Tuesday, June 30, 2009 - 4:53PM   
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June 29 Charleston sunset
Thanks to the heads-up from Paul Hadfield, I went out last evening watching for a potential volcanic ash-colorized sunset. I didn't see anything unusual (I think the ash cloud is still to the north and west of here), but the 'normal' sky was still not too bad.
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There hasn't been much to talk about recently, and there probably will not be for some time (at least weather-wise). The current pattern featuring a large cutoff low over southeastern Canada doesn't favor severe or even strong storms over much of the eastern US. There will be some slight chances for convection here and there, but tempered with lots of instability-limiting cloud cover. No real chances for any travel-worthy out-of-state storm setups are on the horizon either. In a nutshell, we're looking at least a week of boring weather. This wouldn't be so bad, except that the upper low will keep things mostly cloudy during this time, limiting landscape/city photography opportunities. So, it's looking like a rather mundane week to get yardwork done (which the cooler temps will help with) and get caught up on some revenue web work.
 | Nice anti-crepusculars! The color cast in the upper most portion looks like it might be ash fall remnants. Spaceweather is all over it so I doubt we'll be done for awhile. Just wish there was a way to track the migrating particle/aerosol bands.
- Posted by Paul H from Decatur, IL |  |  | |
I am ignorant here..where would the volcanic ash come from? has there been a volcano eruption somewhere? thank you..
- Posted by DD from NC | | | |
nevermind..I just read about it....cool pics
- Posted by DD from NC | | | |
Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 1:28PM
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Chase video roundup from June 17-19
Due to either being on the road or being home either sleep deprived or busy with work, I've neglected posting some video from the past week's chases. Finally getting caught up here.
First, here is an 8-frame panorama stitch of a the June 17 supercell near Birch River, WV. It is rare, but not unexpected, to see this type of sight over Appalachian mountain terrain:
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HD CHASE VIDEO 1: Braxton/Clay/Nicholas Counties, WV supercell/timelapses
This first clip is from the June 17 supercell in rugged Appalachian terrain in central WV, with some close lightning and timelapses showing the motion and weak rotation in the base. Some of the best structure and motion I've seen in my home state. (The timelapse sections have no sound, the realtime segments have audio)
HD CHASE VIDEO 2: Shelf cloud timelapse over Chicago at night
This is a sequence of still images taken in the early morning hours of June 19 in downtown Chicago as a gust front from an MCS to the north arrives. After the shelf cloud passes, cold winds from the north create a nearly stationary fog bank at the lakefront boundary which periodically envelops the skyline. As the post-gust front winds turn northeasterly, rain starts driving into the lens, ending the shoot.
HD CHASE VIDEO 3: Chicago lightning/Sears Tower strikes
Some daytime lightning over Chicago on June 19, including a couple of Sears Tower lightning strikes.
Friday, June 26, 2009 - 10:39PM
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Sunset storms over Charleston
Three isolated storms on the cold front approached Charleston from the north this evening, slowly dissipating in the process thanks to limited instability from all-day cloud cover. Twilight storms are some of my favorites - lots of deep, saturated colors to work with. It's times like these where it's better to be far away from a storm than right beneath it.
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - 6:55PM EDT
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Charleston, WV photo set for June 24
I took a short break from work to take advantage of the sky conditions this afternoon downtown. Clear skies are not that common during mid-summer around here.
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Sunday, June 20, 2009 - 8:30AM EDT
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Nickel Plate Road #765 in North Judson, Indiana
HD VIDEO 1: NKP 765 between North Judson and LaCrosse, IN
HD VIDEO 2: NKP 765 - second run to LaCrosse
HD VIDEO 3: NKP 765 - onboard the 4PM excursion & LaCrosse photo run-bys
HD VIDEO 4: NKP 765 backing to couple train in North Judson, IN
I don't know where to start about this phenomenal day. Maybe the fact that if I had entered the Chicago convenience store 15 seconds later, I would not have heard the radio ad about it and would have completely missed it. 15 seconds was all there was between me driving back to West Virginia after a failed storm chasing expedition, not ever knowing that this was 30 minutes off of my route back home. Nothing short of the Lord orchestrating a gift, possibly for no other reason than to just make my day. I don't deserve it. I'll explain more about why this event was so significant for me - but first, here are a few photos (I have many more to go through). Video clips are above.
I want to give a commendation and a quick plug for the organizations that made this event happen: the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson and the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society.
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Cinders on my arm after riding the 4PM excursion in an open-air coach:
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My ticket:
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My truck and 765:
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If you know me and my family (or I've you've read this blog for very long) you know that trains were a huge part of our lives when I was growing up. This is owed to the influence of my late grandfather C.A. Wiggins, Jr.. I caught the railroad bug at an early age thanks to him, and steam excursions were a part of my childhood and adolescence. My grandfather took me on my first steam trip in 1977 at age 2, pulled by Southern #4501.
As a family, our vacations were frequently railroad-centric - with trips to Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, the Spencer shops in NC and as many steam excursion trains as we had time and money to ride (usually one or two every year). While we 'rode behind' various locomotives through the years on these trips, it was three that were the most frequently used and therefore 'fixtures' of our railroading experiences: N&W Class J #611, N&W Class A #1218, and NKP #765. 765 was a regular on many of our excursions from the mid 80s to early 90s.
Thanks to the insurance and liability climate in our country and rising operating/maintenance expenses, mainline steam excursions largely ceased in the early 1990s, and fairly suddenly at that. The last steam operation I saw was in 1994, when Milwaukee Road #261 led the last steam-powered New River Train in West Virginia. Norfolk Southern discontinued their steam excursion program, and consequently both 611 and 1218 were taken out of service and placed on permanent museum display in Roanoke. 765 suffered mechanical problems in the early 90s and was taken out of service indefinitely.
A few years after 1994, I started to accept the fact that I would probably never see live steam in person again - at least not like it used to be. The economics of running steam just don't work well in today's economy and legal climate, and railroading itself is becoming less and less popular in our culture compared to what things were like as recently as the mid-90s. As I got older, my childhood affinity for trains faded - and today, I sadly admit that I have pretty much abandoned the hobby altogether in favor of other things. I never keep up with the happenings in the realm of trains these days. Sometimes I think about how strange it is that something I used to love so much can mean so little to me now.
Fast forward to June 20. Excited at forecast models advertising a monster derecho (a powerful thunderstorm complex) over downtown Chicago, I jumped in my truck for a two-day storm chasing trip to document the event as it came through the city. The storm event turned out to be a major bust. But while in Chicago, I happen to hear an ad that 765 will be running in North Judson, IN. I typed the town name into my GPS mapping program and was shocked to see that it was only a short distance from I-65 in northern Indiana, just off of my route back home. A no-brainer for me to go and check it out.
I never expected my reunion with steam after 15 years to impact me as much as it did. The sensory experiences - the sights, sounds, smells and even the ground shaking were exactly like they were when I was a kid. And it wasn't just any steam operation - this was 765! Like seeing an old friend after 16 years. Most of the day I could not believe my eyes and ears that I was really getting to see this again - a part of my past that I thought was gone for good. I did not want the day to end. All that was missing was my family, and in particular, my grandparents (my grandfather passed away in 1996, my grandmother this January). The day was perfect - but if I could have had one other thing, that would have been it.
| Dan this is awesome! I am so glad you got to see it! :D
- Posted by Jes from Charleston, WV | | | |
Thanks Jes! Yet another example of how the Lord is good.
- Posted by Dan R. from Dayton, OH | | | |
Wow that's awesome!
- Posted by Sarah from Williamsburg, VA | | | |
Your article came close to bringing tears to the eyes for me!! I have followed steam all my life as well starting in the mid 70's with the 4501 running out of Cincinnti.
Im real glad you were able to see 765 back in action and to top it off you have the shots and video of the last run on June 20th with the guest whistle on her which was a personal dream come true for me!! AMAZING HOW FAITH WORKS!!
- Posted by Dave from Cincinnati, OH | | | |
It was an awesome two weekends in North Judson, I'm glad you liked it and had fun. Do you know about the big steamfest in Michigan the end of July with 8 working live steam locomotives being present running all day excursions? #765 #1225 # 4449 daylight is coming over from Washington St and the #261 will also be there. Glad you enjoyed it......One of the 765 crew guys
- Posted by Justin from Fremont OH | | | |
Thanks everyone - part of the reason this was such a great thing was because I'd already decided I couldn't afford to do the Owosso event - too far of a distance for just a leisure trip. The Chicago storm trip was a business-related venture, and being there at the right time and only having to drive an extra 50 miles out of my way was unexpected and unbelievable.
- Posted by Dan R. from Charleston, WV | | | |
I am glad you liked it. It took us a year of planning and a ton of hard work in the weeks before 765 arrived to make these events happen. Everything went well with both parties, and everyone wants to do this again next year. Hopefully we can make these trips again next year.
- Posted by Jason (the guy in the NKP motor car) from Valparaiso, IN | | | |
Thanks Jason - the whole family is talking about coming if the event happens again next year. We've got a new generation to introduce to steam!
- Posted by Dan R. from Charleston, WV | | | |
Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 8:39PM CDT
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Midwest chase trip #2 in progress
Pulled the trigger on Midwestern expedition #2. I am currently in downtown Chicago, awaiting what will hopefully be a potent convective complex passing through overnight. Friday looks like a major severe weather outbreak across a large area comprising most of the Midwest. I will be posting most of my updates to Twitter rather than on the blog (which you can access using the little 't' icon above).
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 10:05PM
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Clay/Braxton/Nicholas County, WV supercell
HD CHASE VIDEO: Braxton/Clay/Nicholas Counties, WV supercell/timelapses
A satisfying chase day in the mountains - a real treat to see this type of action at home. More photos and a couple of video clips to come - here is a quick set of photos for now:
At Big Otter along I-79:
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Big RFD cut:
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Near Birch River along Route 19:
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Near Cowen:
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| Nice structure, especially for this area.
- Posted by Bill Hark | | | |
Thanks Bill, it is definitely nice to see this without having to travel very far.
- Posted by Dan R. from Charleston, WV | | | |
I will be traveling that route tonight..hope the weather is good..Thanks for sharing your pics...They are awesome!
- Posted by Debbie from NC | | | |
How far from home Dan ? roughly :)
- Posted by Mick from UK | | | |
Always nice to have one of those come through your back yard. Good catch!
- Posted by Dann Cianca from Englewood (Inverness), Colorado | | | |
any word from the marian county area? We were under tornado warning for over an hour last night with NOAA reporting dopler tracking of a tornado near Pricketts Fort. However, today, I cannot locate any pics or reports (locally) of the tornado. Great pics btw--good luck on your travels.
- Posted by JB from fairmont | | | |
Wow, a supercell above all of those trees and hills, very nice! You really have to be in the right place to get pics like those.
- Posted by Mike Ridgeway from Twin Falls, ID | | | |
Wednesday, June 16, 2009 - 10:51PM
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Possible Midwest chase trip #2
Update 10:51PM Tuesday:
The 00z NAM still shows a CAPE max just west of the tri-state area for late afternoon tomorrow, but upper support is not as great toward evening. Models don't seem to have a good handle on what is happening currently, so I will have to defer any speculation about Wednesday's prospects until the morning.
Update 4:05PM Tuesday:
Officially a no-go for today in Kentucky. The setup has really tanked from what it was last night, nothing more than a lightning play now. With storms likely here around Charleston tonight, there's no reason to go out of state this afternoon. The NAM has backed off of the Kentucky CAPE forecast for tomorrow, but I still think that a KY/OH target could be viable. I will hold off on any decision on chasing tomorrow until the morning.
Update 10:58AM Tuesday:
I'm not liking the developments to the west for today. It doesn't look like much clearing is going to take place north of the Tennessee border, while more importantly the second MCS (thunderstorm complex) currently approaching looks like it will maintain its organization and structure through the region, instead of fading and allowing more isolated redevelopment later this afternoon. As of right now I'm going to hold off on leaving for southern Kentucky unless it becomes apparent that things will evolve differently. A more probable scenario would be to start the trip with an I-64 lightning chase later tonight.
3:05AM Tuesday:
I'm considering taking the next four days to chase Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois for what seems like a good string of severe weather setups for the region. Each day's setup is not very far from home, but I'd save money in gas by staying out and either camping in the truck or getting a cheap hotel room rather than going home each night. I have web site work that I will need to take on the road with me, which will take up my pre-chase mornings in any Starbucks I can find.
The first setup is in Kentucky tomorrow, followed by Wednesday in possibly the same area but farther north. Thursday and Friday look like Indiana and Ohio, maybe even Kentucky again. Exact target for Tuesday is pending the evolution of the convective complexes approaching the area from Missouri, but for now I'm thinking somewhere between Somerset to Bowling Green.
I'm not 100% sure I'm going to jump on this, but I'll make a decision by 10 or 11AM. As always I'll keep the blog updated when I can.
Monday, June 15, 2009 - 11:50PM
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Summer storm pattern ahead
The jet is forecast to be hanging around our region in the next few days, which will bring the chances for organized severe weather to home territory (Kentucky, Ohio and WV). At least one chase day either west or northwest looks likely, although I may not need to go anywhere most days according to some of the model runs. Wednesday looks the most interesting to me so far, for which the NAM is showing 4500 J/kg CAPE under nice upper level support in central Kentucky, precip holding off until late afternoon, and more than likely some boundaries hanging around. The model may be overdoing some of that instability, but nonetheless it's rare to see those numbers in Kentucky.
NAM CAPE (instability) for Wednesday
In other news items:
New US 35 section opens
Chase trips into southern and central Ohio are getting easier and easier! A 9-mile section of the 4-lane US 35 from Teays Valley to Buffalo opened today, which along with the new I-64 interchange will shave some significant travel time off of my trips northwest into Ohio (and beyond, including Indianapolis and Chicago). This new section leaves the gap from Buffalo to Point Pleasant in WV as the only remaining two-lane section of US 35, as all of the highway has been upgraded to 4-lane through Ohio now. My first few chases into Ohio many years ago meant negotiating some pretty hairy 2-lane sections between Teays Valley and Chillicothe, so it is great to see the upgrades happening.
Sky cover issues
Thanks to a frontal boundary lingering around, hazy low-level moisture and cirrus blowoff from Midwestern storm complexes, skies have not been conducive to any scenic photography recently. It may be a while before I can resume work on any of that. Once we get a nice frontal passage to clean out the low-level moisture, I'm planning on a two or three day camping/photography trip across the state to fill in the remaining subject gaps I need.
Plains season staying bad to the end
And finally, the remnants of the Plains tornado season continues to be a bitter time for most chasers who are still out. Tornadoes are happening, but they are not coming easy for most who are out trying. The best action has stayed far west into Colorado, while supercells are playing a tough game in their normal central/southern Plains hangouts. It is doubtful that I would have seen much, if anything, had I decided to go out for a second trip this month. No breaks when it comes to expenses either - higher gas prices and much longer westward drives are elevating chase costs for the latter half of this season. What I would have had to do this season reminds me a lot of what my 2003 expeditions were like - I chased long and hard that season, more than any other year before or after - determined to get just one tornado (which didn't happen). I've accepted the fact that I may go tornado-less this year, and from the looks of things I'm not alone. I'm still remaining optimistic for a couple of good fall events come September-November, when tornado season makes its climatological Midwestern 'secondary' peak. As I've said before, tornado season in the USA never really ends, it just moves around from month to month. If I don't get any Midwestern chances this fall, I may go after the climatological southern US tornado season that starts in December!
Sunday, June 14, 2009 - 10:48PM
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Charleston church steeples and WV State Capitol
This is a shot I've always been meaning to get. Unfortunately I can't claim this idea, since many local photographers have done this scene before. This is looking east from downtown at the State Capitol dome, which at this exact location is juxtaposed perfectly with several East End church steeples. I wasn't 100% happy with the lighting on this evening, since the setting sun was being filtered through cirrus. I plan to shoot this scene again this week as lighting/sky conditions permit.
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| I recognize all the steeples except for the dark brown one in the foreground. Which church is this, please?
- Posted by Pam from Charleston | | | |
Hi Pam, the dark brown steeple is on the Sacred Heart Catholic church. It's a smaller 'secondary' steeple (their main one is out of the picture to the right).
- Posted by Dan R. from Charleston, WV | | | |
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