Decatur Illinois USA Photographer, Artist, Weather Observer
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
January 2, 2006
Continuing with the seemingly endless task of sorting through old pictures, I stumbled upon a series of unpublished images from an event I did not bother with as it wasn't very photogenic or interesting at the time. Since there isn't much going on right now I figured it might be worth another look.
On the morning of January 2, 2006 while watching TWC at work, an approaching system producing tornado warnings from outside of St. Louis was top news for the 6 o'clock hour (click for more info). Lifting out of the SW and expected to maintain intensity, a tornado watch was issued for the greater Central IL region. Timing as such to coincide with when my shift ended, I headed S to just N of Moweaqua IL in an attempt to observe a cell that appeared promising upon final glance before leaving. I wouldn't have data for another two years and instead, relied exclusively upon my Oregon Scientific Weather Radio for updates. Unable to get far enough S on US 51 so to be in the best position for the cell I was most concerned with, I pulled off and allowed it to pass to my S. The motion with the incoming line N of this area was still very intense and as later learned via conversation with the Weather Service, an unconfirmed tornado report was made with this particular cell. No mention of it appears on the SPC page for this day but to know that I may have missed something significant despite being so close is still disappointing. This could have potentially been the day of my first tornado observation but then again, who is really expecting to see such on a January morning? Looking back to the time before now when weather information is so easily available to anyone with a smartphone or laptop, I have to wonder how many people would still be involved considering the effort it once took to make informed decisions. Likewise, what I wouldn't give to go back to 2006 and the banner year it was for Illinois with the mobile data capability we have at our fingertips now.
Initial activity (archived radar c/o IEM).
Later, I'm at the white dot. Note the area of greatest intensity just below me.
Incoming facing W
Upon passage facing W
facing SE
facing E
On the morning of January 2, 2006 while watching TWC at work, an approaching system producing tornado warnings from outside of St. Louis was top news for the 6 o'clock hour (click for more info). Lifting out of the SW and expected to maintain intensity, a tornado watch was issued for the greater Central IL region. Timing as such to coincide with when my shift ended, I headed S to just N of Moweaqua IL in an attempt to observe a cell that appeared promising upon final glance before leaving. I wouldn't have data for another two years and instead, relied exclusively upon my Oregon Scientific Weather Radio for updates. Unable to get far enough S on US 51 so to be in the best position for the cell I was most concerned with, I pulled off and allowed it to pass to my S. The motion with the incoming line N of this area was still very intense and as later learned via conversation with the Weather Service, an unconfirmed tornado report was made with this particular cell. No mention of it appears on the SPC page for this day but to know that I may have missed something significant despite being so close is still disappointing. This could have potentially been the day of my first tornado observation but then again, who is really expecting to see such on a January morning? Looking back to the time before now when weather information is so easily available to anyone with a smartphone or laptop, I have to wonder how many people would still be involved considering the effort it once took to make informed decisions. Likewise, what I wouldn't give to go back to 2006 and the banner year it was for Illinois with the mobile data capability we have at our fingertips now.
Initial activity (archived radar c/o IEM).
Later, I'm at the white dot. Note the area of greatest intensity just below me.
Incoming facing W
Upon passage facing W
facing SE
facing E
Sunday, November 27, 2011
nothing to see...
Late November with a temp of 39, NW wind gusts to 22 MPH and rain do not make for the best shooting conditions.
It's going to be a long winter.
It's going to be a long winter.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Monday Storms / Leonid Fails...
Last Monday November 14, SE Illinois on into Indiana and Ohio was highlighted for a slight risk. Storms were expected to fire well to the E of our location and pose a greater threat of severe weather including tornadoes in another time zone. I didn't plan on heading out for this reason however, at initiation time, cells erupted back along the frontal boundary versus the hatched area further S and E. My thinking is that overnight convection which produced tornado warnings as well may have turned the area over thereby shunting new development till the CF arrived and especially for being the time of year with a significantly lower sun angle to limit recovery. I also noted a considerable amount of cirrus over S IL which probably didn't help. Experts are welcome to check my meteorology as I am just throwing out hindsight conclusion without any supporting data. Anyways, the surprise change in setup would make for an ideal local event with a few cells quickly earning tornado warnings not far from home.
Looking NE from I-72 towards De Land IL, this cell would earn tornado warning a short time later in Champaign county.
Same cell, now at Lodge IL along route 10
Bailing from the warned storm that was becoming shrouded in rain and heading into populated area, I turned my attention to new unwarned development to the SW. Two shot panorama of a developing supercell near Broadlands which is in S Champaign county.
Same location and now looking very promising as a mature LEWP (line end wave pattern) with the potential for producing brief spin up tornado. Though I could not identify any activity that may have been occurring, contrast enhanced image of the scene reveals the possibility of a circulation reaching to the ground. Since I couldn't make confirmation I never called anything in which may or may not be a foul on my part though earlier I did stop to advise a farmer I passed up the road near to where it would have crossed and was probably the only thing in harms way. I don't play into the whole hero chaser image which has been a hot topic of discussion in the weather community recently but will on occasion give a cautionary heads up when I see pedestrians or person's otherwise exposed to the elements. At the very least it's a courtesy in saving lives... from getting rained on lol. Time lapse video of this and another area of interest can be seen HERE.
Dropping SW a short distance on yet another developing cell, this was the tail end "Charlie" or last cell on the line segment which was clearly becoming outflow dominate and linear.
Keeping with the line motion and enjoying the simple pleasure of casual storm photography, I am now E of Allerton IL.
Continuing S to now N of Newman IL, abandoned farm that I wouldn't mind visiting again.
Even further S but still N of Newman.
I would gas up at Newman then go way down to S of I-70 along the Indiana border near a depressed spec of a town named Darwin to intercept promising severe warned cell. It was riding 70 and producing heavy rain which I didn't want to parallel under just to get across to Terre Haute. Uninteresting as it is for being close to nightfall, this was about to cross the state line. Though it began to wrap up and drop further which I could see after it had entered IN, I lost it due to being in heavily forested area with no nearby border crossing. I was hoping to get a shot from outside of IL just to say I "technically" got out this year but no luck. For some it comes easy, others not as much so maybe next season.
Skipping ahead to early Friday the 18th, I set a camera out in the hope of catching something with the annual Leonid meteor shower. During my first hour long attempt, I didn't pick up any meteors but did manage to image a passing bird being illuminated by the bright moon off to the E.
In my second hour long attempt where the moon would eventually slip in frame, I was fortunate to also capture a bright meteor though it was most likely something other than a Leonid for not originating from the radiant or in other words, point of entry.
In my third attempt which was 40 minutes and the only series worth stacking, I was angled as such to catch the International Space Station pass just before dawn. No meteors appeared though I picked up two exceptionally bright flaring objects. To date they are unidentified but are most likely satellites. Insets are cropped from the RAW files and unedited. The change from purple to blue is as result of dawn beginning to break. When you stack images they go chronologically with earliest to latest. I wish the pass could have occurred under total darkness.
Looking NE from I-72 towards De Land IL, this cell would earn tornado warning a short time later in Champaign county.
Same cell, now at Lodge IL along route 10
Bailing from the warned storm that was becoming shrouded in rain and heading into populated area, I turned my attention to new unwarned development to the SW. Two shot panorama of a developing supercell near Broadlands which is in S Champaign county.
Same location and now looking very promising as a mature LEWP (line end wave pattern) with the potential for producing brief spin up tornado. Though I could not identify any activity that may have been occurring, contrast enhanced image of the scene reveals the possibility of a circulation reaching to the ground. Since I couldn't make confirmation I never called anything in which may or may not be a foul on my part though earlier I did stop to advise a farmer I passed up the road near to where it would have crossed and was probably the only thing in harms way. I don't play into the whole hero chaser image which has been a hot topic of discussion in the weather community recently but will on occasion give a cautionary heads up when I see pedestrians or person's otherwise exposed to the elements. At the very least it's a courtesy in saving lives... from getting rained on lol. Time lapse video of this and another area of interest can be seen HERE.
Dropping SW a short distance on yet another developing cell, this was the tail end "Charlie" or last cell on the line segment which was clearly becoming outflow dominate and linear.
Keeping with the line motion and enjoying the simple pleasure of casual storm photography, I am now E of Allerton IL.
Continuing S to now N of Newman IL, abandoned farm that I wouldn't mind visiting again.
Even further S but still N of Newman.
I would gas up at Newman then go way down to S of I-70 along the Indiana border near a depressed spec of a town named Darwin to intercept promising severe warned cell. It was riding 70 and producing heavy rain which I didn't want to parallel under just to get across to Terre Haute. Uninteresting as it is for being close to nightfall, this was about to cross the state line. Though it began to wrap up and drop further which I could see after it had entered IN, I lost it due to being in heavily forested area with no nearby border crossing. I was hoping to get a shot from outside of IL just to say I "technically" got out this year but no luck. For some it comes easy, others not as much so maybe next season.
Skipping ahead to early Friday the 18th, I set a camera out in the hope of catching something with the annual Leonid meteor shower. During my first hour long attempt, I didn't pick up any meteors but did manage to image a passing bird being illuminated by the bright moon off to the E.
In my second hour long attempt where the moon would eventually slip in frame, I was fortunate to also capture a bright meteor though it was most likely something other than a Leonid for not originating from the radiant or in other words, point of entry.
In my third attempt which was 40 minutes and the only series worth stacking, I was angled as such to catch the International Space Station pass just before dawn. No meteors appeared though I picked up two exceptionally bright flaring objects. To date they are unidentified but are most likely satellites. Insets are cropped from the RAW files and unedited. The change from purple to blue is as result of dawn beginning to break. When you stack images they go chronologically with earliest to latest. I wish the pass could have occurred under total darkness.
Saturday, November 05, 2011
87 Degree Pass
More fun with the International Space Station which soared near directly overhead last night.
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