that day. Multiple, close-range, high-contrast tornadoes. What was it five or six? Great catch. In fact, that was the type of event I call a "season saver". And from reading your posts here, I'd say it was. :wink:

 

[j_scheerer]

Man... I thought I was being pessimistic about the storm season. But I'll tell you, the weather must've known that I was bitching about the lack of tornadoes. Because last Tuesday we had 6 seperate confirmed reports... And my part of Canada only gets 12-13 a year on average. Of course I'm not including the 4 possible touch downs from May 13th - June 13th. One of which was in my home town. :shock: