*Attaining the Impossible Dream*
My 2006 Severe Weather Season Photo Journal
Chase Year: 8
Severe Weather No Longer Anticipated for the Remainder of 2006
Click Date for Chase Log
*: Not a "Chase Log" but still reflects current weather events
Note: The photos posted on this site are hosted on three separate photo servers. This may result in different picture upload times.
September 16, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
A Bust to End the Year
11:30pm- Well, so much for the 2006 storm season. Today's storm cells formed in southeastern South Dakota and raced northward, but died before reaching Grand Forks. I got several interesting pictures of clouds and lightning, but they are nothing compared to last night. With the cold front pushing into central Minnesota and temps dropping into the forties this next week, my 2006 chasing season is basically over. We MIGHT have a stray cell or two, but nothing severe will likely form.
September 15, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
Major Storm Outbreak Possible this Weekend
4:30pm- For the past 48 hours I have been watching the computer models and forecasts as what might be the most potent cold front in months bears down on Grand Forks. Warm air has been pulled up into the region by strong southerly winds for the past few days, skyrocketing temps into the high 80s and low 90s. The conditions are right for a supercellular storm outbreak as this front destabilizes the atmosphere. The main storms should hit on Saturday afternoon and evening. Check back for more updates!!
I Hope This is a Prelude to Tomorrow
11:50pm- Just when I had written off the 2006 severe weather season, Mother Nature decides to throw one last punch at me. And it came out of nowhere--just one small non-severe storm system. I first noticed the cell developing several miles north of Fargo at 5:30pm, moving north along I-29 at roughly 20-30mph. The cell was in the shape of a backwards "J", with the apex of the storm located due south of Grand Forks and the vertical segment, if the storm moved due north, would pass 10 miles west of the city. I wasn't too worried about this cell; it might produce some heavy rain and a few bolts but nothing special. I hung around my room until the storm finally made its appearance shortly before 7:00pm, at which time I strolled outside (barefoot) to get a peak at its cloud structure. I was impressed.
The cell, while it didn't have a very high top, still looked more organized than I had anticipated. I got out to the Smith hill just as the tip of the storm was moving in front of the sun, producing some cool shadows on the surrounding clouds. The wind, which had been from the south at 20-30mph all day also added an ominous twist to the storm (see how the wind is bending the trees in the photos below). The dark storm clouds covered over 1/4 of the skyline, from W to SE. I called Dan and he came out a few minutes later to have a look at the storm, which was starting to produce some small lightning bolts to the WSW of us. We decided after a few minutes to bike over to Clifford Hall to get a better look at this system. I still wasn't expecting much out of this storm so I only grabbed my shoes (in addition to my digital camera) when I went back to my room.
6:58pm-7:08pm The Western Skies Darken
The south wind, which was gusting to almost 50mph (!!!!) at times, made for a long and tiresome bike ride to Clifford (not to mention that there was a ton of debris in the air). When I got there I was greeted with a cloud of sand from the parking lot. I took a few pictures of the approaching menace before Dan arrived and we sprinted to 4th floor. Of course the hallway door to 470 was locked, so we ran through a maze of office corridors until we came to the back door to the room, which was fortunately open. We sat and watched the storm roll in for a few minutes (in addition, I tried making a makeshift tripod from the chairs in the room. It actually worked!) before the rain started started plastering the window with orange dots (rain reflecting the street lights). Lightning began jumping from the clouds shortly afterwards and we set up our cameras to try and get some of the bolts. I managed to get 4 pretty good pictures of lightning even though I was not using a tripod at all.
7:46pm-7:52pm Lightning Through the Rain Smeared Window
We grew tired of taking photos through the rain covered windows so we set out on an adventure to find a new photo spot. Fate guided us over to Ryan Hall, where we glanced at the radar on the WSI machines before moving to the northwest side of the hall for more photos. The position was not well protected and the vortices caused by the pounding winds wrapping around the building flung the rain into our alcove. I snapped a few photos, using the ground as a tripod, but they still turned out blurry and speckled from the rain. Dan decided to run over to Skalicky Hall where Studio One is based to get one of the station's video cameras for some lightning shots. I joined him a few minutes later and we sat in the loading dock with our cameras pointed out towards the west, looking over I-29. I used Dan's mini-tripod while he manned the TV camera.
8:25pm-8:44pm Lightning from Studio One
Shortly after 8:45pm my camera batteries died and I switched over to Dan's Canon Powershot S2 IS camera for the remainder of the night (thanks Dan!!). I spent a good 15 minutes getting used to the camera and elevating it onto one of the Studio One tripods. The wind began blowing rain into the loading dock, so we were forced to close one of the doors to prevent any of the electrical equipment from getting wet. I moved the camera and tripod so that it was positioned over the Studio One TV camera, looking WNW.
8:52pm-9:10pm Light Lightning Over the Western Skies
Shortly after 9:10pm the skies went quiet. We waited. Suddenly, a blinding white flash engulfed the parking lot followed instantaneously by a sound similar to being next to a battleship gun going off. The bolt was so bright and close that the light sensitive street lights turned off. Dan and I threw ourselves back from our equipment and froze. We sat there for several seconds as the thunder echoed across the landscape. I pushed through the door and looked to see where the bolt had hit. I saw no damage nearby, but Dan and I came to the conclusion that the bolt probably hit Clifford Hall. I didn't capture the flash on the camera, but the TV camera got it. We rewound the tape and watched for clues as where the bolt hit, but we could find none. This is the second closest encounter I have had with lightning, the closest happening on August 1, 2001 when a lightning bolt hit a power line just 50 yards down the street from where I was filming.
Several minutes later the rain again died down and the lightning came to a stop. I made the comment, "Oh, boy. This is not a good sign" and ANOTHER bolt crashed to the Earth one-eighth of a mile to our west. Once again I didn't capture the bolt on the camera but the TV camera caught it. At 9:15pm a third bolt struck 1/4 of a mile away to the NW. This time I had the camera ready and captured it (second photo in below set). Within a few minutes the lightning shifted to the north and the rain stopped for good.
9:14pm-9:18pm The Heavens Come Crashing Down
With the storm safely to the north I moved the camera outside and snapped half a dozen more lightning photos before the storm moved out of range around 9:45pm. The video below this next set of images is taken with my digital camera and also includes a slideshow of some of the lightning photos. Hopefully I can post the video Dan took with the Studio One camera--it is truly amazing. I will add an update to the page if that is the case.
9:20pm-9:28pm The Storm Bids Farewell
Storm Recap Video
September 7, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
I Thought There Were No Mountains in North Dakota. . .
10:30pm- Well, there aren't any mountains in North Dakota. But around rush hour we were treated to a rare sight that few outside of mountainous regions see--lenticular (aka flying saucer) clouds!! This is the first time I have seen these clouds and a unique treat for us out here in Grand Forks that I probably won't see again. Many at UND had been waiting for this day for over a week. The day the cold front would pass through and relieve us of our 82-89 degree high temps. To me, cold front + warm temps = fun storm chase. But the official forecast called for clear skies. Nonetheless I sat on watch for most of the morning but nothing appeared over the horizon. Even after classes ended for me at 1:45pm there were only a few cumulus clouds dotting the sky.
I biked back to my room and dived into my homework. Around 3:00pm, the skies darkened around Grand Forks but when I looked out my window I saw little that impressed me. Mainly gray skies and some small wind gusts. Nothing big. Another hour passed and, bored from my homework, I decided to take a stroll outside with my camera. The skies were clearing to the west, but to the east and south a line a large cumulus clouds, the cold front, towered overhead. Not wanting to go back and do homework, I hopped on my bike and cruised over to Clifford Hall to get some better pictures of the storms. The front consisted of two main cells, one directly east and another southeast of campus. Photos 1, 2, and 4 in the next series highlight the eastern storm cell while picture 3 is of the SE cell.
3:41pm-3:51pm Multiple Cells South and East of Grand Forks
Eventually, another batch of clouds situated just to my south caught my attention as they passed in front of the sun. They produced a brilliant round of crepuscular rays that flooded the skies. The sun, still behind the cluster of cumulus clouds, outlined the tops of the clouds; it was a stunning sight.
3:56pm-3:58pm Crepuscular Rays and Sun Struck Cumulus Clouds
As I sat watching the cumulus clouds I noticed what I thought was an anvil on the top of the main cloud. But it was too far to the west for me to get any good shots of it from Clifford 470. I bolted down the four flights of stairs and ran out into the parking lot to get a better view of this complex. But as I looked at this cloud again, I realized that it wasn't a thunderhead at all! The cumulus clouds were moving faster than this phantom cloud, revealing its true identity. It was a lenticular cloud!! To the south and east, pileus caps began forming over the rising storm columns.
3:59pm-4:01pm Lenticular Cloud (First 2 Photos) and Pileus Clouds (Last 2 Photos)
Now for the Weather 101 as to why these clouds formed (at least according to one of my professors). These clouds formed as a result of the cold air behind the cold front forcing the warm air out ahead of the front upwards. As the warm air rose further upwards it cooled and eventually formed clouds. However, as the cold air front pushed further southwards the warm air sank and the clouds evaporated. In other words, the cold front acted for a few minutes as an atmospheric mountain range. This effect was brief and this lenticular cloud that I saw only lasted for 7-10 minutes. Overall I counted 4 lens clouds, but these remaining three were minute compared to the first cloud I saw.
4:02pm-4:04pm Multiple Views of the Lenticular Cloud
With the lenticular show over, I decided to focus my attention on the Big Three--three storms maxing out simultaneously to the northeast, east, and southeast of me. The NE storm was the most mature of the three, sporting a large anvil. However, this storm was the furthest away from Grand Forks and I could only see the anvil above the haziness of the day (photo 1). The second storm was located due east of the city and was the oldest of the three. By the time I had gotten in position to photograph this storm it had already gone through one life cycle and was starting to regenerate. By 4:00pm the system looked like a huge heap of cumulonimbus clouds, but still did not feature a thunderhead. The third and final storm had started forming shortly after I arrived at Clifford Hall. It didn't take long for this system to soar upwards to heights around 20,000 feet and produce heavy rain and lightning, which I could see under the base of the storm. The rising cumulus clouds, as they shot through the layers of air above it, formed many (at least 6) pileus caps on its way to the heavens (photos 3 and 4).
4:05pm-4:25pm The Big Three
The NE storm moved out of range shortly after 4:30pm while the two other storms continued to explode. The next photo set includes the east storm (photos 1 and 2), a closeup of the SE storm (photo 3), and a panoramic of the two storms (photo 4).
4:31pm-4:35pm The Storms Continue to Develop
For the next fifteen minutes I focused my attention on the eastern storm, which, over this time span, began reaching mature stage for the second time in its life span. The cumulonimbus plum started flattening out and forming an anvil
4:41pm-4:51pm Time Lapse of Eastern Storm Development
After another five minutes my stomach got the best of me and I decided to turn in for dinner. I stopped at several spots along my bike ride back to Fulton to photograph the two storms. The mature eastern storm is in photos 2 and 4, the southeastern storm is in photo 3, and photo 2 is an overview of both storms.
4:57pm-4:58pm The Storm Front as it Moves Away
This evening I decided to bike to the University and I-29 bridge and took about a dozen photos of the red sunset framed by altocumulus clouds. The storm clouds were still visible, but were far off to the south and southeast (photo 1).
7:49pm-7:57pm Red Sunset and Storm Clouds
August 24, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
Busted in More Ways than One
9:30pm- This storm chase was doomed from the beginning. Like say, 9:00am this morning. That's when a bank of status clouds moved overhead and killed any chance of significant severe weather up here. But I remained hopeful through the day as storms fired up in central ND and southern MN, which got hammered with tornadoes and hail in upwards of 6 inches in diameter!! But temps here barely topped 70 degrees and the stratus deck prevented any daytime heating from occurring. Storms first appeared on MVX radar shortly after 10:00am, but didn't arrive until after 6:00pm. The storms that moved over Grand Forks never attained severe status and only looked impressive as they loomed over the horizon.
Even after looking at the radar and seeing that these storms had little potential I packed up my gear and set a course for Odegard. Then came the killer. As I rounded a corner at the intersection of the Fritz parking lot entrance and a side road my bike skidded out from under me and I got the opportunity to face plant the cement street. I managed to jump back on my bike and hobble over to the Aerospace complex and it was there that I realized the full extent of my injuries, including a cut chin, a burned right leg, holed shorts, and a busted up right hand (whether it is broken or not idk; I'll find out tomorrow). The only bright spots that came out of this accident was that my bike and camera sustained little to no damage.
After spending 20 minutes cleaning my wounds, Dan came out and we moved over to Clifford 4th floor to look for lightning. Then the storm decided to weaken substantially and left us on the west side of campus with a $#!@ rainstorm between us and the dorms. We waited until past 9:00pm for the line to move on an then went back to the dorms. I took no pictures of the storm. A very low-key night after such wild rides less than a week ago.
August 22, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
Storm 1 Chasers 0
11:50pm- What was supposed to be a quick storm chase turned into quite a chase. Except the chasers became the chased. Today's severe storm developed around the dinner hour as a squall line in south central ND stretching 80 miles north from the ND/SD border. The line raced to the ENE and by 10:00pm was positioned on a N-S axis from 30 miles west of Wahpeton to 25 miles SW of Grand Forks. After several hours of watching the storm on the computer, I decided it was time to head out and see if there was any good lightning with this storm. So two hours to midnight Dan and I packed up the bikes and cruised over to the University Ave. and I-29 bridge.
Immediately we were greeted with a slew of lightning bolts that plastered the southern skyline. We set up camp on the western end of the overpass and began firing away. I got several C-G bolts and also began to notice that the bolts were shifting further north. The storm was no more than 10 miles south of us. The underside of the storm churned with instability.
10:54pm-11:22pm Lightning Lights Up the Approaching Storm
With the main lightning shifting eastward we moved to the east bridge approach. I purposely overexposed my photos to show the texture and shape of the stunning clouds under the storm.
11:21pm-11:34pm Lightning Lit Clouds
Then suddenly, the storm that was not supposed to hit Grand Forks expanded at the last second and engulfed the city in a huge rainsquall. Dan and I had no warning of the impending storm and were soaked by the time our gear was packed up. We flew down the hill--I turned into a gas station for shelter and Dan booked over to Ryan Hall across the street. I stayed at the station for a few minutes before jaunting across the street to watch the storm dissipate. It was a short lived storm that caught both of us off guard and we got to be chased once again.
August 20, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
Unreal
08/22 Update- Here is the video I shot that evening along with a slideshow of the night's best photos. Sorry if the video seems to be of a lesser quality than usual.
11:30pm- OMG!!! A botched forecast turned into an amazing evening over eastern North Dakota. When I woke up this morning the forecast called for clear skies and a high of 80 degrees. Just for safety I checked the SPC 24 hour forecast, which outlined a slight severe thunderstorm risk over central North Dakota, but little for Grand Forks. I was on alert, but not concerned. The wind picked up as the day progressed and by 2:00pm I was noticing several lines of storms forming in central North Dakota. One line formed near the ND/SD boundary and another near the ND/Canada boundary. These two lines tracked slowly eastward as the afternoon progressed and the southern storm became tornadic around the dinner hour while the northern storm concurrently attained severe status. I ate dinner around 5:00 and went with some friends to a nearby water park. We got back to the dorms 45 minutes later and I decided to check the radar once more.
This time I was excited by what I saw. The northern storm had deviated from its easterly track and was now moving SE, directly towards Grand Forks! I looked out the bathroom window and sure enough I could see the outline of a large thunderhead sprawled across the NW skyline. I packed my ZR-70 camcorder (wrapped in my fur-lined bomber cap for protection), two tripods, A610 digital camera, and extra batteries for both cameras and donned my bike for another tow mile stint to the western edge of town. I stopped on the University Ave. and I-29 overpass to photograph the already stunning line of storms. The western edge of the storm just barely covered the sun, producing some awesome crepuscular rays. To the south, the post-tornadic cell was also churning away and sported an impressive thunderhead (second photo in second row).
7:57pm-8:04pm The Northern and Southern Storms from the I-29 Overpass (Last Two Photos from the West End of Town)
After a few minutes of storm watching on the bridge it was on to the western end of town. Once there I set up my camcorder and began to film the far western corner of the storm to track its movement and and possible lightning. As I was setting up my camera equipment I noticed that the storm line actually consisted of two main cells on either end with a weak virga-filled midsection. The center of the complex sat about 20 miles north of me and with the system moving SE, I was right in line with the severe western tip. A small portion of the storm drifted over the sun shortly after my arrival and flooded the sky with spectacular crepuscular rays.
8:04pm-8:07pm Crepuscular Filled Sky
Slowly the sun sank further towards its western cradle and disappeared behind the storm for good at 8:10pm. The crepuscular rays continued to fill the entire sky and the southern storm turned pink with the setting sun. Meanwhile, the northern storm cell continued to churn closer and was starting to fire lightning. . .
8:09pm-8:15pm More Crepuscular Rays and Storm Cells (Southern Cell Fourth Photo on First Row)
I continued to monitor the northern system but also began to watch a small A-bomb storm develop due west of me at least 60 miles away (photos 1 and 3 in next set). The crepuscular rays began to fade as the clock neared 8:30 but the southern storm continued to deepen in color (photos 4 and 6 in next set). The northern storm began to sport a thunderhead of sorts and a mini-gust front on its southern end (photos 7-8 in next set).
8:17pm-8:30pm Three Storms at Sunset
The southern storm's color reached it's climax at 8:40pm. Shortly before that anti-crepuscular rays developed for a short while to my SE (photo 5 in next set). The northern storm continued southeastward with little change in structure but blocked my view of the distant A-bomb storm at 8:35pm. I called Dan up at 8:30pm and about 15 minutes later he joined me on the chase.
8:30pm-8:40pm The Stage is Set. . .
At 8:40pm my camcorder battery died and with only 15 minutes left on the tape I decided to stop taping. The southern storm rapidly lost its color after 8:45pm and became indefinable a short while later. But by then my main attention was turned towards the northern storm which was rapidly bearing down on us. The virgas produced by the weaker section of the storm were becoming very prominent to the north and northeast (thanks to a pink backdrop) and the main cell was starting to produce a shelf. I strapped on my helmet and packed up the camcorder in my backpack in case we needed a quick getaway. Dan took the tripod my camcorder was on and used it for the night. Now things were getting interesting. . .
8:41pm-8:54pm The Virgas and Approaching Storm with a Shelf Cloud
Rumbles of thunder pierced the evening's placidity as the storm grew exponentially closer. Lightning bolts arced through the clouds and the virgas turned a deep red. The shelf cloud loomed ominously to the northwest while clear skies resided to the east. It was like a scene from a horror movie.
8:57pm-9:04pm The Alien Ship Nears
The next 15 minutes were probably the most intense minutes of any storm chase I have been on. Caught out in the open with a phenomenal storm bearing down on us--this made up for the lack of storms this year. The shelf morphed into something out of this world shortly after 9:05pm. It resembled something I'd seen only in photographs of storms in Texas or Oklahoma. This was a true shelf cloud!! Lightning exploded inside the cloud illuminating its insides while a northwest wind whipped up in advance of the system. The next 12 photos show the advance of the shelf over a ten minute period using a 15 second exposure on f2.8 and an ISO speed of 50. None of the photographs have been modified in any way. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.
9:06pm-9:16pm Some of the Most Stunning Photos I Have Ever Taken
As the shelf passed overhead I smelled rain on the wind and quickly collapsed my equipment and got the bike ready to ride; Dan did the same. We booked down University in a 25mph head wind that gusted to 37mph (as measured at the Grand Forks International Airport). When we got to the bridge we stopped and took in our surroundings. The shelf had moved onward to the south and east and it seemed like the rain would pass to our south. We slacked our pace and cruised towards the Aerospace complex to set up for lightning photography. Drip. Drip. Rain. Luckily it started slowly and Dan and I were able to get set up before the main system hit. Dan set up in the western Odegard entrance and I set up in the western Streibel entrance, the exact same place I shot my stunning lightning photos back on May 7. After adjusting some exposure problems I fired away. But after twenty minutes the lightning shifted to the eastern skyline and I moved to the eastern entrance and captured another nice bolt, but once again the lightning was shifting around--this time to the south.
9:27pm-9:55pm Lightning Around Streibel
So I shifted my gear to the southwestern skyline and was immediately greeted with a barrage of lightning bolts, which oddly seemed to be firing over one of the weather satellite dishes. So I zoomed in on the dish and let the shutter fly.
10:08pm-10:18pm Lightning up the Southern Sky
With the storm rapidly moving out of range, Dan (who was over by Clifford) and I grouped together and made one last run on the storm. We raced to the top of the University and I-29 overpass (where the chase had begun 3 hours earlier) and aimed southward. I took the SE quadrant and Dan took the SW quadrant. Also instantly I captured one of the best bolts of the night, a C-C bolt branching over the Interstate. It would prove to be the best bolt either of us would get on the hill as the storm weakened rapidly and by 10:45pm was nothing more than a strong rainstorm moving into the Fargo area. We happily packed our gear and headed back in. This was by far the best storm chase of the year hands down. Not only did I get to chase a stellar storm, but the storm had a chance to chase me. :-)
10:27pm-10:49pm The Last Bolts of the Night
Lighting Up the Skies
1:00am- What a way to start my second year at UND. Midday yesterday I received an email from my storm chasing thread to which I subscribe highlighting a report that the kp-index was abnormally high and we might have northern lights later that night. I monitored the index all afternoon and with a kp-index reading 5 by 8:30pm, Dan and I decided to bike two miles to the western edge of Grand Forks and set up to watch this spectacle. We arrived shortly after sunset and waited for 30 minutes before we saw the first signs of northern lights in the NE sky.
9:32pm-9:52pm Sunset and the First Signs of Northern Lights
With each passing minute the lights grew larger and brighter. By 10:05pm two large banners, one inside of the other, stretched completely across the northern skyline.
9:59pm-10:03pm Two Aurora Banners
Hardly had ten minutes passed since our first sighting of the aurora when the first peak occurred around 10:05pm. The lights took on the shapes of ribbons, pillars, and even cirrus clouds. Quite a sight for weather deprived eyes.
10:04pm-10:10pm The First Spike in the Lights
Shortly after this spike, however, the lights retreated northward and left a faint banner covering the northern sky. At 10:30pm we biked back to the dorm to see if the lights were done for the night. After a few minutes of looking at electromagnetic maps, we decided that the lights would have one more spike around midnight. We camped out in the dorm for 30 minutes before heading out once again to our same spot, arriving shortly after 11:30pm. The sky looked exactly as it had an hour ago but we set up our cameras and waited. . .
11:41pm-11:49pm Aurora Doldrums
Three minutes to midnight the activity on the eastern edge of the banner began to pick up rapidly and within seconds a second banner had formed due north of us. At the stroke of midnight the main banner contracted and exploded with brilliant green light. The liquid light danced across the black canvas for only a brief period before dissipating once more.
11:57pm August 19-12:02am August 20 The Second Spike
After the spike faint ribbons drifted over the city for several more minutes before they too finally died. Eventually the main banner began to disappear and by 12:15am was barely visible. Deciding that it was late and we didn't want to make another 4 mile roundtrip out to the western edge of town, Dan and I called it a night. What a awesome way to ring in the new school year.
12:04am-12:16am The Lights Fade into the Distance
August 12, 2006- Location: Miltona, MN
Nothing. . .
6:00pm- A wildly windy day on Lake Miltona in west-central Minnesota--the hopeful sign of an incoming storm, became a fiasco. The day started ominous with a strong southerly wind off the lake that pounded the shoreline and threatened to sink my dad's boat. As the afternoon progressed on the wind continued and dark clouds emerged from the sticky haze. But that's about all that happened. The clouds drifted overhead with little or no rain and the wind died down later that afternoon. So much for any storm.
4:37pm-5:14pm Pitiful Black Clouds
August 7, 2006- Location: Anoka, MN *
Golden Skies
10:45pm- I must admit, I've never tried taking weather photos while at the same time mowing the lawn. I guess there is a first time for everything. While mowing back and forth across the lawn I snapped three dozen photos of the sunset sky and moonrise that night.
8:04pm-8:49pm Golden Sunset, Pink Clouds, and Moonrise
July 31, 2006- Location: Anoka, MN
Another Miss
11:30pm- Once again another storm line formed north of my house, drifted southward, and died. It's a scene I see all too often. This slow moving storm formed near the Stearns and Wright county line and slowing drifted ESE towards Anoka. The thunderhead became visible near sundown and offered some nice photo opportunities from the county fairgrounds. I even got to see some anti-crepuscular rays, which I have never seen before. Discouraged by the storm's slow movement I biked back home and waited for the system to make its arrival.
8:00pm-8:23pm Observing the Storm's Thunderhead and Anti-Crepuscular Rays
After about an hour of watching the storm creep closer from my house, I decided once again to head down to the fairgrounds in anticipation of some nice lightning shots. I packed the car with all of my digital cameras/camcorders and headed off. The storm produced some brilliant lightning bolts as I pull up onto the grassy field in the middle of the fairgrounds, but my digital camera decided to malfunction (I won't write the PG-13 commentary) and it took me another 15 minutes before the camera began to mysteriously work again. But by this time the storm had weakened considerably and was producing only internal cloud-to-cloud lightning. Just before 10:00pm a shelf-like cloud raced overhead from the parent storm. I think it may have been an outflow boundary, since that type of signature was observed on radar in my area in that time, but I think it was too low for an outflow boundary. But shortly after the cloud passed overhead the storm rapidly weakened and I headed back home empty-handed.
9:30pm-10:05pm Lightning Lit Storm and Shelf-Like Cloud
July 28, 2006- Location: White Bear Township, MN
Excessive Heat Brings Heat Lightning
10:30pm- Ok, that fact is not exactly true. Heat lightning is just lightning that is too far away to hear, but today we suffered through our first day of what might be a five day heat wave. Temps today soared to 98 degrees at the airport, but it is just the beginning. By Monday we could be looking at temps around 102 with the heat index flirting with 120 degrees. The heat also brought a round of storms around the Duluth area that dropped golf ball size hail and downed stands of trees. The storms pushed southward through western Wisconsin and brought a dazzling display of heat lightning. The eastern skyline lit up with fireworks for several hours in the late evening hours. Small bolts jumped from the clouds--but they were too far away to get any good photos.
10:00pm-10:45pm Heat Lightning Lights Up the Sky
July 25, 2006- Location: Western Anoka and SW Isanti Counties, MN
Storm Racing
11:30pm- After ONLY a two month delay, I finally have my first really successful road chase!! Well, successful is all in the mind of the beholder. The storms I chased in SW Isanti County were not severe but still looked stunning and delivered a fairly hard punch compared to many storms this season. The chase's origins began around 11:00pm on July 24 with the issuance of a "Slight Risk" severe thunderstorm forecast by the SPC. I monitored the unchanging forecast throughout the morning of July 25 and by 11:00am I was noticing several batches of thunderstorms developing over the NW and SW parts of MN. There were, however, no storms directly west of the cities which made me concerned, but the day was still young.
By 1:00pm my attention had shifted away from these western storms and more towards a latitudinal southward moving frontal boundary located around St. Cloud. This would be my best hope for any thunderstorm development. The hours ticked by and still no activity along the front. By 3:00pm the radar showed a cluster of rapidly developing thunderstorms over Washington county, but they were moving away from me and I would not be able to go chasing until at least 5:00pm. I left work around 4:00pm under a cumulus filed sky, watching anxiously for any development. The cumulus cloud deck broke shortly before I got home, revealing the eastern storm, now over western Wisconsin (third photo in next photo sequence), and some fairly large cumulus clouds developing over the far eastern segment of the frontal boundary. But these storms were still out of my range and I went home to monitor the radar once more.
5:03pm-5:13pm Watching for Storm Activity on the Ride Home
The radar remained clear along the front for several more hours until finally a cell popped up in SE Isanti County shortly after 6:30pm. The cell continued to grow and by 7:30pm was flirting with severe status. In addition to this forming storm I noticed a small batch of showers developing in SE Sherburne County. This system brought light rain to Anoka but amounted to little else. Shortly after 8:00pm I hopped on my bike and cruised to the high school to watch the storms developing NE of me. I was impressed to see a large line of puffy cumulus clouds blossoming along the breath of the front--now located in central Isanti County. I photographed the storms for 20 minutes, watching cumulus shoots spring up in several locations along the boundary and even a few pileus caps, which lasted for mere seconds. As the sun sank further into the west a parade of low clouds marched in from the south and obscured my view of the frontal boundary. I went back home and after some quick yet careful analysis, decided to pack up the car and head north to meet the frontal boundary head on in northern Anoka County. Hopefully some storms would fire up on the western edge of the front and provide a great lightning show.
8:07pm-8:23pm Storms Blossoming Along the Front
Loaded with my recently self-repaired Canon PowerShot A610 digital camera and ZR70-mc camcorder, I flew northward on MN HW47 through Ramsey and Burns Township, watching the skies intently for any storm activity, besides the system to my east. As I drove through Burns Township a line of dark low clouds emerged in front of me from the haze. The frontal boundary. I continued through the blue haze of twilight, past St. Francis, and under the boundary. Just past St. Francis the treeline broke long enough for me to get a decent view to my west. "YES!!!" A storm sporting a beautiful thunderhead was developing right where I had hoped one to form, about 30 miles away (fourth photo in the below set). I drove several more miles into Stanford Township, Isanti County before I found a right turnoff road. I sped down this road for another 1/2 mile before finding a dirt road with an excellent western view that I could park the car and set up my equipment shortly after 9:00pm.
8:57pm-9:00pm Spotting the Storms on my to Isanti County
Within minutes I had both the digital camera and camcorder rolling, with the camcorder pointed towards the western storm and my digital camera aimed mainly at the frontal boundary to the north and northeast--which was starting to sport some impressive storms and clouds of its own. The first photo in this set below is of the frontal boundary to the NW. The second is of the retreating eastern storm and the last two are of the expanding western storm.
9:01pm-9:07pm Growing Storms
Analyzing the situation around me I couldn't help but notice the fast moving linear storm front approaching me from the north. It would only be a matter of minutes before the cloud bank would be over my head and obscure the western and eastern storms. Thankfully, though, it appeared like the storms were not producing any rain. The air was still and sticky, but cooling down since the sun had long set and twilight was starting to come to a close. Distant rolls of thunder broke the silence every so often. The below pictures are taking in the following directions: NW, W, NE, and NW.
9:10pm-9:12pm Surrounded by Storms
It was now time to look for lightning. The western and eastern storms were too far away to allow for any good lightning pictures, so I shifted over to the NE cell, located only a few miles from me, and began firing away. The lightning produced by this storm was weak C-C, but many of the bolts managed to escape the clouds briefly, allowing for some interesting photos.
9:12pm-9:15pm Lightning Shoots from the NE Cell
Slowly as the minutes ticked by the linear storm began chewing up my photo real estate and by 9:17pm was located less than two miles away. This huge shelf cloud, combined with the exploding western storm and orange skyline, made for some remarkable cloud photos (second and third photos in below series).
9:15pm-9:18pm More Lightning and Approaching Shelf Cloud
With the NE storm blocked off, I turned to the distant east storm, by now entering western Wisconsin, in hopes of more lightning. The storm was a disappointment and so I started photographing the linear storm line, by now nearly directly overhead.
9:19pm-9:20pm Approaching Shelf Cloud and Eastern System
As the leading edge of the shelf passed overhead, the once placid landscape awoke from its slumber and in moments I was dealing with a 30-40mph wind on my exposed NW side. Within moments the wind began to smell like rain, so I quickly grabbed the video camera and shoved it into the car as the first drops began to fall. I ran behind my car to pick up my wet digital camera and jumped into the car just as the rain squall hit.
9:21pm-9:23pm The Massive Shelf Passes Overhead
The rain squall absorbed the last light of day and transported me into a world of darkness, lit every ten seconds by blinding flashes of C-C lightning. I set up the video camera in the front seat to film the rain, but after ten minutes the rain was tapering off so I shut it down and began planning the next phase of the attack. I drove westward, back over HW47, for about five miles then turned south to find an open field to take lightning photos of the retreating cell. I found a field on the border between Anoka and Isanti Counties and set up once more. The storm featured very little in the way of bolts, but it was still fun to watch the storm light up with internal C-C bolts then turn to the west and watch the stars appear under a dark blue sky.
9:51pm-10:08pm Departing Lightning
The drive back home featured fog, fog, and more fog. A cold air mass sat less than 100 feet from the tropical ground, causing a massive fog bank to form. I got home shortly after 10:30pm. The case lasted for two hours, including the time it took to get to the storms.
July 24, 2006- Location: Northern Twin Cities, MN
Reason #xxx Why I Should Always Have a Camera on Me
9:00pm- Storms have a tendency to form when I am least expecting it/prepared. Today was one of those days. A very hot and muggy day (the dewpoint hit 84 degrees F at the Blaine airport at 3:00pm!!) set the stage for a round of massive severe thunderstorms. I had not brought my camera with me to work out of sheer ignorance and the fact that I believed the morning forecast that called for a sunny afternoon and evening thunderstorms. By 10:00am the forecast had been changed to afternoon and evening thunderstorms. At noon the first wave of storms appeared on radar, but they passed to the south of the cities. Several hours later popcorn thunderstorms erupted across the metro area, bring bouts of heavy rain and some impressive C-G lightning at my work around 3:00pm.
A thin haze ensued directly after the storm, limiting my view of any visible development to the west. Moving to the MPX radar I watched as additional popcorn cells fired off and subsequently died. Just before 4:00pm a small cell sprouted less than 20 miles west of Minneapolis. This slow moving cell rapidly gathered strength and coverage area and became severe shortly before I left work at 5:00pm. I didn't think too much of the storm as others were lasting less than an hour and this one would probably follow a similar course. The haze parted on my drive home just past the intersection of HW96 and HW10 in Arden Hills, revealing a much larger and more powerful storm than I had anticipated.
The storm was oriented from west to east along a line from Golden Valley all the way to St. Paul. I drove parallel to the system as it churned its way slowly eastward. The northern face of the storm featured a large shelf cloud that extended along the majority of its base. Crowning the storm was a huge cumulonimbus mountain that rose well beyond a high layer of clouds above the area. C-C lightning ripped through the cloud every ten to twenty seconds. The base was so low and dark that I trained my eyes (as much as one can while driving in rush hour traffic) towards the system to watch for any signs of a wall cloud or funnel forming. The storm also featured some incredible inflow which led me to believe that something might be forming.
I got home around 5:40pm just as a huge gust of wind (most likely more storm inflow) over 40mph ripped through the neighborhood. I jumped on my bike (with my camera in hand) and raced over to the high school to photograph the storm's departure. While the system still featured a dark base (including a wall cloud-like feature seen in the first few pics) and an anvil, it was nowhere near as impressive as it had been less than an hour before. The system continued to track eastward and as of right now is disappearing over the eastern horizon. The storm dropped torrential rain over the cities and golf ball size hail at the U of M. Over 2 inches of rain fell in a 45 minute time span in Minneapolis, 3 inches in 90 minutes in Eau Claire, WI.
5:49pm-8:45pm The Departing Storm and Sunset
July 19, 2006- Location: Arden Hills, MN
Despite Camera Troubles--Another Storm Intercept
3:00pm- I can't say for sure if today has been a "good day" or a "bad day" from a storm chasing standpoint. Yes, I did get to see (yet another) stunning gust front, however, it has not been a good day for my cameras. In fact it has been a downright hell. First I accidentally dropped my digital camera, in its protective case, onto the garage floor while getting into the car to go to work. The drop smashed in a covering for one of the LCD rotating pins on the bottom left rear of the camera. The damage appears to be mainly cosmetic, but it leaves a 1/2 inch square hole in the base of my camera and the LCD wires exposed. I plan to patch the area tonight but this might spell the end for my camera, already plagued with dust in its lens. Look for another digital camera around Christmas time--most likely this same model I have now but purchased from eBay.
The camcorder, feeling left out of the action, decided to malfunction as I was filming the gust front. First the BP-512 battery I was using lost its charge in 10 minutes (not a huge issue) then the camcorder ate my tape!! Have to say it's been awhile since I've had to deal with something like this. I managed to remove the cassette from the camera and wound it back into place, but the tape is ruined past minute 40. Just have to be careful if I ever play it again. The camcorder does not appear to have sustained damage from the incident.
Now for the storm action!! Today's storm complex formed over western Minnesota in the overnight hours of July 18-19 and by 7:30am was producing severe weather south of Willmar and heavy thunderstorms northward to Alexandria. The complex moved swiftly along and entered the Twin Cities around 8:30am. While the severe weather stayed south of the cities there was still some impressive weather to behold. At 9:00am a shelf cloud emerged from the hazy overcast skies to the west at my work in Arden Hills. The shelf grew in size and became pitch black as the minutes ticked by.
9:12am-9:13am Shelf Cloud Races In
The shelf had passed by within five minutes and was followed by eerie green skies. Rain ensued shortly thereafter. It rained and rained and rained and rained. Probably a good 1.5 inches of rain came from this storm (my rain gauge is out of order for awhile). The storm also featured many lightning bolts--but most were C-C. By 2:00pm the entire storm system had moved onward. Severe weather is expected in southern MN later tonight--but nothing is in store for the cities.
9:14am-9:23am Shelf Cloud and Green Skies
July 16, 2006-Location: Anoka, MN
Midseason Report
5:00pm- Sitting in my basement trying to hide from the 101 degree temps outside, I've decided that is is time for the midseason storm report. To be honest, MN storm chasing has sucked this year so far. The region is experiencing one of its worst droughts since the 1988-1989 record setter. This has undoubtedly had an impact on tornadoes this year, with only FOUR reported tornadoes so far as of today. This is the lowest number (up to July 16) since the 1988 drought. The TCB has a near perfect record when it comes to destroying storms this year that do manage to make it to the cities. I find it hard to believe that my best severe weather experiences came in a two day span from May 7 to 9 while studying for my college finals!! Those 41 lightning photos and funnel cloud sighting, at one time hoped to be a sign of things to come, have become the highlights of my season. Gas prices have also stemmed my chasing abilities. With it costing more than 40 dollars to fill up my gas tank I have had to scale back my chases to within 10 miles of my house--not that there have been any storms to chase outside of that range. Overall, storm season 2006 has been a bust. There's always next year.
July 12, 2006-Location: 25 Miles North of Grand Marais, MN (Gunflint Trail)
Storms Brewing Along the Gunflint
Today we drove up the Gunflint Trail early this afternoon to do a little hiking. Well, that didn't last long. We ate supper up there and as we walked out I noticed a patch of dark clouds to the north. But lush supply of trees in the area prevented me from getting a proper look at the storm. About 10 miles down the trail we stopped at a lake and I got my first good look at this storm system. Cauliflower cumulus clouds boiled to the north of me and already an anvil was starting to form.
6:12pm-6:55pm Storm Grows Along the Trail
We got back into the car and drove several more miles before we reached a clearing that faced eastward. There, to my amazement, was another thunderhead!! Much farther away and more compact, this thunderhead was absolutely stunning. I jumped out of the car and began photographing the storm as it reached its peak intensity. With 20 minutes the storm was weakening and we drove back to our resort in Grand Marais.
6:55pm-7:09pm Growing and Maturing Thunderhead
July 11, 2006-Location: 15 Miles NE of Grand Marais, MN *
Lake Superior Beauty
11:50pm- Traveled up to Grand Marais today and stayed at a lodge on the shores of Lake Superior. The sunset turned the lake into a sea of blues, violets, and reds. Quite pretty and enjoyable. A nearby river sported "steam ghosts" as I like to call them. The moonrise later in the night flooded the landscape and lake with brilliant light.
8:45pm-8:51pm Sunset over the Lake and the Steam Ghosts
11:02pm-11:09pm Moonrise over Lake Superior
July 10, 2006-Location: Duluth, MN *
Is it Winter?
11:30pm- Not only does it feel like winter outside (temps in the mid 50s with a stiff lake wind) but the skies are looking more like winter than summer. Around 8:10pm a sundog formed on the left side of the setting sun, marking the first time I have ever seen a sun dog in the summer. These optical effects usually occur in the winter when cold ice crystals bend the sun's rays. I guess the atmosphere over Duluth was cold enough to do just that! The pink sunset that followed was also more winter-like.
8:07pm-8:16pm Sundog Over Duluth
9:13pm-9:16pm Stunning Sunset
11:24pm-11:27pm Nighttime Shots of the Lakefront
July 9, 2006-Location: Duluth, MN *
The Air Conditioned City Lives Up to Its Name
10:00pm- I never thought I'd experience a wild weather day during the summer in Duluth! Around 11:00am I drove into a sunny Duluth, where temperatures hovered around 75 degrees and little or no wind blew from the lake. I hung around the ship canal for most of the early afternoon and by 4:00pm was getting ready to film a departing boat. I set up my camera on the northern pier, but after five minutes a cold breeze began blowing off the lake. Within 10 minutes a 25mph wind was ripping through the ship canal and the temperature was dropping one degree every five minutes. The camera swayed in the wind, its loose lens cap and strap acting as sails in the wind. Low scud-like clouds raced in over the northeast hills--hovering just over the Aerial Lift Bridge. The once placid lake began to churn under the wind.
4:35pm-4:54pm Scud Clouds and a Churning Lake
An hour later a high veil of altocumulus clouds crept in from the northeast. By now waves on the lake were running at 6-8 feet and the temperature, once a pleasant 79 degrees, was struggling to stay above 60.
5:55pm High Cloud Bank Moves Overhead
As the evening drew nearer the seas continued to build, but the clouds parted leaving a clear, cold sky. Temps were near 55 degrees with a stiff 20-30mph northeast wind off the lake. The WINDCHILL was around 50 degrees.
6:03pm-7:07pm Waves Batter the Canal and Boats on the Lake
As the sun set behind the hills a batch of wind smoothed clouds drifted over the hillside, making for an interesting sunset.
7:10pm-8:12pm Wind Smoothed Clouds
The waves continued to pound the canal and shore long into the night, but by the next morning the winds had subsided, along with the waves.
8:15pm-9:00pm Boats Battle the Waves
July 2, 2006-Location: Anoka, MN *
Mammatus Clouds but No Storm
11:00pm- Yet another stunning sunset, the second in less than a week!! This sunset featured a patch of altocumulus that, when lit, resembled pinkish mammatus clouds. Taken from my driveway in Anoka.
9:06pm-9:14pm Mammatus Sunset
June 30, 2006-Location: Anoka, MN *
Weather Randomness
9:50pm- Here are some random weather pictures shot today. The first two sunrise photos were taken on my way into work and the last two sunset photos were shot at the Anoka County Fairgrounds.
6:00am, 8:45pm Random Weather Photos
June 28, 2006-Location: Coon Rapids, MN *
Fire Weather
9:45pm- A hot and muggy evening was capped off by a stunning blood red sunset. Biking around with my camera I happened to find a high bridge over Highway 10 and parked there to watch the spectacle. The redness was brought on by smoke particles from forest fires in western Canada.
8:11pm-8:57pm Enjoying the Sunset
June 27, 2006-Location: Andover and Anoka, MN *
Scouting for Weather
9:00pm- Sitting around at a weekly Boy Scout meeting I couldn't help but notice the hazy, almost foreboding, sunset. As the evening wore on I went out biking to capture this eerie sunset and thunderhead that accompanied it. No storm hit overnight.
8:22pm-8:47pm Eerie Sunset over the City
June 24, 2006-Location: White Bear Township, MN
Fishing Weather
3:30pm- I just got back from a glorious day of fishing. The day was great, the action on the lake was a different story. The day started out around 9:30am with me waking up to distant rumbles of thunder to the west. I jumped out of bed and snapped several pictures of the oncoming storm from my dad's front porch before the small storm engulfed the area with heavy rain but little lightning. The system drenched us for about 20 minutes before moving shifting to the NW by 10:30am.
9:30am-10:30am Black Storm Clouds and Rain
After the last rain drops had fallen, my dad and I dug the boat out the garage and began prepping it for fishing. As we were strapping the fishing rods into the boat I noticed a heap of cumulus clouds reaching for the sky not more than 20 miles to the north. I grabbed the camera and photographed the system as it matured into a massive thunderhead several minutes later.
10:45am-11:03am Sprouting Thunderhead
Within 15 minutes, however, low level clouds were shrouding the storm and my dad and I headed out to the lake. For three hours we toiled under the summer sun but luck was not on our side. We came home empty handed--but my spirits were lifted when I heard news of a severe thunderstorm watch for the metro area until 7pm. Here are some weather pictures from the boat when I got too bored to fish.
11:30am-1:30pm Growing Storms from the Lake
Curious about the storms I had seen building near the lake I analyzed radar imagery and began tracking a long northeast to southwest oriented line of storms located near Willmar, MN. While only borderline severe, these storms still had a great structure and had the ability to pack a good punch. This line is currently about 30 miles out of the cities and should make its appearance shortly. More updates later.
Double Punch
8:00pm- (continued from first section) This line advanced eastward throughout the latter afternoon and by 4:00pm was knocking on the doorstep of the cities. I was once again outside with my gear to track and photograph this beast.
4:00pm Dark Clouds Line the Western Sky
By the time the storm system had reached the cities it was composed to two main parts. A larger, more severe part of the storm was oriented from north to south along a line from Rogers to Belle Plain moving east. The northern sections consisted of a skinny but strong squall line extending from Rogers northeastward to Lake Mille Lacs moving southeast. I would be at the apex of these storms when they met over the cities. The weather radio crackled to life with a slew of severe thunderstorm warnings for the southern metro and I was off to my hill in Dellwood to observe this storm. I stopped along the way to take pictures of some impressive scud clouds drifting south of me.
4:10pm-4:15pm Scud Clouds and Distant Storm
I jumped back into the car and bolted off to my hill, all the while snapping photos of the encroaching cloud bank. I moved to a different spot on my hill--a position that faced south so I could view the passing thunderstorm. The spot also gave me great viewing to the northwest, where the second storm was due any minute. I set up the cameras, turned on the car radio, and waited.
4:17pm-4:30pm Black Skies to the South
Within 15 minutes the haze to the northwest had given way to a dark and menacing line of boiling cumulonimbus clouds. As the 5:00 hour rolled around the clouds had turned into a deep, black mass. By 5:15pm this mass had materialized into a low gust front full of impressive but distant lightning bolts.
4:30pm-5:15pm The Northern Storm Advances and Grows
Shortly after 5:15pm a light rain began to fall, forcing me to shift the camcorder to the front seat of the car and drive about two blocks west to a place that offered a better view to the northwest. From there I filmed the advancing shelf cloud as it rolled across the landscape. I had to run the windshield wipers constantly to keep the rain from degrading the camera images. I sat on the side of the road for another 30 minutes while strong winds and heavy rain rocked the car. After 6:00pm the bulk of the storm had passed--now only a light drizzle covered the area. With little activity left I decided to head back to my dad's house. Radar imagery from the storm showed that the overall system weakened as it merged over the cities. I had once again been at the short end of the storm chasing straw.
5:20pm-5:50pm Shelf Cloud Rolls Over the Landscape
4:30pm-6:00pm Storm Video
June 17, 2006- Location: White Bear Township, MN
Impressive Cumulonimbus--But no Storms
8:00pm- After yesterday's onslaught I was on high alert for any possible severe weather that might form. The forecast called for a slight risk of severe weather with temps in the mid 80's. By 4:00pm, a large line of storms had formed to the west of the Cities, producing a brilliant display of white cumulonimbus clouds and pileus caps. The spectacle continued for about 30 minutes as the storm grew closer but the system quickly dissipated as it moved over the central Twin Cities area. The end result was a long, gray afternoon with a sky filled with dark, but harmless, clouds.
12:30pm The First Wave of Clouds Moves In
4:30pm Main Line of Storms-Note Pileus Cap on Top of Storm
6:00pm Gray Skies as the Storm Remnants Move Overhead
June 16, 2006- Location: Northern Twin Cities, MN
Caught in Nature's Fury
7:15pm- What a wild ride this afternoon! The chain of events started just after 1:00pm when a line of thunderstorms oriented from NE to SW formed just south of Mankato. Moving northeast, this line grew in intensity and size throughout the afternoon and by 4:00pm was located just southwest of the metro area. By this time a second, weaker, and much broader squall line had formed to the west of the parent line. Severe thunderstorm warnings began flying off the wire for counties lining the Minnesota River shortly thereafter. Spurred by this sudden activity, I left work 20 minutes early and cruised home to set up my camcorders to film the storm.
4:35pm-4:50pm Watching the Thunderhead Spread Across the Skyline
Just as I pulled in the driveway the radio squealed with the severe weather sounder, which was followed by this warning:
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 523 PM CDT FRI JUN 16 2006 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... HENNEPIN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA... * UNTIL 615 PM CDT * AT 521 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM... CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 65 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ST LOUIS PARK...OR ABOUT 7 MILES WEST OF MINNEAPOLIS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BROOKLYN PARK... NEW HOPE... PLYMOUTH... ROBBINSDALE... MAPLE GROVE... GOLDEN VALLEY... THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS. TREES HAVE BEEN REPORTED DOWNED IN HOPKINS.After consulting the MPX radar I set up my video camera in my garage stall and aimed southwest. By now the skies had turned black and the winds were starting to pick up. At 5:35pm the outer band of the line swept through, producing torrential downpours for over 15 minutes. About 1/4 of an inch of rain fell in this time span. The destructive segment of the storm shifted eastward through the heart of the metro area and did not come close to my house. By 5:50pm the rain was over. The stronger part of the storm still passed close enough to allow for some excellent side profile shots.
5:35pm-6:00pm Rain Rain Rain. . .and then Storm Clouds
As the clouds began to dissipate to the southwest I packed up my camera equipment and got ready to head over to my dad's house in White Bear Township for the weekend with my brother. We left the house at 6:15pm and started heading east, towards the brewing storm. I had checked the radar screen just before I left the house and it appeared that I would just clear the southern edge of the storm line as it raced to the northeast at 40mph. Behind me, to the west, the skies were already filling with clouds from the second wave of storms.
My calculations about clearing the storm were a little off. Precisely at the intersection of Hanson and Bunker Lake Blvds is where Heaven's overflowing bathtub spilled out. Rain (and thankfully no hail) pounded the car as I drove carefully down the road. The road could not funnel the water off quick enough and within 30 seconds the once dry bed had become a lake 2-3 inches deep. If the rain had increased anymore I would have had to stop the car--I could barely see the car ahead of me not more than 30 feet away. The onslaught continued for about 10-15 minutes before we suddenly emerged from the squall in eastern Blaine. Then the lightning show began. Strong C-G bolts struck in rapid intervals not more than 2 miles away as I traversed the town off Centerville.
The lightning lasted for all of 10 minutes and I did not get any pictures or video of it. As I crossed I-35E I entered the damage swath of the storm. Puddles up to 4 inches deep and large tree branches slowed my drive around Bald Eagle Lake. It also made the drive quite an adventure. I was so busy dodging branches and lakes that I was able to get only one picture of the damage. I finally arrived at my dad's house only 10 minutes later than usual. As of now the storm cell has moved into western Wisconsin and should no longer pose a threat. I will, however, be watching this second line of storm's with interest and may head out on a case later today. More updates tonight!
6:30pm-7:05pm Rain Pounds the Car and Storm Damage in White Bear Township
7:10pm-7:15pm Severe Storm Moves Away
Boiling Skies and Gust Fronts = Cool Pictures
10:30pm- Just as I said in the previous entry--I did end up going storm chasing to capture the second wave of storms. Shortly after my last log I packed up the car once again and headed for a hill 5 miles east of my dad's house in Dellwood where I set up my camcorder and camera to observe the incoming storm. And then I waited. And waited. And waited for 20 minutes before a thin line stretching from NW to SW emerged from the humid haze off on the horizon. The gust front.
7:30pm-7:50pm Equipment Ready: Let's Roll
The line, barreling towards me at 40mph, quickly grew in size and within 10 minutes was looming directly overhead. The gray skies turned an ugly black as the storm blocked out the setting sun. Scud lined the bottom of the storm--making for an eerie sight as the storm clouds silently drifted overhead. Surprisingly there was little thunder associated with this system. Within 10 minutes of the front's passing, the wind had increased and a light drizzle had started to fall. Knowing that this system was extremely wet, I elected to pack up my equipment and head back for the shelter of my dad's house.
7:50pm-8:05pm The Gust Front Makes Its Appearance
I quickly set up my cameras on my dad's covered front porch and continued to film the oncoming storm. By now the gust front had passed on by and scud clouds filled the sky. The main rainshafts were clearly visible to the west. Wind-blown rain forced me back inside the house ten minutes later.
8:25pm-8:35pm The Inside of the Storm
Gust Front and Storm Video
Several minutes later I was in the garage stall taking pictures of lightning--which turned out to be a bust. All I got was bright white flashes. Moving to the deck didn't change the situation and by 10:00pm the intense segment of the storm had moved onward--trailing it was a much weaker and wetter system. Thus my wild night of storms had come to the end.
Update: I got a total of 1.75 inches of rain at my house in Anoka
9:30pm-10:00pm Lightning Flashes (First Image Does Have a Bolt)
June 5, 2006- Location: Anoka, MN
Two Storms Sweep the Northern Twin Cities--But Miss Me
9:00pm- Once again the TCB deflects a series of storms north of the cities. At 1:00pm a large wave of storms formed over eastern South Dakota and North Dakota and attained severe status as they advanced eastward into Minnesota. Several of these storms became tornadic over NW Minnesota--including one over Otter Tail county where my grandma lives. You can bet I was on the phone with her warning her about the danger coming in. Luckily there were no reported tornado touchdowns with this cell. The frontal boundary progressed across Minnesota and by rush hour was near St. Cloud. Storms redeveloped along this N to S line between Elk River and St. Cloud, but none formed due west of the Cities.
The line formed in several waves, the first of which made its way through Anoka around 7:10pm. I drove out to the county fairgrounds and watched as the rainshafts spread across the city. Quite a cool sight. This non-severe rain squall produced little more than heavy rain for its five minute duration.
7:10pm Watching the Rainshafts Spread Across the Landscape
A second and third wave formed just north of Anoka and passed through Isanti County around 7:30pm. As this severe complex passed to my north, I drove to a small parking lot about a mile north of my home to view the southern edge of the storm. Rainbands from the complex reached southward and dampened my equipment every now and then, but for the most part it was a good shoot of the storm. Neither one of the storms produced much in the way of lightning but did offer some nice cloud shots. But once again a severe storm outbreak has missed the Twin Cities.
7:30pm-8:00pm Watching the Storms Roll Over Isanti County
Pounded
11:40pm- It's 10:00pm and I'm really tired and getting ready for bed. A rumble of thunder sounds in the distance. No worries--I have been hearing rumbles all night from the storms to the north. Then my mom calls me, half-dressed, out of the shower and shows me the radar. $!@# A new and powerful (but not severe) storm has formed to my west and will hit within the next ten minutes. I throw my shirt back on, grab the camcorder and tripod, and run to the garage. By this time the rain is coming down in torrents and I stand about two feet under the eve of my roof to avoid getting wet. I set up the camcorder and aim it due west. Then the light show begins. Internal cloud-to-cloud lightning lights up the night for at times over three seconds. Suddenly, a C-C bolt rips open the night. I wait for another. Sure enough, another bolt leaps out of the clouds 5 minutes later. I run inside and grab the digital camera and arm it for lightning photos.
10:10pm-10:20pm Lightning Show (Video Stills)
However, by the time I get the camera ready to go, the show is over. Back to the startling, but repetitive, lightning flashes. I still try for 30 minutes to get a bolt using every technique in the book. I got some good shots, but nothing as great as the video shots. A big inhibitor to my camera angles was the torrential rain that pounded the area for almost an hour. As of now we have had about 3/4 of an inch and it is still coming down. The storm is basically over, so now I get to go to bed :-).
Update in the Morning: We got 1.2 inches of rain from the storm.
10:30pm-11:00pm Lightning Light Bulb
June 1, 2006- Location: Anoka, MN *
Wicked Cold Front
10:30pm- Sitting down and relaxing on my computer in the basement at sunset I couldn't help but notice the orange cirrus clouds to the west. Bored and with little else to do I strolled outside and to my amazement saw a large dark line of clouds stretching from north to south about 15 miles west of me. I jumped on my brother's bike and raced to the fairgrounds, which offer a great western view. I stopped in an open area on the southern end of the field and, using a garbage can as a tripod, snapped about 30 pictures of the advancing front. It was eerie watching this flying saucer ride in without any wind at all (at my location). Not more than ten minutes after I reached the park the sunlight faded beyond the limits of my camera and so I headed back in as the first wave of clouds smothered the moon directly overhead. Not more than a minute after I closed the garage door a powerful 30mph wind gust tore through the area--disrupting the placidity of the night. The front passed quickly through with little more than gusty winds and was gone by midnight.
9:00pm-9:20pm Sunset and Advancing Cold Front
May 29, 2006- Location: NE Sherburne County, MN
The TCB Strikes Again
10:00pm- Well, so much for a Memorial Day storm chase. The day started out promising and by 2:00pm a line of potent thunderstorms had formed stretching from Bemidji to the MN/IA border. As this line moved slowly eastward it strengthened and prompted a slew of severe weather warnings up and down the front. At 3:10pm a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Wright and Sherburne counties and I was off on my chase! I was not prepared to go on a chase (as I was repairing my PC) so I scrambled to find my cameras, tripods, and other chasing gear, threw the heap into the car, and shot northward on Nowthen Blvd. There were two cells within my striking range and I chose to go for a cell in northern Wright county. Planned interception point: Elk River. Before me lay a beautiful anvil-topped storm brewing with instability. I stopped several times to take pictures of the cell as it churned away.
3:30pm-3:45pm Watching the Storm Grow
However, as I drew nearer to the storm I noticed that something was wrong. Something didn't look right. The storm, which had been actively been producing lightning as I drove towards it, was quiet. The rain shafts were thinning out. The anvil was starting to collapse. The storm was dying.
3:45pm-4:00pm Storm Peaks and Begins to Weaken
Desperate not to let this chase go to waste I quickly pulled over to the side of the road, set up my video camera, and began rolling. However, 10 minutes and three lightning bolts later, the storm was a lost cause drifting further and further to the northeast. To the east a huge line of cumulonimbus clouds was shooting skyward, but they were over an hour away and moving away from me. I gave up and began thinking about heading home. I had no idea where I was, but I believed I was in NE Sherburne county, maybe 10 miles NE of Elk River. Turns out, I was right. I motored southeastward and sure enough found Elk River. From there I booked it home to see why the storm had died so suddenly.
4:00pm-4:30pm The Storm Dies, Others Form to the East
I was stunned once I got home and analyzed the satellite and radar images. That cell had been the only storm in the whole squall line to dissipate--the others were going strong! Once the cold front had passed the Twin Cities, the hole vacated by the storm filled up with new and intense cells. This could only mean one thing: The Twin Cities Block (TCB). The TCB is not an NWS-recognized phenomena and has never been scientifically proven. It is a term I coined several years ago for an apparent phenomena that caused storms to weaken as they moved through the Twin Cities. It may be related to the urban heat island effect, but I don't know. All I know is that over half of the storms that move through the Cities either weaken or dissipate. Many times they will refire once they move across the St. Croix River. I will add my report on the TCB to the Unique Weather Link in Northland Weather Central in the coming days. Here are some satellite and radar images of the TCB on May 29, 2006.
4:45pm The TCB and the Storm Complex via Satellite and Radar (Hole over Twin Cities)
May 28, 2006- Location: White Bear Township, MN *
Hot Weather, but Storms to Come
6:00pm- Yet another day of hot, humid, and sunny weather. Temps today shot up to 95 degrees at the NWS in the Twin Cities while dewpoints ranged from the upper 60's to mid 70's. A moderate SE wind helped dilute the heat, but it was still a good day to sit inside and enjoy AC. The cap remains in place over the eastern half of the state but this could change by this time tomorrow. The SPC predicts a 30% severe thunderstorm probability for tomorrow afternoon. Anyone up for a chase?
1:00pm-8:30pm Hot Weather and Sunset over Bald Eagle Lake
May 27, 2006- Location: White Bear Township, MN *
Glorious Weather
10:30pm- The stretch of beautiful weather continues throughout the region. Temps today topped 90 degrees and tomorrow threatens to be even hotter. Storms tried to form over the Cities this afternoon, but a strong mid-level cap squashed these cells in minutes. This evening I again went out and took lake sunset photos from a beach on the east shore of White Bear Lake.
3:20pm-7:30pm Storms Try to Fire Up
8:30pm White Bear Lake Sunset
May 26, 2006- Location: Northern Twin Cities, MN
Storm Chasing Training
9:00pm- Well, it's good to be back home. Now I've got the car and it's time to get ready to do some serious chasing! For the past two days I have toted my digital camera along with me on my drives to test my camera handling skills in traffic. So far the results have been promising and I've gotten some cool pictures from these tests. I also took some beautiful sunset pictures over Bald Eagle Lake in White Bear Township late today.
5/24/06 9:00am High Level Clouds on the Way to Work
5/24/06 5:00pm Rain Squall Coming Home from Work
5/26/06 7:30pm Driving to White Bear Township, MN
5/26/06 8:30pm Sunset over Bald Eagle Lake
May 9, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
What was This?
5/10 Update: The National Weather Service has CONFIRMED this event to be a "textbook" cold-air funnel cloud. This is only my second confirmed funnel cloud sighting, the other one coming on, ironically, May 9, 2004. My other unconfirmed sightings have occurred on: August 3, 1997 near St. Cloud, MN; August 14, 2000 near Sioux Narrows, Canada; May 1, 2001 in Andover, MN; August 8, 2001 (2 funnels) at Many Point Scout Camp, MN; August 9, 2002 at Many Point Scout Camp; and August 5, 2003 at Many Point Scout Camp.
3:30pm- Storm Day 3 produces yet another round of bizarre weather. A product of a state-wide stalled boundary just west of Grand Forks, this system formed around noon this afternoon and around 1:30 started moving into the city. Besides producing a large black skyline the storm briefly produced what Dan and I think to be a small cold-air funnel cloud! I can't verify this claim because of the distance of the cloud and our inability to see any rotation. The cloud lasted for only a minute before retreating back into the clouds. The NWS has not mentioned any funnels in the area and I have sent the photos to them for verification. The storm also produced an impressive shelf cloud and rainshafts. You look for yourself and see if you think it was a funnel. I also have a video of the cloud, but it was taken at the end of its life and is not very high quality.
1:40pm-2:30pm Storm Clouds and Possible Funnel
1:47pm Funnel Cloud Video
May 8, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
All Bark But No Bite
7:00pm- We had yet another storm system sweep through Grand Forks early this afternoon. Much smaller than last night's storm, this system still packed quite a bit of thunder. The southern sky turned black around 3:00pm and thunder tore apart the sky. The storm's high base offered great photo opportunities, but didn't even produce any precipitation. After about an hour the storm drifted away to the south. All bark and no bite to this storm.
May 7, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
Touching Heaven
5/25 Update: Here is the video from May 7. Sorry for the delay, but I think you'll enjoy it.
11:50pm- Well, I said barring any significant weather I wouldn't post a new entry. Well, would 41 lightning photos, including some of my best photos ever, count as significant weather? I think so. Tonight's 41 lightning pictures shatters my old record of 26 back on June 19, 2002. This is leaving UND in style.
The storm system that would spawn these bolts formed this afternoon as a squall line in central North Dakota and quickly grew to severe status around 4:00pm over Devils Lake. As the front progressed eastward it began to weaken but still maintained an excellent satellite signature. By 7:00pm the storm cell was located 35 miles out of Grand Forks and strengthening once again. I decided to bust out the lightning detector and strapped it to myself for the remainder of the night. Beep* Beep* Anyway, after seeing the structure of the storm from the Smith hill, Dan and I tore over to the I-29 and University bridge and watched as the squall line raced across the landscape. We sat out there for about 10 minutes before deciding to grab our lightning gear back in our rooms and head over to the Aerospace Complex for some lightning photography.
7:30pm Watching the Squall Line Race In
Our first stop was Odegard 3rd floor--the old Met. 110 classroom. It was the only room in the complex that faced NW that we had access to. We set up base here and began taping and photographing the storm. I aimed my video camera to the north and Dan did the same while I started photographing the western expanse of the system. It was quite impressive. But after about 15 minutes the cell we had been watching had drifted out of range and a new one was arriving from the southwest. We were moving to Clifford.
8:00pm-8:15pm The System Sweeps Over Campus
One problem--Clifford was locked. We then broke rule number one of lightning photography and moved our equipment to the SW approach of Streibel and began to roll once again. We were in the wide open, perfect lightning targets. Not more than three minutes had passed before mini bombs began to explode around us. Rain with embedded hail. We scrambled to shove our video cameras, still rolling, under the entrance of the building. Quite a task but we survived. Dan then elected to move to the Odegard west entrance to shoot more to the S and SW while I would stay in Streibel and shoot to the W and NW. Once he left I took out the digital camera and began to prep it for lightning photography. But this would be a new type of lightning photography--one I had never tried before. I call it fast frame capture and I'm sure that there is a better name for it. Mainly, what I did is hold down the shutter button and the camera would continuously take pictures with shutter speeds ranging from 1/2 to 1 seconds until I released the shutter. I decided to use this method because the presence of daylight would render my traditional methods of 15 second exposures useless. Problem: my only tripod was being used by my unmanned video camera. To solve problem, sprawl out on sidewalk and use the ground as a tripod. Problem solved. The photos started streaming in. . .
8:40pm-8:50pm First Wave of Lightning
As I was busy snapping away, Dan moved from Odegard to the sheltered southern side of Clifford and camped out there for the rest of the storm. From there he captured 16 stunning lightning pictures in addition to over an hour of video.
8:40pm-9:10pm Dan's Best Shots of the Night (Photos Enhanced)
As the 9:00 hour began to roll in the southern storm swept overhead and produced a stunning display of powerful C-C and C-G bolts. Camped out on the sidewalk facing west, I was in perfect position.
8:50pm-9:00pm The Heart of the Storm
This display of fireworks lasted for only a short while. The rapid motion of the front carried the lightning storm overhead and soon I was taking pictures of rainshafts. I moved to the NE entrance of Odegard and set up base near the bike rack housing our two bikes. From here I shot off the remaining pictures on my memory card--filling it to capacity with pictures for the first time. The bikes in the foreground made for some cool lightning photos.
9:10pm-9:40pm The Storm Moves Away
By 10:00pm the storm complex as a whole was moving out of range so I shut down the video camera and just enjoyed the departing bolts. Dan came around a few minutes later and we soon made our way back to Fulton. The storm became tornadic once it reached Minnesota but so far no storm reports have been received. Overall I took 1,100 pictures today although only 130 were saved. Such is one of the downsides of this method of lightning photography--extra, useless photos. The video is astounding and contains over 100 bolts, but due to finals I will not have it ready for over a week.
May 4, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND *
Wrapping Up Another Year
9:00pm- With only one week left in my first year at the University of North Dakota I felt it fitting to put together a slide show of my best weather pictures from this school year. The forecast for the next week calls for warmer temperatures, dryer skies, and a slight chance of thunderstorms on Sunday night and Monday afternoon. So, barring any significant weather events in the next week, this will be my last report from up here at UND. The car still needs to be prepped for storm chasing so it will be at least two weeks before any chases begin.
May 1, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND *
April Showers Bring May Flowers--But the Showers Need to End for that to Happen
5:00pm- So be careful what you wish for. The storm system mentioned in the previous entry did make it into Grand Forks on the morning of April 28 in a much weaker and wetter state. Then it stalled--again. This time over Minnesota and ever since then North Dakota weather has borne an alarming resemblance to Seattle weather. Depressing gray skies and periodic rain showers. Temps have been hanging around 50 degrees ever since the beginning of the rain. On Saturday I got the privilege of biking 40 miles in this crud to Hillsboro, ND for a bike race for my church. A steady rain, mixed with a 15mph ESE cross/head wind (temps around 48) and farm dirt made for a very long filthy bike ride. The clothes I wore did not survive and I'm surprised the bike did. Tomorrow we could get a chance at some thunderstorms and may I dare say it: sun!! I'm looking forward to some good strong convective activity for once. The rain forecast doesn't break until Thursday, my final day of school this year.
4:00pm Rain Rain Go Away
US Visible Satellite Images of the Storm (all at 1945 UTC)
April 27, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
Waiting. . .
5:00pm- Yet another glorious day here in Grand Forks. Temperatures soared into the lower 70's today, rebounding from a sour start to the week that featured high winds and temperatures 20 degrees below average. Even a light coating of snow was reported in several locales Monday morning. But hot weather and an approaching cold front can mean only one thing: thunderstorms! While the chance for thunderstorms is low--last week's blown forecast has me taking no chances. I have been monitoring the radar since 3:00pm and already a batch of showers and embedded thunderstorms has formed near Devils Lake and are visible to the west and northwest. They should move through Grand Forks by nightfall. This could mean some awesome sunset and possibly lightning photos tonight. Check back later for more updates.
4:30pm Beautiful Weather in Grand Forks and the Approaching Storm
-Radar Imagery from FGF at 5:30pm
9 Days Later- First Storm Chasing Bust of the Year
10:00pm- Well, the storms mentioned in the previous entry decided to stall near Devils Lake and then dissipated this evening. Around 6:00pm, based on promising radar imagery, I ventured out to western Grand Forks on my bike and set up to view the storm, which covered the western skyline. One hour passed camped out on the University Ave. and I-29 bridge and no progress. I moved to the National Weather Service parking lot for about 20 minutes and watched the system just sit. My bike brought me to the western edge of town just south of U.S. HW 2 where civilization meets nature. I spent the final 30 minutes of the chase in the middle of a farm field calling Dan and seeing what in the world the storm was doing. After hearing that the storm had stalled and was weakening I turned around and booked it back to UND. Not only was the chase a bust, but my only chase vehicle at UND decided to bust as I pulled into dorm complex. This might be the last chase up here at UND this year.
6:00pm-7:40pm Watching Wishing Waiting. . .
April 23, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND *
Wild Weather Extremes
9:00pm- What a difference an hour makes!! We started out the day with beautiful skies and a balmy 50 degrees. As the day progressed the mercury rose into the lower 70's under partly cloudy skies. People were out enjoying the weather playing catch or soaking in the sun's rays. This is North Dakota--it couldn't last. At 7:30pm a cold front hammered the city without any forewarning. The skies filled with dark, ominous clouds, the temp fell 20 degrees in 30 minutes, and the wind awakened from its slumber and became N at 30mph. The sounds of volleyballs and laughter were replaced by a shrieking howling wind known all too well up here in the "Tundra". Tomorrow the high temperature should reach today's low temp. This cold spell will not last as a rebound is expected on Tuesday through the end of the week. Here are some pictures from today and METAR's showing the drastic change in the weather in only 1.5 hours.
Before the Front. . .
-METAR from 2343 UTC 04/23/2006
After the Front. . .
April 18, 2006- Location: Grand Forks, ND
SCORE!!!
11:30pm- Storm Season has arrived here in Grand Forks!! What an awesome day filled with wild weather and my first lightning pictures of 2006. The forecast for today called for scattered showers and possibly a thunderstorm, but the NWS underestimated this system. By 5:00pm an impressive storm complex had formed to the west and southwest and within an hour was bearing down on Grand Forks. The first wave missed us by about 10-15 miles to the west, but still offered great profile shots.
6:00pm-6:10pm First Wave Misses
Not more than 20 minutes later the main system overtook Grand Forks but did not produce much in the way of precipitation. Instead it filled the sky with rolling, unstable clouds that reminded me of a severe thunderstorm, not an afternoon spring shower. Grand Forks turned into the twilight zone with the sky boiling with instability right up until sunset. During this timeframe I had to go to my photography class from 6:30-7:15pm. After walking out of class I began getting into position to capture more of the storm's spectacular clouds. Midway across the Coulee bridge I stopped to snap a few photos of the clouds over the Fritz. Just as I turned the camera on I felt it shutter. Hail. !@$#. I hardly had time to turn off the camera before I was engulfed in an onslaught of pea sized hail and heavy rain. If you've ever seen the movie Twister--the amount of hail I encountered was comparable to the hail scene in the movie.
6:15pm-7:20pm Wavy Clouds and Hail
With no shelter in sight I ran to the southwest wall of Smith Hall where thankfully the rain was not reaching (due to a southeast wind). After waiting a few minutes for the rain and hail to stop, I crouched down and began snapping pictures of the hail which by now littered the ground along with infant tree leaves. The storm clouds still boiled overhead and soon Dan came out and began documenting the storm as well with his camera. After enduring two more rain squalls Dan went inside and began tracking another large system moving in from the southeast and I camped out on the Smith Dike to wait for the storm. I took 73 storm pictures on that hill alone in those short 45 minutes. With light fading fast and the storm still about 10 miles away Dan suggested that we pack up our gear and move to 4th Floor Clifford (the Atmospheric Sciences floor) and set up for lightning photography. After weighing the risks we decided to book it over to Clifford.
7:20pm-8:10pm Grand Forks: The Twilight Zone
A frantic three minutes ensued with me loading my short's pockets with my ZR-70 camcorder, extra battery, extra tapes, my Canon PowerShot A610 digital camera, and strapping my lightweight tripod to my bike. Dan packed up his camcorder, digital camera, tripod, and laptop computer and together we hustled over to the other side of campus. By 8:30pm we had set up our battle station inside the southeast conference room. I began shooting south with the camcorder and let it roll for the first 20 minutes of the storm and Dan had both his camera and camcorder out for blood. After about eight bolts I decided to switch my digital camera in hopes of capturing my first bolts of 2006.
8:30pm-9:00pm Lightning Video
Upon looking at the radar on Dan's laptop (using the Clifford wireless network) I aimed south southeast and started firing away. At 9:02pm Heaven erupted in front of the camera--bolt number 1, a stunning cloud-to-ground forked bolt that started from the surface and branched off into the cloud. Five minutes later a small cloud-to-cloud bolt streaked across the lens. As the storm cell raced northward I moved my equipment to the east window in hopes of one more bolt. 9:16pm. A blinding flash tears apart the eastern sky leaving me stunned and wondering if I have captured any bolt whatsoever--or just a nasty white flash (as is often the case). An anxious 15 seconds pass. The review flashes up on the screen. I almost scream. There in front of me sits one of the greatest lightning photos I have ever taken and my first high resolution lightning photo. Two ribbon style cloud-to-ground lightning bolts framing the UND campus fill the screen. Dubbed the "Million Dollar Bolt" this lightning photo is only rivaled by the bolts of June 19, 2002, the greatest lightning storm I have ever chased. Dan also got three stunning lightning pictures that are posted on his Xanga site. This bolt brought an end to a spectacular day of wild weather, hail, and my best lightning photos in 4 years.
9:00pm-9:20pm The Heavens Light Up
Dan's Photos From the Night
