A blog that describes a journey into storm chasing in South Georgia. Come and join me on this fabulous trip into the life and passion of a storm chaser in South Georgia. Watch me as I spread my wings.
"Some are weatherwise; some are otherwise." ~Ben Franklin
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. -Psalm 19:1
Do you know that God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? -Job 37:15
After a couple of "nasty" (frankly, I thought they were pretty cool) thunderstorms over the last couple of days in the Valdosta and Tallahassee areas, we had/still sort of have a really cool feature that was/is visible on satellite.
Looks oddly like a small hurricane with a nice tight eye gone ashore, right? Well, it's not Hurricane Edouard or any sort of tropical cyclone, even. It's a low pressure center within a mesoscale convective system, referred to as a mesoscale convective vortex (MCV). It's a rather pretty one, if you ask me.
A mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) is a low-pressure center within an mesoscale convective system
(MCS) that pulls winds into a circling pattern, or vortex. An MCV can take on a life of its own, persisting for up to 12 hours
after its parent MCS has dissipated. This orphaned MCV will sometimes
then become the seed of the next thunderstorm outbreak. Wikipedia
In our case, the MCV is already losing much of it's structure, but it still has a swath of bands rotating around a less tightly compacted center, especially when you compare it with the deluge of storms over eastern Mexico as the remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly make their way inland and work at dissipating. We would look to a MCV area for upcoming thunderstorm development, similar to how we would expect thunderstorms with any other low pressure system.
Thanks to my friend at the NWS for bringing the feature to my attention. Cool stuff.
Last night was quite a night for thunderstorm activity. We had a storm pulse up suddenly to our east and actually move over our house. Frequent cloud to cloud and cloud to ground lightning was popping all around us. As the storm moved to our west, it really got inflamed, and the lightning became constant. Suddenly, another cell initiated to our east, so we literally had it popping on either side of us.
With the frequency, I couldn't help but try my hand at shooting some.... yes, again. Realize that I do not have many good angles from my house. There is the west view, which has a line of VERY TALL trees about 100 yards in front of us. There is the north view with yet another line of very tall trees about the same distance away. The east view, where our shed and the neighbors house block my view and trees beyond that and then finally, the south view... house, tree. It's a storm chasers nightmare of home placement. Oh, how I would love to live on an open field with a wonderful view of all angles.
Clearly, I am not geographically placed well for shooting lightning from the abode, and until I really nail down my technique and get a remote for shooting, I am not venturing out to a field like some chasers I know (who get great shots, by the way). I am just not there yet.
As the storm was east, I scurried into my sunroom to shoot from there... through the opened screen door, which kept slamming shut on me, and the rain was pouring in and covering my camera... no good. As it moved west, I chased it to the front porch, but I couldn't really get any good bolts... the storm was immediately overhead and most was cloud to cloud lightning at this point.
When thunder roars, go indoors.
So... I went into my garage for the more open northward view. Technically, I wasindoors... with a really large door open right beside me. I didn't get any shots and the storm had moved further west, so back to the porch I trudged. AND, I got one!!
He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. Job 36:32
I love the detail of this CG lightning strike. I love how it webs out. This photograph is untouched (hence the water droplets on the lens). The corner is the edge of my front porch. The view is to the southwest, where a local said they heard a thunderclap so loud that they thought their windows would burst. As far as technique, I am still not where I want to be with my lightning photography, but I think that will require me stepping out into some scenery and getting away from the trees.
It's been a while since I have stood outside in a thunderstorm (I don't recommend you doing this!!! When thunder roars, go indoors!) to shoot lightning, but hubby suggested it tonight when it seemed like it was popping every second. Of course, when I got out there, Dewvoid kicked in and things started to pulse down... typical. I was, however, able to nab a couple of decent shots before it completely fizzled out.
You see, back on the 4th of July, I was inspired to start playing with the settings on my camera, and there we were with 10 boxes of sparklers and my camera and well... we got creative. I figured out how to get my shutter to work to my advantage. It was such a fun time, and I felt so completely inspired. It was so much fun!
I really haven't been all that inspired to shoot weather since I haven't been on this blog. On my paying gig, I had access to all sorts of stock photos so I got a bit lazy... I forgot what I loved about shooting weather. These pics aren't great. There is definite room for improvement, but I am interested in doing it again, so that's a big bonus. I had forgotten the tingle in my stomach while reviewing shots and seeing that I GOT ONE!!!
I have missed that feeling. I actually bounced into the house with a childish grin on my face. I will continue to work with settings and technique, but I think I am on to something.
SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! Welcome all sky fans!!! I truly appreciate your visit and comments. I might not have time to respond to you, but I will try my best to visit!!!
Thanks, also,to Dot and Tom, who were instrumental in the success of this blogging event. You should definitely come fly with us! With severe weather season just around the corner... I am reminiscing about some of my more enjoyable and photographable storm encounters. The pictures below capture an exciting day back in June 2008. It started with wonderful towers going up all over the place. The clouds were barely moving, except climbing up into the sky. We had a brilliant rainbow for a time, but then, there was this... a wonderfully sunset-lit tower rising to my southeast, catching the light brilliantly and radiating with a glow of pink and salmon. I stood in awe of the beauty for some time before I noticed just above my head was an amazing patch of mammatus (my FAVORITE!!), which were also carrying the colors of the glorious sunset. After being drawn to that for some time... and taking a bunch of pictures, I went in to eat.After dinner, I came out to discover that this beautiful tower of splendor was still there, but now it was firing every few seconds with a magnificent lavender electrical storm... all seemingly contained within the confines of this beautiful structure.Speak Lord, your servant is listening.
So, the tornado in Kirksville, MO... well, one of them was rated an EF1.That's right, the above damage was assessed to have been caused by an EF1 tornado. Unfortunately, a structure is only as strong as its weakest point. IN the case of a home, the garage is generally the weakest point; however, you can reinforce a garage to minimize risk and damage. An EF1, as they have rated this tornado, even though Jim Cantore said that he would have rated it an EF2 for the sake of the roof being lifted off, is capable of destroying, depending on the quality of the structure. EF rating are a function of structure quality of construction and degree of damage. In other words, if no damage has occurred, there is no rating. You cannot determine the rating of a tornado by merely looking at the tornado. It is only rated by the damage it causes. Amazing that they rated this an EF1 or EF2... Here is the report... report for May 13, 2009, severe weather outbreak from the National Weather Service.
Locally, after a week of threats and forecasted thunderstorms and coindidentally on the day of a pool party for Mini-Dew's team... we have our thunderstorm. Perfect timing, as usual. Mini-Dew has been texting me like crazy... it's raining... boo hoo. There's thunder... NO!!!! Poor thing. She has been so hyped about this pool party. Looks like a change of plans is in order.
This is a current radar snapshot of what is headed my way. Already lightning is started to feed in ahead of the bowing segment of the strong squall line... which just got solid after just an hour to two hours ago having had a more subtropical low type presentation on radar. Just had a TVS pop up on GR southeast of Appalachicola and several of the cells have doppler indicated mesos on them. Folks, we have got ourselves a storm. A tornado watch was issued for the county to my east.
The bus driver was kind enough to go door to doo, too. How nice.
Update 8:00AM: My weather radio is going bezerk... severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for the southern part of my county. Mesos more and more frequent in this line. Lightning still about the same up here.
Well, let's see... the last time I posted, I was leaving to run some errands, attend my rescheduled physical therapy (for the shoulder that never ended up needing a really big shot, just lots and lots of PT--pain and torture), which I had just resceduled to slightly earlier in hopes of being able to chase with Meso Mike when he got off of work... I knew that with the fast motion of that approaching squall line that I was cutting it close, but it seemed worth it to hook up with my chase partner... plus he's got a data card. Anyways... I ran to a bunch of places first taking care of some errands, got a ton done in that hour and talked with a few of the Brigade guys to get updates and input along the way. It was after I finished the errands and right before the pain and torture session, when my weather radio starts going ballistic... special weather statement for my county for an approaching cell that could go severe. WHAT?! Are you kidding me?! It was then that I turned the corner and facing the northwest, there is this mass of turmoiled cloud bottoms boiling by! They were rumbling and rolling and stirring, and you could see them tightening up, drawing in together. It was an impressive convective display, and I was mesmerized. It was minutes from my appointment time, but I HAD to stop (you understand, right?). This structure went right over me, and I searched those masses of scud for any signs of rotation. I never did see any, but I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and I called the guys to let them know what I was seeing. The base of that cell was phenomenal! That's the video above. Here are a couple more shots. It really doesn't do it any justice. So, then I dragged myself away from that, as hard as it was and called the guys at NWS-Tally to let them know what I was seeing and feeling and got an update about a cell over Thomasville, headed right for me, which should arrive in 30 minutes or so... smack dab in the middle of my pain and torture appointment. Fabulous. Can you say Dewvoid?! So, there I lay, with electrodes pulsating my shoulder, my dear son calling frantically to ask if we were under a tornado warning based on what he was seeing in the sky, as the thunder starts rumbling. Granted, it was only three total claps of thunder, but still, I missed it all. sigh. When I left there I called Meso Mike to see where he was, so I could catch up with him. On my way, I got to experience slightly more than normal street flooding, which I called the guys about. The pond along the way was well past its normal banks. After grabbing a quick bite, Mike checked the radar, which made it clear that the storm was barely there. We went slightly north to see if it would fire some, but it did not... so I drooled over his new Canon 40D for a few, and then he was on his way. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the radar before and after...
So... not a chase, but another batch of fabulous memories. The video doesn't work, but I am too tired to mess with it anymore... so sorry. OK, I changed it to a youtube thing, so there you have it. Anyone else have problems with the blogger video feed?
"A woman can succeed at almost anything for which she has unlimited enthusiasm." Even though I am in South Georgia, I will be a successful storm chaser. Just watch. My heart has wings. It's time to fly.
You might be my peace on the waters, but I know you are the holy raging flood. You might be my gentle breeze, but I know you are a hurricane of love. The God of glory thunders like an angry wind, and shakes the Earth with a whisper. The God of holy wonder like a lightning flash, oh mountains bow and tremble. Great God, you're more than just enough. You're much too much for me.
~Ben Pasley (family friend and dear brother in Christ), Enter the Worship Circle
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