This is my Emotional Support Cheese

 What a week!

After Wednesday's hectic and productive chase in west-central Minnesota, Tim and I made a late night return to Northwood, IA and got as much rest as we could in advance of another chase day on Thursday. I remember thinking to myself- with over 2000 miles of driving, was it worth it for ~3 minutes of having a wall cloud go directly over us?

Yes, it was. The wholeness of the storm growling over rural South Dakota earlier in the week while birds sing in the background, the unintended chaos of maneuvering around Minnesota during Wednesday's storm- it was all worth it.

Our target on Thursday was around Des Moines, and Tim got us into position really well, considering storms fired nearly 90 minutes earlier than we were expecting based on model guidance. It was HOT in rural Iowa, and although I managed to avoid buying junk food at the dozens of gas stations we stopped at all week, I was super close to breaking the rule for an Oreo ice cream sandwich when we stopped for gas. 

The radar grab above shows how chaotic the setup was on Thursday's chase. The cells converged and diverged at different times, there were no tornado warnings for a good period of time, and the storms were not photogenic at all. It wasn't a bust day- we got storms, we positioned properly- but Thursday's setup didn't have Monday's beauty or Wednesday's successes.

I was dealing with a personal issue too (it's hard to have a vacation when you run an animal rescue) and that made it hard for me to focus, but Tim was really understanding, and my rescue's board of trustees stepped up phenomenally. 

In the end, we arrived in Ft. Madison and stopped for dinner at a mediocre restaurant. I ordered a cheese enchilada. "This is my emotional support cheese," I told Tim. 

When I get a tornado, my celebratory snack is Cool Ranch Doritos. I may not have had those on this trip, but we had 3 excellent days of chasing, lots of adventures, and drove 2830 miles in 6 days. Overall, I feel really good about this trip- and I'm grateful for the chance to learn from Tim and note a decent amount of success for Team Helicity. Who knows when our next trip will be- but I'm certain I'll be able to find the bright side of a stormy day every time.

It Was Windy

Oh my goodness, another amazing chase day in the books. After Monday's chase we kept our hotel rooms in Chamberlain, SD and drove to Northwood, Iowa on Tuesday. Between having a leisurely down day and an easy drive, I was really feeling those vacation vibes. I've finished 2 books so far!

Yesterday- Wednesday- we targeted west-central Minnesota. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) was predicting an enhanced 3/5 risk for severe weather, mostly for hail and wind. Tim tabulated data from multiple forecast models and from SPC before deciding on an initial target of St. Cloud, MN. We made a leisurely start with lots of coffee before stopping for lunch and an oil change on the outskirts of Minneapolis, and got up to St. Cloud just as the first severe thunderstorm watch of the day blanketed the area. I took a delicious nap in a random park in a random town while Tim reviewed the afternoon model runs.

 

 

At first things weren't particularly interesting, as we bumped from St. Cloud to Alexandria. We had timed things well, but the storms weren't as photogenic as they had been in South Dakota. We played the Twister soundtrack for good luck, and as Tim volleyed between heading south and east to get ahead of the storm, things GOT VERY INTERESTING VERY FAST. The storm cells moved into more favorable conditions, warranting the smallest tornado watch I had ever seen. Spotters were reporting wall clouds and hail on other storms, but we were having trouble finding a good spot to watch the action. We were safe enough- we weren't even getting rained on, and the storm motion was away from us.

 

All of a sudden we broke out of a bunch of trees and IT WAS WINDY. A small, fast-moving rotating wall cloud- the precursor to a tornado- was coming right at us! I silently apologized to my parents for not being the [hopeful] 10-15 miles away from a storm like this, but the feeling of awe and inspiration that coursed through me as I beheld this meteorological phenomenon was incomparable. Philip Seymour Hoffman (of blessed memory) says it best in Twister:

 

 

 

 

We were just in front of the red stuff on the lower left part of this radar grab, just before our storm went tornado warned. The red box denotes the tiniest tornado watch I've ever seen. the smaller red boxes are individual tornado warnings.

As the circulation passed directly overhead, I could feel the wind moving in several different directions, and I took a video where I definitely got the date wrong (oh well) because I was too excited.

 

Tim and I knew that nothing was going to be as exciting as what had just happened, so after a celebratory pizza dinner -complete with a Minnesota cocktail- we hit the road back to Northwoods. I'll update about Thursday/today's chase tomorrow. What a show!

Everything but the Tor

Yesterday was the quintessential chase day, and I'm thrilled with Team Helicity's first success beyond Illinois!

 

 Tim forecasted everything so well, we took a last glance at the weather models before driving 4 hours west to Rapid City, SD, with a stop at Wall Drug for lunch. What a place- I just can't even describe it. It reminds me of Graceland; I'm glad I went, and I'll be glad never to go back. We had to decide whether to position north or south of Rapid City, since the storm cells were concentrated in both directions, and we picked south. I'm so glad we did!

We managed to get everything but the tornado- and since there were no tornado warnings in the region yesterday, that counts as a success. Rain, lightning, thunder, mammatus clouds, a menacing looking shelf cloud (their bark is worse than their bite) a new bird species for me (lark bunting!), and as we made our way back to Chamberlain for the night, a gorgeous sunset and a pale rainbow. Everyone knows that June rainbows are the best! The feeling of sitting in front of a growling high plains storm, with nothing but the sound of western meadowlarks and lark buntings and the smell of sweet grass just can't be beat.

Today we're repositioning back 4 hours east, to a point south of Minneapolis along the MN/IA border, in preparation for tomorrow. I'm just as happy as can be.

CORNGRATULATIONS! It's South Dakota!

 No joke, we did see a sign today that said "CORNGRATULATIONS!" Something about a corn palace. The world's only corn palace. We did not stop there; I'm sure it couldn't compare with The Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin. I am drinking a Spotted Cow (a beer from Wisconsin), so there's that. 

 Today was an easy day; another repositioning day. We drove ~6 hours from Minneapolis to Chamberlain, SD. Parts of the drive definitely reminded me of driving in Vermont, especially the parts of Minnesota where we weren't on the interstate. It's a pretty part of the country, and I'm grateful for these relatively leisurely days in advance of potential chase days tomorrow and/or Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. As any veteran storm chaser will tell you, there is a lot of waiting involved- and waiting in a nice spot with a good book still sounds like a vacation to me!

Of course, while the road may be pretty straightforward, the road back home is a little bumpy. When I last wrote in this blog- in 2021- there was something big on the horizon for me, and I'm grateful and humbled that it has gained so much momentum in 3 years. Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue (CLEAR) is my new baby, and we're hovering near 200 exotic animal rescues in the 4 years since I rescued my first parakeet! It's wild! As I type, I'm facilitating a stray cockatiel found in the Logan Square neighborhood with the help of some amazing board members and volunteers. We're a state licensed 501(c)3 nonprofit animal rescue, and even if I am on vacation, I'm still thrilled to manage our population from a distance. Much like storm chasing, rescuing animals is way better as a team.

 Hopefully tomorrow will be an eventful day!

I don't know anything about Minneapolis

Welcome back to the Storm Chasing Mermaid, 2024 edition!

So much has changed in the past 3 years- something I'm sure anyone could attest to in this day and age. First and foremost, this year I'm not chasing with old reliable Silver Lining Tours- I'm out this week with my local chase partner, Tim, who has meteorology and forecasting experience, a ham radio license, and excellent taste in music and automobiles. We've been chase partners for several years, although our opportunity to storm chase local to Chicago has been limited. This trip has been in our calendars for about a year- and now it's finally here!

The aspiration when one chases later in the severe weather season is to be in the northern plains, once the weather pattern shifts from places like Texas and Oklahoma. I've never been to the Dakotas, and places like Wyoming and Montana can produce beautiful storms that straddle the Rockies, creating breathtaking skies over incomparable vistas. 

That's why we're in Minneapolis- it's a great jumping off point for the northern plains.

I confess that don't know a single thing about Minneapolis. 

Minnesota is pretty much a big blank in my mind; what I do know is that when I was a kid International Falls, MN was consistently the coldest place in the country featured on The Weather Channel's lower 48 states map. I hope to learn something more during our stay, although I don't know how long we'll be here, or what's going to happen tomorrow- that's the beauty of storm chasing, after all. For someone who experiences a rather regimented routine, this lack of foreknowledge could be anxiety inducing; I find relief in taking a break from being a planner. Tim will call the meteorological shots, and I'll take care of other logistics, like find lodging (although we're splitting such expenses, of course). He wants affordable hotels with hot breakfast, I want affordable hotels with a work out room. I think both of these things are doable for the most part. 

We'll be gallivanting across America for the next week, and if the weather doesn't cooperate then there are birds to see, new places to experience, and perhaps even familiar faces. Look for new blog updates every day (unless we have a VERY late chase day/night, in which case I'll be a day behind). Adventure is out there!

The Meteorological Pilgrimage

I woke up to mountains, and descended across Lake Michigan this afternoon. Home sweet home. My pup is sleeping in his crate, the little pets are bedded down for the night, and I'll be in my very own bed quite soon. We all know the adage; good to leave, good to come home. I won't miss the Texan convenience food definition of a salad, but I will miss not having to do dishes.

The flight home was uneventful, and I'm happy to say that my trip was bookended by family time upon arrival and before departure, making the case for me to spend more time in Denver (love to Danielle and Alex, and Bebe!). 

I did a lot of musing on the plane. The first chase trip was a test of my mettle; embarking upon an adventure into the unknown with two dozen strangers. The second chase trip was a triumph- just 5 other guests, my first brief tornado, my childhood dream come true. What was this trip, my lucky charm of an adventure with 2 tornadoes, a gorgeous New Mexico storm, and some great new friends?

The third trip was a pilgrimage, an affirmation. I saw unadulterated nature spinning over scrubby land with semi trucks speeding by, honking their horns, the sound of thunder in the distance. The howls and cheers of elation when Roger saw the first tornado on our Ft. Stockton storm, the celebratory margaritas that came afterwards. The shirt I've worn on both tornado days proclaims: I just want to drink wine, save animals, and take naps. I was spiritually fulfilled by this trip. I had already seen my dream-come-true tornado in 2018. There was less pressure to succeed this time, and more to gain.

When I left for my 30th birthday trip 5 years ago, I didn't know what to expect. As I descended into O'Hare's familiar, chaotic, comforting space today, I knew what was to come: 35 will be the year I found my exotic animal rescue. 36- double chai, an auspicious number in Judaism, will be the year I start seriously researching my options surrounding the child/ren I have aspired to adopt since I was an adolescent. Major milestones, my life goals (just like seeing a tornado) affirmed on the prairies and plains and valleys of west Texas and New Mexico.

 I may yet dust off this blog once again in the future, if I decide to begin a new meteorological journey. Only time will tell.

The Wrong Kermit

Yesterday we returned to southwest Texas- in and around La Mesa and Kermit- to observe the storm action that initiated in the mid-to-late afternoon. Once again, these storms were more lookers than doers- no tornadoes were anticipated, but the storm structure was great, and the group enjoyed a lightning show worth of nature's Fourth of July.

 

Since I don't have a camera or intend to invest in associated equipment, I don't have any lightning shots- but my tourmates hit the jackpot with some incredible photos. I lug my binoculars out at every stop, looking for avian life instead, and am content.

 As we departed Kermit, TX (named for Kermit Roosevelt, son of Teddy- not the chipper green frog I was hoping for) to return to Lubbock, the decaying storms gave us a beautiful light show, interacting with the sunset in a gorgeous way that photos just can't capture. With our chase days complete, we are headed up to Amarillo tonight (I knew I'd end up in Amarillo eventually!) to the Big Texan, where I will have the chance to reunite with a margarita so good I remember it with fondness, 5 years later. It comes with a jalapeno garnish and a Texas flag on a toothpick, so it's legit. Tomorrow I imagine we'll be meandering back towards Denver, to bring this trip to a close.

What I love about my third tour- beyond the incredible weather we have experienced- is the group. Instant friendship happened with several chase buddies, and at one point another tripmate said to me last night, "we should take a picture with the cool kids before the end of the tour, right?" HEY, I'm a cool kid! I agreed, of course- naturally.