Northern Illinois Storm Chaser

AMAZING CHASE TRIP/RIP FABIAN

2009-06-10T01:48:00.001-05:00

JUNE 5TH - WYOMING/NEBRASKA MAGIC

JUNE 6TH - RIP FABIAN

JUNE 7TH - MO ATOMIC SUPERCELLS

AMAZING CHASE LOGS

2009-05-16T22:55:00.001-05:00

2 AMAZING CHASE LOGS FROM 3 CHASES!

APRIL 25th

APRIL 26th

MAY 13th

Very exciting chases!

CHASE THIS WEEKEND

2009-04-22T18:58:00.001-05:00

View Severe weather threats 4/23-4/27 in a larger map

woob woob woob

March 31st, 2009 - Sub-severe storms

2009-04-01T00:27:00.002-05:00

Some sub-severe storms rolled through my neighborhood today. Just my documentation of it

March 23rd, 2009 - Kansas Chase

2009-03-25T22:20:00.001-05:00

AMAZING DAY

http://northernilstormchaser.com/March-23rd---Southern-Kansas.php

Read all about it!

Chase March 23rd???

2009-03-18T01:08:00.001-05:00

View Larger Map

I have outlined a general area (I EMPHASIZE GENERAL) where I believe severe weather will occur and have outlooked a little better risk in the red where I am 50% or greater sure a severe weather set up will occur.

March 10th, 2009 - Chase to Central Illinois

2009-03-11T15:57:00.004-05:00

CHASE TO CENTRAL IL - MARCH 10TH ..... Adam Lucio and I chased to SW IL yesterday, almost busted but caught two feisty cells near Decatur, IL.

March 8th, 2009 - Chase to Central Illinois

2009-03-09T02:09:00.000-05:00

Evening all,

Needed a good sleep so I just got done typing up my report on the days events in Central Illinois. It can be found...... HERE

OFFICIAL RELEASE OF WEBPAGE

2009-03-04T18:43:00.003-06:00

NORTHERN ILLINOIS STORM CHASER Check it out!!! big thanks to David Drummond and Dryline Hosting for making this possible!

New Website!!!

2009-03-01T15:12:00.001-06:00

NorthernILStormchaser.com is official courtesy of dryline hosting. I am still trying to build the website so it is not even close to being done lol just an FYI

Tornado Siren all clear sounding vs the sounding of a NWR

2009-02-14T02:37:00.002-06:00

IMO the sounding of a siren for an all clear is pointless. It is contradictory. What happens when the initial warning is issued and they blow the sirens for 3 minutes and then 10 minutes later they blow them again (the storm hasn't hit yet) and people mistake that for the all-clear? Like has been brought up 100,000 times in the past, the tornado siren is technically meant for those who are outdoors and away from a tv or radio. Unless you live within a close proximity of the siren, who would actually hear the warning siren let alone the all clear. Especially if you are huddle in the basement in an interior room. I know at my house I live 3 blocks north and 4 blocks east of the nearest siren and I can't even hear it (and my room is upstairs next to an outside wall facing the siren). Peoples' all clear should come from the NWR/media/radio stations. I.E - "The tornado warning for XXXXX County has been cancelled/allowed to expire." IMO that is the only all clear the general public needs.

Technically each home has the capability to have its' OWN personal tornado siren.....its called a NOAA WEATHER RADIO. http://www.essortment.com/all/tornadossiren_rntb.htm this article posted above lost my interest...... They are trying to argue a tornado siren will wake you over the roar of an oncoming tornado. The only way that will happen is if you sleep with the windows open and you are within a few blocks of the tornado siren. We should be seeing less articles on the wonders of outdoor sirens and more articles on the wonder of what a NWR can do.

In THIS article http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/torn-f13.shtml ......

""""Discussing the lack of warning sirens in the state, Alabama Governor Bob Riley added, “Can the state afford to put sirens all over the state of Alabama right now? We can’t without a tremendous amount of federal assistance.”"""""

You don't need them. It may costs thousands of dollars to have a network of outdoor sirens, when that same allotment of funds could have bought the entire population of that state a cheap weather radio. You have a hell of a lot better chance, hearing a loud siren going off in your bedroom than you do one that is miles away.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/29581894.html In the final article posted it opens as:

""""""More than 10,000 residents in southwest Milwaukee County would not hear an outdoor warning siren if a tornado swept through the region.
The 51 tornado sirens in place do not fully cover all of the county's residents, a Journal Sentinel mapping analysis found. These sirens are sometimes the only warning that a deadly funnel cloud is fast approaching.""""""

Again..... why waste money on coverage of tornado sirens? Media needs to continue to promote and push for weather radios. Most fire departments hand out free smoke detectors to those in need, why not start handing out cheap battery powered WX radios. This whole article is crying for change for more coverage in sirens......EXCEPT for the bottom (Sirens called archaic) I wish I had read this far before using the smoke detector reference.....

"""""""What is the best means of warning people and the most cost-effective ways of warning people? Weather radios are so cost-effective and inexpensive they should be as standard in the home as a smoke detector," Maack said."""""" <------Now lets continue to run with this idea.

2/10 - Severe WX Outbreak: Radar Grabs

2009-02-10T16:48:00.002-06:00

UPDATE: 2/11/09 SVR WX POTENTIAL

2009-02-08T21:45:00.004-06:00

New NAM is out, showing a more favorable set up for severe weather in IL/IN area.

Winds TRYING to back in IN and IL with a nice plume of 60 to 65 degree temps in the warm sector.

There should be sufficient lift on the nose/outside of the strongest mid-level winds

A hint of some CAPE near peak heating and in an area of lift.

Lifted Indicies back up my point in the area of greatest CAPE.

Not a lot of precip which isn't a bad thing. Lets hope the dry punch verifies and allows for even more instability!

One of the bad things about this setup........ Storm motions are going to be INSANE.

It is looking better for a low topped day in this area, again not saying a tornado outbreak is being called for, just a very interesting February set up and within chase range too ;)

View Larger Map

2/11/09 - Potential for Severe Storms in Great Lakes

2009-02-08T18:27:00.003-06:00

View Larger Map

I've made a preliminary outlook area for low topped-fast moving supercells on Wednesday afternoon. Not to say there will be tornadoes.....it just seems like this general area has the greatest of the (least) chance lol.

Certainly not a classic set up by any stretch of the imagination, but may be the equipment check chase I have been longing for all winter!

UPDATE: 2/10/09 SVR WX POTENTIAL

2009-02-08T13:28:00.005-06:00

Looking over the models this afternoon, I still like NC to NE TX and SC to SE OK for severe weather and possible tornadoes. It even appears according to the NAM that CAPE is pushing 2000 j/kg from the Red River to I 20. Helicity is as impressive as you are going to get along the Red River with 500 m2/s2 and decent storm motions. With moisture to be there and favorable surface winds, along with upper level winds, I believe there will be tornadoes From DFW up to Mc Alester, OK and East of there by late tomorrow afternoon, but more likely tomorrow night. By overnight the storms will be congealing into a severe squall line where it could wreak some havoc on the Mid MS Valley into the Eastern Great Lakes.

If I were to chase...... I would even base out of Denton or Stephenville, TX, but chasing through the Metroplex is never easy and couple that with the fact this may be a night event. Not to mention the further N and E you go the worse your terrain is going to get ;)

February 10th: Severe weather possibilities in the Southern Plains

2009-02-07T21:26:00.003-06:00

Decent CAPE in some spots spiking at 1500, good shear, and do-able helicities (per the NAM) make for an interesting day ahead on Tuesday. I can see discrete supercells developing if cloud cover doesn't hold down the instability. (NAM isn't predicting any precip that morning on the last run) So we will see if it verifies. I kind of like the area of the Red River down to Waco and west to Abilene for a chance of supercells Tuesday afternoon and evening. Of course thats just based on the latest run and everything is subject to change. Even the GFS has been coming around on this event IMO. 3 more days. I likely wont chase this from Chicago, but I lived in OKC or NOLA it would be tempting. It really isn't a bad chase set up for FEB.

NAM:
Surface-Based CAPE

3 KM Helicity

Surface Td with wind

Haven't posted in a While

2009-02-03T00:52:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to say I am as sexy as ever.........

F5 Data and Storm Chaser List

2009-01-10T19:49:00.002-06:00

Check out Andrew Revering's webpage and data service! He has over 500 (508) chasers listed where you can find your favorite chasers webpage or web content. http://www.aprweather.com/pages/spotters.php He also heads the http://www.f5data.com/ page. "More Data, Better Forecasts" Just giving a shout out to someone who has put a lot of time into this. Again, thanks for also doing chase case #3 on STORMTRACK.

April 14, 2001 - Pratt, KS Tornado and Supercell

2009-01-07T00:25:00.001-06:00

http://www.stormtube.org/play.php?vid=202

April 23rd, 2000 - Mc Alester OK area Chase

2009-01-06T19:28:00.001-06:00

Enjoy!

June 1st, 1999 - 1st Tornado Recap

2009-01-06T03:07:00.002-06:00

Shows you my first ever tornado when I was 11 years old on my 2nd ever chase. This was near the El Paso, IL area!

April 14, 2001 Kansas Teaser

2009-01-05T04:41:00.001-06:00

:creepy music: COMING TO A PRAIRIE NEAR YOU!

December 27th, 2008 - Severe Wx

2008-12-28T15:57:00.003-06:00

Had some gusty showers move through the area. Wasn't worth it to chase this setup even though I could have. Just a waste of time. Had some storms overnight but in the day time we were put under a "severe rain shower" warning as the line moved in from the West. Gusty winds to 35 and a brief heavy rain was all she wrote! Least it was warm out and most of the snow is gone!

December 27th, 2008 - Early morning thunderstorm

2008-12-27T04:57:00.003-06:00

Eh, It is horrible quality, I had to be quiet so I wouldn't wake my nephews so I tried to video tape out of my bedroom window with my new cam. Quality isn't so good but I am still trying to figure out what I am doing!!! Nice to see some CG and hear some thunder.

HO HO HO! Merry X-Mas!

2008-12-26T17:20:00.002-06:00

I definitely cashed in MAJOR this year!!

New Laptop

New Video Camera

Among other gifts...............HAPPY NEW YEAR!!