MikeUpjohn

June 26, 2023

Sounds like we were all very close to one another. I left Macclesfield for Sutton Bank at 12.30pm convinced it was too late and we'd miss everything and be driving into the back of the cells moving away, but made good time over the M62 and were in position on Sutton Bank for 3pm, just as those storms started to go up.

Moved East to Pickering and then South, stepping down the cells, but ultimately got left with blue skies as it headed out to sea over Whitby and Scarborough way. Some definite brief supercell structures in there and a brief loosely organised wall cloud a couple of times, but couldn't get a picture as was driving. The final storm chucked out a couple of huge C-G gunshot thunders near Stamford Bridge.

Back home for 8.30pm and a great day of chasing in England.

Mike.

June 25, 2023

Good chase today around the Driffield and Pickering area of Yorkshire. Will post pics in the Yorkshire thread. Saw the squall on radar here. Looked quite mental.

June 25, 2023

Going to be heading out for a little chase later methinks. Those cells around our area look quite good, and am tempted to follow East over the Pennines if it's safe and there is no flooding, to see if anything happens.

Will post back if I get anything good.

June 20, 2023

Seen lightning from Macclesfield in the last half hour towards the SE. Orange, pink and purple.

June 18, 2023

Day 6 was a GEN TSTM Risk across most of the conus, with a MRGL in Deep South, TX, that wasn't really worth the long drive down for. Targeted some good diurnal storms around the Amarillo, TX area, which looked like good for photogenic storm clouds and lightning. After an 11am get-a-way from Andrews, TX, headed North past Lubbock, TX again and upto Plainview, TX and Braums for lunch and a milkshake. Storms were ongoing around the Amarillo, TX with a cold-core type setup. One storm was bold, and went tornado-warned for quite a while, and as we neared it, it sure did have the low-level wall cloud, but no tornado this time.

Stopped in a gas station South of Amarillo, TX with booming thunder, as a storm came over releasing torrential rain and a good lightning show. Edged South back towards Plainview, TX pulling off at Tulia, TX with some other storm chasers, before heading East and South stair stepping the storms that were expanding out at us.

Headed East and then North to Vega, TX but ultimately storms were dying off, so headed East into Amarillo, TX for the night, and dinner at a steak house. Later on a late evening lightning show off to the West after sunset.

Another good chase day, given marginal conditions!

June 18, 2023

Day 5 of the tour began in Odessa, TX after the bust from the previous day, and a MARGINAL Risk, less than 2% tornado risk, and 5% wind and hail risks, along the Eastern New Mexico and Western TX Panhandle border. After a late and relaxed start in Odessa, the plan was to drift North towards Seminole, TX for lunch and then into New Mexico to see what came of it. This area had been good for over-producing on low-end risk days this year. Lunch at Dickey's BBQ Pit in Seminole, TX before drifting onwards for a visit at the New Mexico sign and on towards Carlsbad, NM.

Several storms has fired in front and to our North, so we drifted towards Artesia, NM for a gas station loo break. Conveniently, a marginally-severe storm was beginning to roll into town, making the gas station canopy shake, and causing a LOT of blowing dust, and some good thunder and lightning. The storm looks promising, and was heading towards better air, so back East towards Lovington, NM.

Chased for another few as hours as the storms lined out with one brief very distant landspout to the South, before the storms started to decay. Headed into Andrews, TX for dinner and then to the hotel. While we were eating an outflow boundary of the line of storms we had been on, heading South and East, interacted with an outflow boundary of the storms heading North, near Odessa, TX and gave us a stunning backside view of the lightning in the updraft towers until gone midnight. Another brillian day, and all for a Marginal Risk event.

Artesia Storm is here on YouTube

Mike.

June 18, 2023

15 minutes ago, Azuremoon2 said:

There are different variables that contribute to the colour of lightning. The temperature of the bolt, humidity, concentration of dust and ice particles and the distance of the bolt from the eye. White lightning is by far the hottest and most powerful strike.

Thanks for this! Really useful ta

June 18, 2023

Day 4 was the big day for Tour 3 this year. Woke in Lubbock, TX to an ENHANCED Risk for all severe threats down in the Trans-Pecos and Permian Basin of Texas and down towards the Mexican border. Headed South early in the day, stopping for a quick gas up on the North Side of Odessa, TX before heading on down the Interstate to Monahans, TX for a quick grab and go lunch. The first storm, which would turn out to be the cyclic supercell depicted for several runs on the HRRR initiated just before noon to the West of Fort Stockton, TX - a place which in previous visits has not been kind to us.

Grabbed lunch and headed South and East to Imperial, TX through the back roads as the storm and associated wall cloud organised. The storm went severe-warned early on and then tornado-warned as quickly again. Continued to head South and East towards Girvin, TX stopping a mile from SW of town, and watched the storm which had now passed a couple of miles North of Fort Stockton, TX. It's here we caught sight of the multi-vortex wedge tornado that briefly was visible. Continuing South, we were barraged with C-G lighnting from the front of the storm. In fact the lightning on this storm was monstrous with positive CG's pinging around us, even 15 miles ahead of the storm - one hit in the verge next to the car leaving blown out dirt and black smoke, and the biggest gunshot thunder I've ever heard!

Continuing South and East, we joined the I-10 and headed East in front of it, stopping at an exit with a further South. The storm was tracking along the I-10 ESE at this point, but beginning to turn South East, so headed South East to a viewing point of the SR2886. Watched for 30 minutes or so as the storm came closer and closer, still this barrage of C-G lightning across 180° in front of us, and various lowerings trying to produce tornadoes. As the storm closed in, headed on down and stopped further along the road, as the hook passed us by on it's South East course. Here, another brief tornado on the hilltop, later confirmed by the SPC off of our photos and date stamps.

Continued the chase, stopping along the road to Sheffield, as the storm was in front of us to the North and North East, sliding by on it's SE course. Got some more brilliant lightning on an otherwise grungy looking storm, with outflow from one storm, mixed with inflow of another, golf ball hail rattling around on the roads and all sorts.

We finished up the chase in Sheffield, TX as the storm turned hard down towards the Mexico border, still several tornado warnings. 3 tornadoes for the day, and a brilliant chase. Finished up with an amazing sunset, and dinner at a steakhouse in Odessa, TX, ahead of a more marginal day for Day 5 tomorrow.

June 18, 2023

Also, if anyone ever did look at the Netweather T&C's for storm chasing, and saw the bits about all the creepy crawlies that you need to watch for, here's one of them. This guy (who was already dead), is a Tarantula Hawk Wasp, who has reportedly, the second most painful sting on the planet. It's otherwise harmless, but apparently, not something you want to mess with. Did not put my hand next to it for scale, just in case, but this one was around 3 inches across on the ground.

June 18, 2023

Day 3 of Tour 3 started in Portales, NM, with a target for a tiny SLIGHT Risk in the TX Panhandle around the Lamesa, TX to Lubbock, TX area as a boundary sinking South could produce a couple of severe and possibly tornado warned storms. SPC had issued a SLIGHT Risk with 5% tornado risk, 15% wind and 15% sig severe hail risk.

After lunch at Jason's Deli in Lubbock, TX, where it was raining when we went in, but steaming roads with broken clouds when we came out, we headed out to Lamesa, TX and held out for an hour or so in the gas station there. A small storm went up, and straight over the top of us taking a baking 84F down to 65F in minutes, but to experience torrential rain but it still be red hot is something else. As quickly as the rain came down (with a little thunder), it had dried again, showing you the power of evaporation out there.

Got onto a storm that breifly looked tornadic, which happened to be the storm that went through Lamesa, TX as a general storm. Wrapping rain-curtains were noted along with inflow tail and a low rotating wall cloud. This became obscured by rain and hail, and ultimately died out, though it did try and hang on for as long as it could. We sat watching another storm from the road side North of Vealmoor, TX. Ultimately the boundary crashed through and did not interact the way it was expected, and by 7.30pm, storms were dead, leaving just blue skies.

Back North with a couple of other chasers to Lubbock, TX for dinner.

June 18, 2023

Good storm overnight here in Reddish about 2.20am, with one very close C-G, flash and bang together. Bright pink/purple lightning this time, intrigued as to what it is that dictates the colour - my last overnight storm, lightning was sandy orange!

Sat in the back garden now and oppresively hot and humid. Feel today is only a matter of time before another one!

Mike.

June 18, 2023

Sorry for the massive delay! For a so-called "quiet period" of weather, Paul and the Neatweather team, absolutely nailed it, and we chased every single day in the end on Tour 3. So just catching up now, all my photos are in one place!

Day 2, saw us start in Burlington, CO and an early get away South into the Texas Panhandle and then Eastern New Mexico, for a SLIGHT Risk for severe weather and a 5% tornado risk, plus sig severe hail and wind probabilities. Storms would initiate behind a morning MCS clearing the Texas Panhandle, and there was a decent chance at some tornadoes, before the storms became more linear later and the risk transitioned to strong winds.

Headed South from Burlington, CO, and with roadworks and other stuff, down through Lamar, CO and a late lunch at a gas station in Dalhart, TX, as the last of the MCS cleared out. Some good bolts of lightning and thunder rumbling around from the gas station here, but most importantly, it was windy and felt humid, ripe storm conditions.

An MD followed by a Severe Thunderstorm Watch was soon issued, but today would be poor for structure, as even the weak MCS storms were creating mini-haboob like conditions across the OK Panhandle.

Stopped on a dirt road as storms got themselves going North of Clovis, NM, before targetting a supercell that was near Grady, NM, which was only a few miles away but obscured by the blowing dust. Zero for structure until you come up on the wall cloud (see pics below). This supercell really had it's act together and nearly produced the goods, but not quite, and another one behind us also looking well organised. Headed South to more supercells blowing up behind it, and treated to several severe-warned and tornadic storms, but no tornadoes for us to.

We finished the day further South towards Elida, watch an LP supercell, and then treated to an epic C-G barrage at dusk (again see pics below). Finished in Portales, NM with the same line of storms crashing past the hotel and some epic structure, with one or two suspicious lowerings as it past.

All in all a brilliant day. Love these days where you end up in the hotel with the storm crashing past after you've checked in!

Mike.

June 3, 2023

Started in North Platte, NE amongst sunny skies, but feeling cool and fresh. Today was an ENHANCED wind-driven Risk on the CO/KS border, with minimal to no tornado risk, a 30% hatch sig severe wind risk and 15% hail risk. Headed from North Platte, NE down to Colby, KS and Twister's bar for lunch after meeting Paul and the last two guests who had overnighted in Limon, CO.

After lunch, and gas for the cars, headed West to Goodland and South, and watched storms for a good couple of hours develop, and almost not move at all off to the West. Areas round Burlington, CO really got their quota of rain and hail today! In contrast to the models and HRRR which shows a linear mess with huge wind risk, storms initially stayed semi-discrete, which was promising, and barely moved for the first couple of hours.

Played about with the storms for a few hours before it ultimately did line out, some good lightning, marginal hail and a very good chase. After a trip to a second Wallace, but this time in Kansas, headed to Cheyenne Wells, CO and up to Burlington, CO for dinner at the Dish Room, with a decent storm rolling over us while we ate. Finished in Burlington, CO for an early-ish night, before another significant chase tomorrow!

Pics below, enjoy!

Mike.

June 3, 2023

A bonus chase day on 29th May 2023, for those already in Denver, with a nice small SLIGHT Risk from SW to Central Nebraska, with 2% tornado risk, and 15% hail and wind risk. A chance of a brief tornado, with some large hail, but gusty winds the main threat with storms becoming outflow dominant later.

We headed out from the good old Days Inn on Tower Road, Denver about 1230, and blasted up the Interstate into Nebraska stopping for a quick grab and go lunch at Julesburg. Storms were already coming off the Rockies to the North, and paralleled against us along the Interstate. Continued East to North Platte, NE but storms were really struggling, with virga evident everywhere. A storm to the West on the CO/NE border went severe warned just before 6pm (magic hour!), so we headed back West, and picked it up, near Sutherland.

Stopped at a couple of points South of Sutherland on the US-25, and were treated to a huge shelf cloud, regular powerful lightning and moody skies. A mini haboob type feature from the outflow, quickly caught us, as we watched it race across the fields at us, before heading South to Wallace, NE and then East out ahead of it. Really strong outflow winds, made it a job for cars to stay on the road. Eventually, turned North as the storms started turning to the NE, and went straight through North Platte, NE as the storm rolled into town with bright pink positive lightning bombs. Watched it move away to the NE just North of town before an Applebee's dinner together.

All in all, a brilliant chase day, overnighting in North Platte, NE.

Mike.

April 14, 2023

Cold and blustery here in Macclesfield/Manchester with frequent light rain showers. Feeling chilly in the rain but Spring is definitely fighting back.

April 3, 2023

Tour 3 this year, but flying out 3 days earlier on Thu 25th May to Phoenix, AZ with Angela (also T3), and driving up via Grand Canyon and Monument Valley over 3 days to arrive in Denver, CO on Sunday night

April 2, 2023

Another day and another ENHANCED Risk tonight with 5% Tornado Risk, 15% Wind and 30% hatched hail risk, around Central Texas and North of the DFW-Metro and up about as far as the Red River Valley.

Not to mention that Tuesday D3 has a large split ENHANCED already.

Very busy start to Spring 2023!

Mike.

February 19, 2023

Another 15% risk gone in for Wednesday 22nd now too. Seems to be an almost weekly occurrence. I wonder if we are stumbling into an active year for bigger events?

January 30, 2023

On 11/04/2022 at 07:30, Paul said:

I don't think any insurer would cover you in the (highly unlikely at this stage) event of government travel restrictions.

At that point, because it would essentially mean the flights and tours were cancelled, you'd be due credits/refunds direct.

In terms of flights, I've not seen much movement of late. Just beware the risk of them jumping up if / when seats get filled nearer the time though.

Tour 3 for me, and thanks for the heads up on this. See you all stateside!

August 15, 2022

Distinctly thundery look from Macclesfield this morning. Car reading 19C on the way down to town.

Mike.

August 14, 2022

3 minutes ago, East_England_Stormchaser91 said:

Some very intense looking storms around the Edinburgh area. The one furthest SE has a distinct supercellular return to it, and moving away to the right…

Also been watching this on the Netweather radar. Very intersting.

Also someone above mentioned the Tesco Inverness roof collapsing, and there are couple of videos circulating on Twitter now, ceiling tiles falling in and raining indoors for sure. Glad everyone is safely out of the building.

August 13, 2022

22 minutes ago, Rush2112 said:

Yes Mike that's the one. It started about 10.45, daughter and I were up on Blakelow Road for a while watching a perfect ballet dance of purple and lilac anvil crawlers, as it came west, it started to move overhead, the booms became louder, the graceful crawlers turned into orange C-C's, at this point we hastily drove home, then all hell broke loose. Blinding white flashes, I remember hearing a 'hiss' just before one of the flashes, mega booms of thunder, continuous strobe lightning that lasted well into the early hours. Never witnessed a storm like that before, never heard a hiss before. Will be etched in my memory for years to come.

You should really try chasing with Netweather then. Tip of the iceberg that storm from 2 years ago

August 13, 2022

7 hours ago, Rush2112 said:

Had a bit of a storm here on 25th June early evening, a few flashes with some decent rumbles. The last decent storm was August 11th 2020, oh and what a fantastic storm that was, sigh.

Think these were the early hours of Weds 12th Aug 2020 if memory serves. This torched a house on the Tytherington Estate in North Macclesfield. Grabbed from video recording...