Today was very FRUSTRATING...This is usually the case with summer storm chases when you're lacking shear. A supercell develop around noon however along an outflow boundary near Monticello, IA. Being that this storm was discrete which is hard to come by I decided "what-the-heck" let's venture out after this thing. So I figured I would catch it if it held together as it crossed the rive.
I arrived near I-88 waiting for the supercell to cross the Mississippi River near Lyndon, IL. It eventually does, but that discrete action went by-the-way-side pretty quick when the outflow boundary it was intersecting became very active nearly on top of me. Then a loss of Internet access quickly annoyed me for a bit as well. I then punched through the big rain-makers south of I-80 on route 40 near Sheffield, IL after I gave up on that storm when it went outflow...This day just was really bad for photography...everything was rather ragged even shelf clouds didn't produce good photos. So after being a tad frustrated with the lack of decent photos I headed back home to Kewanee, IL.
This was an "armchair chase" in my backyard at 5pm (Glad I called a quits on the chase early eh?)
I was sitting in my office getting settled in and heard some intense lightning "all of a sudden" out the window...I glanced at the radar seeing that a new storm had developed on the old outflow boundary nearly right overhead of Kewanee, IL and began moving east of me. I ventured out the door with the tripod and cameras in hand and started taking some pictures. The lightning really didn't cooperate to my liking, but as I was busy setting up the camera I saw a horizontal roll cloud start to develop to the rear flank the storm. This was interesting...especially when soon after the storm gains some rotation and produces a nice photogenic wall cloud off to my east. Since I didn't have a radar in front of me I dismissed this first, then watched and observed more and more and then saw the rotation with my very own eyes. I was a tad excited as it REALLY SURPRISED me! Especially, after how the day had already gone.A common rule is never underestimate outflow boundaries because they allow chaotic things to happen and this was no different. Also, I tend to wonder what affect if any the horizontal roll cloud played in this. A sign of horizontal vorticity perhaps? What's interesting is as soon as that formed the updraft appeared to take that vorticity and produce the wall cloud and "hang-me downs" below it. A very interesting experience to observe no doubt as it has me scratching my head some. Well that's all for now I might add a few more images depending on how tonight's actions goes.
