8-29-2013 Aitkin/Cass County Chase

Nick & I started out this great chase day on the Warm Front over Northern Wadena county in west central Minnesota, and as the afternoon turned to early evening the dominate storm of the day got under way over south central Beltrami county.

Knowing the less than favorable road networks to our north in the Big Chippewa National Forest, we quickly raced east through Crow Wing and into Aitkin county where we knew we could intercept the storm in some of the more open visible country of the Jack Pine swamps as it began to take a more southeasterly turn down the arcing warm front near US Hwy 169. As we made the last move to the north near Hwy 210 north of Aitkin it became clear that this was no ordinary storm, but a true Minnesota Northwoods beast!

As Bill Doms once said, "if it looks mean it's mean" and this one sure did look mean!

It was very nerve tingling to see the nervous faces and to hear the voices of early holiday weekend traveler's who were clueless to the storm that lay ahead and were constantly pulling up to ask us what was going on and were was the storm.

Many cabin goers turned around and raced back south as others pulled over and stood down in the ditch.

The storm had the best structure that Nick said he had ever witnessed in Northern Minnesota. He said that it brought back memories from when he was a kid spending the summer with storms on nearby Round Lake in northern Aitkin county. He also said that this brought another past story of a historic Minnesota August tornado from 8-6-1969, the Roosevelt Lake F4 tornado that nearly tracked over and through the same area near Swatera & Haypoint townships in Northern Aitkin county as it tracked up from the southwest on its long and deadly path.

We have sent our findings and a few specific photos on to the Duluth National Weather Service to help further assist in their post storm assessment being conducted in this specific area of Cass & Aitkin counties.

It was a very fulfilling chase day as we got to witness this tornado near the end or its path near Hill City as well as with fellow chasers Doug Kiesling who watched along with us as the beast crossed the road to our North & Bob Conzemius who also witnessed the broad rain wrapped tornado earlier in its lifecycle in Cass county near Remer.

 A beast of a supercell near Hill city Minnesota with spectacular structure as it moved in on our location!

 Leading edge fast approaching us on US HWY 169 near Haypoint Township.

 A shot up into the beast. Our friend Doug Kiesling was just in front of us (car in photo) taking the same shots.

 The broad remnant tornadic circulation approaching US HWY 169 between Haypoint Township and Hill City likely at the end of its northwest to southeast track and likely weak at this point.

 Main action area with broad tornadic circulation south/southwest of Hill City MN.

 One of my favorite shots from the day. This is looking under the shelf; looking east; in a rare open area field up in Northern MN along HWY 69.

Locals and travelers who were nervous and confused created mini traffic jams in the middle of no where as the stormy skies churned overhead!

 Nick shooting video and enjoying the powerful storm as the sun faded in the west and it attempted to do it again near Hassman township north of Aitkin.

Super long inflow tail racing into the storm!

 
The storm base with decent inflow as the sun sets over Aitkin County near Hassman.

It was a great chase day for a Northern MN 

Minnesota Tornado Count for 2013: A few added!

The National Weather Service in Chanhassen put out this public information statement about the Tornado season in Minnesota this year; as well as information about a few they added to the count after research through video, pictures and chaser accounts. Read below.

This confirms that the August 6th storm produced a brief rain wrapped tornado that we captured right before we got hit with the huge baseball sized hail.

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Tornadoes in 2013 in the 51 Counties Covered by NWS Chanhassen

The tornado season has been very quiet this year, with only six so far in the 51 counties covered by Chanhassen.  If we get no more tornadoes or very few additional tornadoes, it will be the quietest in our area since 2007, and the second quietest since 1988.  In 1988, there were only two tornadoes in the 51 counties covered by Chanhassen, and in 2007, there were only three tornadoes in the 51 counties.

All tornadoes in the Chanhassen area this year have been rated EF-0.

The overall total so far this year appears to be 11 in Minnesota and 15 in Wisconsin.  Here is a link to the Wisconsin tornado list from August 12:  www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php  One more Wisconsin tornado after August 12 brings that total to 15.

The data below are still subject to change if photos, video or other evidence becomes known.  The six tornadoes listed below have been verified through a combination of photos, videos and some damage surveys. In the case of August 6, a lot of video and photos were examined where the Kandiyohi County storm had become rain-wrapped and the brief tornado was shrouded from the view of most people in the area. Damage surveys were also conducted for the June 21 tornado and the August 6 Kandiyohi County tornado.

1. June 21, 3:46 a.m. Chisago County Minnesota, southeast side of Wyoming. Rated EF-0. Path length 0.5 mile. Wind speed 65 to 75 mph.

2. July 22, 4:45 p.m. Eau Claire County Wisconsin, four miles west-southwest of Augusta. Rated EF-0. Path length 0.3 mile. Wind speed 65 to 70 mph.

3. August 6, 4:00 p.m. Stevens County Minnesota, three miles northeast of Chokio. Rated EF-0. Path length 0.1 mile. Wind speed around 65 mph.

4. August 6, 4:30 p.m. Stevens County Minnesota, two miles north-northwest of Hancock. Rated EF-0. Path length 0.1 mile. Wind speed around 65 mph.

5. August 6, 5:17 p.m. Kandiyohi County Minnesota, four miles east of Sunburg. Rated EF-0. Path length 0.2 mile. Wind speed around 65 mph.

6. August 21, 5:25 p.m. Chippewa County Wisconsin, four miles northwest of Cadott. Rated EF-0. Path length 1.2 mile. Wind speed 65 to 75 mph.

8-6-13 West Central Minnesota Chase

The day started out as most days this 2013, faced with great doubt and caution on the forecast actually coming to fruition. 

BUT as the morning hours turned into afternoon it was clear that it was time to go and FAST!!, as a red box was quickly hoisted up by mid afternoon for much of the central portion of Minnesota; just as the the man dominate Supercell was just developing over southwestern Traverse county MN. 

Nick and I got a bit of a late start and decided to intercept the storm in western Pope county south of Starbuck and stay with it to the southeast into Kandiyohi county and beyond. As the storm crossed Stevens county it did exhibit some tornadic characteristics near and west of Morris as it was playing with the warm front , but the southeasterly backed surface winds were kinda bunk and not helping matters. However it was tornado warned storm as it crossed the county towards us.

Jessica Lemmerman was out spotting just west of Morris on HWY 28, and captured a few photos of the storm when it had good inflow and had a rotating, well organized wall cloud with a small intermittent funnel cloud associated with it at times. Finally as the beast went outflow dominate and moved onto and over the glacial ridge of Northern Kandiyohi county as Nick & I were riding on the southern razors edge with a great view up into the notch, she decided to move more south than east and we got to play in the very large Hail from 2".

Our largest stone found and measured that was 3 inches in diameter as we were positioned  5 miles west of New London on county road 40. The storm also had a photogenic shelf cloud on the leading edge along with some 60MPH wind gusts as it passed over head and ate us. 

Still a great chase day for 2013 up here in Minnestormless 2013!

Below are some photos from our chase day.

"A Fist Full of HAIL"! or maybe "for a few Hailstones more"!

Nick is holding a handful of hailstones that we found around the car after the storm passed.

 This was a big, solid hailstone measuring around 2.75".

 Shelf cloud evident looking to our north at this position.

 Looking south a the shelf cloud as we were positioned south of Starbuck, MN

 Another picture of the Shelf Cloud. This storm was producing 60 MPH winds and blowing Dirt around here in rural KandiyohiCounty, MN.

This storm was tornado warned at the time I took this picture. Here you are looking up into the notch of the storm as we sat on Hwy 71, just 5 miles west of New London, MN.  This shown a wall cloud lowering getting obscured in the rain and hail. This picture was taken just shortly before we got ate with the hail.

Picture of a piece of hail we found to the right of the car. This stone measured at 3". It was the largest hailstone that Nick and I could find in the wooded area of an abandoned farm yard. The hail stone had a jagged spike to it, and considered baseball size! It was also nice to chat with Todd Krause at National Weather Service - Chanhassen in the Twin Cities as we reported the size of hail we had,  over the intense roar of the hail as we were getting blasted.

 Here is a picture of the shelf cloud taken from in the car as we were near the town of Regel, MN.

 Beautiful picture of the shelf cloud. Roadway to Heaven!

 Low hanging shelf cloud shown here in the rural county moving over Minnesota's Glacial Ridge region landscape.

Measured winds of 52MPH at this point and we also had a 2nd batch of 1" hail also soon after the storm overtook us.

Our friend Jesse Lemmerman was helping us spot out in the Morris, MN area and was sending us text pictures on her phone as the things that her, Jason Howe and Roger Hill (my dad) was seeing at the time. They were spotting near the Morris Airport.

Here is some of her photos she sent.

 Photo taken by our close friend Jessica  Lemmerman taken from 4 miles west of Morris at the Morris MN regional airport of the storm with wall cloud and visible inflow tail over Stevens county. The storm was tornado warned at this time 4:28pm.

 A photo taken from the far southwestern back edge of the supercell of a lowering with reported visible rotation near the Morris city limits in Stevens County MN.

 
2.25" Hen Egg sized hailstones was the common rule in the city of Morris as the storm moved through severely damaging cars and even structures in and around the area. This photo was taken in the city of Morris. This would have been even a more serious situation had it happened just 2 days later when the Stevens county outdoor fair begins! This photo is from my mom of the hailstone that hit near her work.

 
Wall cloud lowering looking east to the city of Morris on Hwy 28 on storms back edge.

 
HAIL FIGHT!! done right Minnesota style with true tennis balls,Golf Balls as well as a Baseball thrown in for good measure as Nick runs to escape my throw!! You have to have a little fun after a hail storm :-)

We then let the storms head to our south and followed them back towards the cities along Hwy 55. We got a wind and hail report in at Kimball, MN - helping in aide the warning process for Wright County, MN.

Thank you to all those who watched our live stream. Be sure to look for website updates soon at www.prairiewindchasers.com 

6/29/13 Stevens County,MN Tornado Disaster Response Exercise

The Stevens County emergency services held a multi-agency Tornado disaster response and mitigation exercise on Saturday in the city of Donnelly just northwest of Morris MN. The exercise was well attended by over 130 participants and volunteers who put their skills to action in a real world scenario of a EF-3 tornado forming west of the town of Donnelly and tracking Northeastward through the towns northern and central quadrants damaging over 85% of the town and presenting multiple issues and challenges to the first responders and personnel who were first on the scene of this mock drill event. 

The exercise was attended by many agencies including local,county,state and federal entities. 

Nick and I also participated in the exercise and gave a opening severe weather spotter overview as well as a talk on the real world and mental aspects that those first on the scene of severe tornado damage may encounter.

Nick speaking to a crowd of over 130 participants in the Stevens county Minnesota Mock Tornado Disaster Response Exercise on Saturday.

Nick showing some recent storm photos of tornadic storms we have shot from the last few weeks.

A large crowd at the Donnelly City Hall with many of the real world scenario volunteers painted up and dirt and mud covered ready for the event to begin.

Local Stevens County First responders and Fire Fighters tend to the needs of tornado victims during the drill in Donnelly.

 
A injured citizen being cared for by Stevens counties finest responders including our friend, Justin Howe.

The Morris fire rig on state HWY 9 in Donnelly staging at the AG CO-OP as in a scenario of a HAZ-MAT chemical leak or release caused by the tornado in the damage track.

Donnelly Minnesota Town Marque.

Emergency responders taking things seriously in a real world tornado disaster drill exercise.

American Red Cross on the scene as well as the Stevens county mobile emergency communications and disaster response trailer at the command and control point outside of town.

Stevens County Sheriff's Office Mobile command center trailer in full use.

Stevens County ambulance service on the scene at the Temporary triage check point on the outside of the damage track.

A roll playing victim lay in the side of the street in Donnelly with a severe neck laceration and broken bones caused by the EF-3 tornado.

 
Morris and Hancock Fire Departments working together in helping aide a victim during the drill.

The Sheriff Posse lent a hand in traffic control around the perimeter of the exercise area during the drill. Steve Stock here pictured was one of the of those participating that day.

The Command Trailer.

 

June 20 - 23rd, 2013 : Northern Plain Severe Storms

Nick and I have been across the Dakotas in the past several days; in what turned out to be a busy time frame - severe weather wise! 

Here is our blog entry from the last few days for the Emmons County North Dakota storm to the violent bow echo that raced across South Dakota through to Minnesota on Friday.

June 19th, 2013 late evening
We got on a cell that was entering into Big Stone County, MN about midnight to take some lightning video and pictures. The storm was producing warnings in SD, but was dying as it reached MN. The winds were gusting to 40 by the time it reached us.

Here is a picture of one of the lightning shots we got that night.

 

June 20, 2013
North Dakota

We targeted a spot in western ND. We first stopped in the town of Jamestown, ND to visit the BIG Friendly Buffalo that was greeting our arrival into town.

From Jamestown, ND we headed a little more west and further south to near Linton, SD. Here we watched a supercell rotate and produce wall cloud.

It had great inflow into the storm.

During parts of the storm it would go from producing a wall cloud to start to get linear and produce a shelf cloud. In this picture above and below it shows the storm going outflow - but showing the nice shelf cloud on the leading edge of the storm.

Here the storm is trying to do it again big time! The wall cloud really begin to rotate once again with wild upward rising motion. We are sitting east of Linton, ND.

Picture of the car, with radar screen shot and looking directly west to the storm - looking right into the beast.  We were East of Linton, ND.

We then headed south to South Dakota after this storm to set up for the next day's chase.

June 21, 2013
South Dakota

A storm was already firing off and over the Rapid City area early in the morning (around 9am) and lo and behold that became the main player for the day.

We started out near Chamberlain, SD and initially got on the storm and quickly raced east to get out in front of the storm. The storm was producing massive hail and intense winds.

This is a shot of the shelf cloud that was racing east. We just got on the storm here just Northeast of Chamberlain, SD.

Here is a shot of inside the car looking west at the shelf cloud. You could see how dark it was.

The World's Greatest Natural Sandblaster!

This picture (above) was taken 4 miles northeast of woonsocket, SD in Sanborn County. The shot was taken just 3 miles east of the actual leading edge of the storm. As you can see, the shelf cloud is just making its way into the right side of the picture. We measure a 65 MPH wind gust just before this photo was taken.

We slowed down several times as we tracked east and got just ahead of the storm to let it briefly overtake up so we could sample the wind gusts as it tracked along. We encountered many instanced with zero visibility with the extreme blowing dirt and sand from the surprisingly dry topsoil conditions; and seen dozens of well organized gustnadoes that we spinning up on the initial cutting edge of the wind shift line.

It took us a whole bag of quarters at a self serve car wash to get all the dirt and sand from every nook and cranny on the car!

Here the storm is turning into a violent HABOOB with over 70 MPH winds, and blowing dust was being pushed out 6 miles out ahead of the storm. This was taken just east of Woonsocket, SD.

Below are a few more pictures of the storm structure as it kept moving east.

Here the storm is now approaching our position east of Madison, South Dakota. We encountered 1 inch hail in diameter shortly after this picture.

Unfortunately this storm raced all the way to the East to the Twin Cities metro area where 80 MPH winds were recorded. Numerous trees fell and toppled onto power lines causing a massive power outage for a widespread of the Twin Cities area. 

June 22, 2013
South Dakota / Iowa / Nebraska

We started out in Sioux Falls, SD. We headed to the southern tip of SD to await the storms. We crossed into Iowa and Nebraska to re-center ourselves for development of storms.

Nothing fired until late that night (around 9pm).

We busted weather wise - but totally didn't bust as we got to see one of our favorite birds! The Eastern Meadowlark greeted us as we entered the southern part of the state.