Right Place, Right Time 8-21-13

Wednesday August 21st 2013 was the type day where if it wasn't really close to home, I would not even consider going for it, but being the dismal year 2013 has been for us, taking a chance was how it would have to be on this day. A marginal cold front was to be draped across Minnesota and northern Wisconsin in the afternoon and with instability at a high return of 3000-4000g of CAPE and moisture pooling in northwest Wisconsin ahead of the front that would be the target for the day, the only problem was lack of shear ahead of the front so line segments seemed to be the good bet, but with a stout CAP in place most of the day, a discrete supercell or 2 were not out of the question. The 11:30am SPC outlook featured a slight risk for severe storms with main threats for damaging winds and large hail, but a tornado or 2 was also mentioned.

 

We left Janesville about 10am to make sure we had plenty of time to get to our target before storms had started firing, we made the long trek up I-90 before stopping at a rest area near Black River Falls to stretch for awhile and re-evaluate our target. Shorty after cells had begun to pop way north near Superior and Duluth MN, quite a bit out of our reach. We did decide to move north more into position as we could see a cumulus field forming to our west. As anyone who lives in this area or visits it knows, this area is not ideal for chasing as very tall trees make any good visibilities limited. Around 4pm a storm formed to our north and West, the decision was now which cell to go after. after watching them for awhile and both seemingly dying with every scan, we decided on the northern storm which by now was nothing more than 3 separate non severe blobs and it looked as if we had wasted a day coming this far north for very little reward

Not very long after that something had changed and all 3 small storms had congealed into one explosive supercell with tons of cloud to ground lightning. After weaving in and out of gravel roads, forests and making several uturns, we finally found an open area to observe the approaching storm. by this time the storm to the west had also strengthened quite a bit and was moving east and on a collision course with our storm that was dropping more southeast. As the storm grew closer and closer, the ominous green tint was beginning to appear along with the roar of non stop thunder that reminded me of a beast in movies.

 

While observing this approaching storm we watched what looked to be a wall cloud on the back end of the 1st storm as the second storm approached us, out of the corner of my eye I caught a small rotating lowering that seemed to dance around briefly before going away, my 1st thought was tornado but also had a scuddy appearance to it so I was unsure.

 

After making a few more attempts to get back ahead of the storm, we quickly succumbed to the terrain and less than stellar road networks and the chase had ended. After reviewing video again I was all but convinced this was at least a funnel cloud and sent it to Todd Krause from the NWS in the Twin Cities for review. After a week he was able to confirm that 2 barns were badly damaged and this resulting in an EF-0 tornado near Cadott. Making it the 15th known tornado in Wisconsin this year.

 

 

In total we ended the day at 512 miles traveled and spent 10.5hours in the car :)

 

Video of the supercell and brief tornado can be seen here, thank you all for reading and be sure to like us on Facbook! https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinWeatherPhotography

 

A Special Moment....

For those of you that don't know me, In the last few years I have been through some pretty big highs and lows in life. A little over 2 years ago I hated life and everything about it. To be quite honest I thought several times about getting out life. A surprise visit from my brother and some deep heart to hearts changed a lot of my outlook on things. The following months after that slowly started getting better and better and over the course of the last 2 years I have been on an amazing journey that has led me to places and storms all over the country, something I am very thankful to be able to do! Over this journey I have met some great people and today a big moment in that dream took place. Over the last year or so I have gotten big into Twitter, and a few of the people I have gotten to know on there just happen to work for the National Weather Service. After a few attempts to meet up, today Jason and I were able to get over there for a tour of the operations and learn a few things. The outside setting was not what I had expected, it is a smaller lot surrounded by mainly trees and a hill that the radar sits atop. When you walk in the front door the 1st thing that catches your eye is a beautiful poster laying out the timeline and photos of the 1996 Oakfield F5 tornado. Over the next 2 hours I was just in awe, everything that goes into that operation is astounding! Afterwards we went and sat down for a bit and had lunch with Rusty Kapela, a pretty awesome moment to just sit and talk weather, sports, cities, etc. After I got home an had a little time to reflect on the tour, it dawned on me that it was a moment I have dreamt of for quite awhile now, just to sit there and listen and take it all in, to learn more about the very thing I love from the very best in the business! So to Paul Collar, Morgan Brooks, Rusty Kapela, and Marc Kavinsky...I can never say thank you enough! Today was a very special moment in this amazing journey! :)

A run in the dark! July 22nd 2013

July 22nd 2013 was a classic Wisconsin July cold front set up Storm initiation looked like it would be around the 5-6pm area and an initial mode of discrete cells seemed like a good bet with main threat being large hail, but as so many of these summer systems do, a tornado or 2 was not out of the question. Jason and I picked an initial target of western Grant county as that seemed to be the best instability axis along the cold front in southern Wisconsin. At around 330om a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for much of southwest Wisconsin, including our target area.

 

I got off of work at 4 and met Jason there to make our trek west, as we were headed west a few beastly looking cells had formed in eastern Iowa so the decision was now to continue with our original target or make a move into Iowa in hopes of catching one of these discrete supercells before they became linear. As we drew closer to our target, 2 storms had become dominant, one in Iowa and one in Central Wisconsin near La Crosse, both moving away and virtually out of reach. We stopped near Hazel Green, Wisconsin to evaluate our options, after about 30 minutes or so a small cell began to form just north of our location, shooting out quite a bit of lightning, a pretty good sign that a storm in strengthening pretty rapidly.

 

After having a horrible time finding a north road, we finally were able to catch up to this storm and hang with it for a little while before it dissipated, leaving absolutely no chaseable storms anywhere in the close area. Being 7pm and not a single cell close on radar, we decided to head home, feeling dejected after another cruddy chase...or so we thought!

As we neared Monroe a few cells were starting to intensify around northwest Dane county, which we had very little hope for being mesoanalysis showed a mainly dry, stable airmass over the area. Nonetheless we continued to monitor the storms. As the sun began to set, we decided to turn north and see if the would do anything, much to our surprise, they finally went severe warned for high winds and hail and our once hopeless day was about to turn around.

 

As we finally made an approach to the storm, the intercloud lightning was non stop, as we came over a hill, the setting sun reflecting pink skies and anvil crawlers were providing another show that only mother nature herself can do!

 

As the sky was lighting up with lightning, the sun had set and darkness was now taking over, in return our 1st night chase was about to begin! As we got closer to the storm, lightning was beginning to illuminate a very scuddy base, something we had to watch between flashed for awhile to determine what we were actually seeing. When the storm was nearly on top of us, the lightning illuminated one of the most beautiful striated shelf clouds I have ever witnessed, only catching brief glimpses with bright flashes.

 

 

With the storm virtually on top of us, we decided to race east to get back ahead of what had now became a very outflow dominant storm that was starting to turn more southeast. As we got into Rock county (our home county) we contemplated where to set back up. As we did this you could still see what was a beautiful shelf cloud continue to be lit up by constant flashes of lightning! We decided on an open field that we have shot many times from on local storms. As the storms approached Rock county, they continued to be severe warned.

 

When we finally made it to our spot, we could see the same shelf in the city lights over Janesville heading right at us, with our cameras out, the shelf approached us and put on another magnificent structure display.

 

 

With the passing of the shelf and the beginning of heavy rain and small hail, he chase day came to an end, but not before realizing that we had infact had a successful chase and completed our 1st night chase! A night we will not soon forget!

Thank you all for taking the time to read and if you have no yet, be sure to like us on Facebook for more pictures, stories and more! https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinWeatherPhotography

A photographers dream week.

As many of you know me, you know I love to shoot pictures of anything weather related, the week of June 21st to the 28th quickly became one of those weeks where you only dream about the many opportunities will come your way, little did I know that it would be a 7 day marathon of shooting some of natures most beautiful displays. In this blog I will take you on my weeks journey which started with an amazing lightning display and ended with an equally amazing Aurora display. On Friday the 21st I was unable to shoot early day storms as I was at work, while sitting at home later that night a bunch of small cells started to erupt everywhere and quickly form into a slowly moving complex that gave me the opportunity to shoot some beautiful night CGs

 

After staying up late, another complex began to roll across southern Wisconsin the next morning allowing me to get a chance at my 1st ever roll cloud with the dying complex of storms.

 

 

 

After that a few more rounds of storms would come through but unable to capture any pictures until the next day when a line was moving across northern Illinois with an abundant amount of lightning, a short trip south would result in my best daytime lightning shots ever, along with a beautiful shelf cloud feature as storms had passed over.

 

 

The next day a few small cells developed by my house and once again gave me a change at a decent daytime lightning shot.

 

The next night another complex of severe storms was entering the area with insane amounts of cloud to cloud lightning but nothing to really shoot until lightning began to illuminate a pretty wicked looking night shelf.

 

On Wednesday a complex of slow moving storms dropped as much as 8" of rain over southern Wisconsin bringing some historic flash flooding to the region, My basement was also flooded this day and having to make a quick trip into Janesville for a few supplies, ran across this flooded intersection in downtown Janesville.

 

 

Thursday would be a day of amazing structure as storms formed all around, giving some beautiful cumulus displays and one at sunset that has become my favorite picture of cumulus I have taken.

 

Friday, the week long system had started to come to an end, but not before one last storm swept through the area and displayed some beautiful structure.

 

As a bonus early Saturday morning, about a week to the minute of when the fun started, nature gave one last show of beauty by displaying some beautiful Auroras before clouds moved in the way.

 

 

What was once a slow, boring year up in these parts turned into one hell of a fun week long adventure that I will not soon forget, there will be other opportunities but not sure if I will ever have a week straight of stuff like this, it was truly a dream week to photograph.

Thank you all for your time and please Like us on Facebook  to See more pictures, videos, and more! :) https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinWeatherPhotography

Chasing home.

Wednesday May 29th 2013 was a very interesting setup across southwestern Wisconsin, a slight risk for severe storms was already in place as the day began.

The decision was made the night before to go ahead and give it a try as long as convection waited until I got of off work at 4pm. as the day progressed into the afternoon it was apparent that the storms would in fact wait until after I got off of work to progress into the area. In the early afternoon hours a severe thunderstorm watch was posted for southwest Wisconsin and Meso analysis models were showing some nice EHI or Energy rotating in around the Grant county area. 

As the early afternoon progressed it seemed a somewhat tornadic threat was evolving along a line forming in eastern Iowa and heading into southwest Wisconsin. After getting off at work at 4 I met up with my chase partner Jason and tried to decide the best area to target, after briefly looking over things, we decided the best option we had was to head west on highway 12 to the Fennimore area. As we entered Grant county the weather radio went of and a tornado warning was issued for the general area we were heading to, with a little added excitement now we pressed west as fast as we could (or as fast as law allows)

As we approached this storm we realized that it was headed into very difficult terrain to chase so we decided to stay a little south of the storm in the more open area to get the best possible view. As we sat on an old country road watching the storm approach, it became apparent that we were in the best possible spot to see the structure of the storm approaching on the horizon. As the storm approached it kicked out a beautiful shelf with supercell like characteristics and Jason was able to snap this beautiful shot of it as it came across.

I was also able to get a nice panorama of the shelf coming across in front of us.

We then decided to head back east and try to stay ahead of it to see what it would do and try and get some more pics of it as it still looked healthy and beautiful. After traveling east quite a ways we were able to find and old road that gave us another beautiful view of the storm and it was still showing a nice shelf.

As we were finally overtaken by the shelf we were treated to one more beautiful feature from some of these storms knows as a whales mouth, Jason snapped this shot of it as we were under it.

After the storm had finally moved off to out northeast we decided that it was not worth going across the river after so we headed east towards home and saw little cells popping up ahead of the main line and start to shoot out some amazing lightning bolts, one of which was dang close to hitting a farmer out in his fields on his tractor. We stopped for a little bit to watch another cell and it started to kick out some beautiful lightning and I was able to capture this 1 shot as it neared.

After that light show our chase would end and we would set a course for home, but not before our 1st Wisconsin chase of 2013 showed us some beautiful sight of mother nature and reminded us how much we love weather! Here is the write up from the National weather service in Lacrosse http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=may2913

Total we traveled 202 miles on this chase. Here is also our video from the day, thank you for reading :)  Please feel free to like us on https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinWeatherPhotography

Storm Assist DVD review

On August 18th 2005, long before I chased storms, a tornado ravaged the small community of Pleasant Springs, Wisconsin, a town just 20 minutes away from me, known to many of you as the famous Stoughton tornado. During the days that followed I was able to see 1st hand the power of nature and how it can change lives forever in an instant. I remember thinking to myself at the time "I wish I could do something to help"....Many years later a group of some of the most amazing storm chasers got together and formed a group called Storm Assist and decided to put together a DVD of some of the best footage of 2012 and sell it with all proceeds going to aid victims of severe weather. I recently purchased the DVD myself and watched in awe at some of the rip-roaring, in your face footage ever imaginable! The videos kicks off with the March 2nd high risk event in Indiana and takes you on an amazing journey to some of the most beautiful storms across America. One of the features I enjoyed the most was the bouncing back and forth between chasers footage instead of just focusing on 1 video at a time. This video literally has everything, from small tornadoes to large violent tornadoes, daytime, night time, you name it. Also featuring some of the best waterspout footage you will ever see! It does not stop there, you will also be taken on a journey to experience 1st hand the raw power of Hurricanes that hit the east coast this year. It is something you will have to purchase and see to believe, let us not forget that you are helping your neighbors and communities by purchasing this. I would recommend this to anyone, it is language friendly so the whole family can enjoy it together! A truly phenomenal and professionally put together video! You can check out the website here http://stormassist.org/ and the DVD trailer here

Also be sure to like them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/StormAssist?fref=ts