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.

 

New Mexico Never Disappoints

I first set foot in New Mexico 5 years ago to hike Capulin National Monument on my first chase trip, and as Sunday's chase proved- the Land of Enchantment never disappoints. Yesterday's storms were lookers as opposed to doers, but the group was treated to a high base supercell set in a gorgeous vista. 

The storm formed with the anvil shape and pronounced base typical of the storms we like to see, but the base was too high to produce a wall cloud or tornadic activity. No worries! We disembarked the vans in a valley amongst sporadic, free-roaming herds of cows. I brought out my binoculars and sighted my first ever black-throated sparrow, along with lots of common nighthawks- a species we have at home in Chicago. Locating the source of birdsong with distant thunder in the background was fabulous! We watched our steps carefully in unfamiliar country; no cacti, snakes, or fire ant encounters for this city chick!

I'm particularly pleased with the panoramic view of this storm; it shows how the storm and the terrain in New Mexico compliment each other.

We drove back to Lubbock afterwards, and I've enjoyed a leisurely morning with a workout and time to relax. The environment looks more favorable for storms today, and our target is relatively local. I believe today will be the last chase day of the trip before an inactive severe weather pattern sets in. 

Inner Peace and Profound Joy

I have two days to log, since yesterday the tour group was reveling a little too hard and too late for me to find the energy to write. This is a good thing; it has given me more time to process the incredible day yesterday was.

We departed Lubbock at mid-morning, and drove down to the Ft. Stockton area, with breaks in-between for lunch and to tighten up the game plan. I realized that I was wearing the same shirt I had been wearing when I saw my first tornado in 2018- a good omen. As the land approaches the Rio Grande, the topography becomes more hilly in and around the Davis Mountains. Our storm was born hugging the Mexican border, meandering southeastward as we attempted to navigate a road network that wasn't in our favor...but the setup was! As we navigated into position, all of the variables aligned in a perfect, brief, fierce tornado- over open land. It stuck around just long enough for us to holler and cheer as a group, disembark from the vans, and take confirmation photos before it ascended from whence it came.

 

AND THEN THE STORM DID IT AGAIN. We had just enough time to reposition to a more favorable location while the circulation re-cycled, producing a cone that lasted just a little longer than its predecessor. The group was on top of the moon! As the storm wound down and regrouped, we relocated several times in hope of a tornadic hat trick, and a feeling of profound inner peace came over me. 

My first chase storms in 2018 produced such profound adrenaline rushes that I found myself shaking with cold and feelings in a Woodward, OK hotel room (as mentioned in a previous blog post). This time, in a van with several new and great friends and a perfect two-fer under our belts, I wasn't high on adrenaline- I felt unadulterated contentment. I wasn't hungry or thirsty, I wasn't worried about any other immediate physical needs, I was physically, mentally, and emotionally good. I was doing what I loved with other people who were experiencing the same elation, in the company of trusted experts. There was a sense of camaraderie, safety and security (we were ~15 miles from these tornadoes). 

All of the ingredients and variables needed to produce a thunderstorm mixed well. The meteorological requirements for tornado formation came together. Only 1 in 1000 thunderstorms produces a tornado.  Down from the ceiling of the clouds, a perfect supercell briefly swirled its vortex fingers into the dusty, scrubby nothingness of far southwest Texas. I was in the right place, at the right time, to watch this force of nature steadily emerge and depart, with grace. 

 

As we made our way back to Ft. Stockton in search of celebratory Mexican food, I reflected upon things that have changed in the past 3 years since I saw my first tornado in 2018; I'm a homeowner, I've made a job shift- other things that I described in the first blog entry pertaining to this tour- and I have already accomplished my childhood dream of seeing a tornado. My Memorial Day storm was really just a bonus. I leaned into the feeling of inner peace and joy that had originated with a turbulent, sometimes devastating meteorological phenomenon that had caused no damage or harm. We headed back to town, and I had a celebratory margarita at Pepito's Cafe as the sun set on what was truly one of the best days of my adult life.

I'll write about today's ramblings in southeastern New Mexico tomorrow, so keep an eye out for another update before noon. Time for bed!