Thursday, April 23, 2009

Windmills and Lightning Bolts

Had hoped for a little more with a powerful little MCV moving across western Illinois this afternoon, but the moisture required was not in place yet. A few elevated thunderstorms were able to fire ahead of the mcv, so I went out to enjoy the warm weather and did some distant lightning shots at a favorite spot of mine.

Not sure what to make of the weekend yet. The big stuff may be confined to the panhandles, and I'm not sure I feel like bothering, surprising as that may sound. I'll be busy here in Champaign until very late Friday night so to make Saturday I'd likely have to drive all night just to get there in time to chase all day. Sunday does look like the bigger day, but not sure it's worth a one day there and back trip before Monday morning, my birthday!

Chase the cold front in Kansas, or chase the cold front in Illinois? This whole birthday weekend weather pattern is starting to piss me off. I'm already sick of 2009, and I didn't even have a decent chase until late May in 2008. Ah well... such is life in April.






3 comments:

p said...

Congratulations! Are those the windmills up E of Bloomington? If I was you despite the temptation to go W at the last minute, perhaps stay put and enjoy a few days of money saving local chases? Good luck whatever you choose and Happy Birthday!

Andrew Pritchard said...

Those were in the same area, but actually a new wind farm that went up all of a sudden in SE McLean couty, to the southwest of Bloomington.

The plan is more or less to play locally. I'll just go to the Tazewell/Logan/Sangamon County zone that always seems to produce.

The "outbreak" threat doesn't seem high enough for my lazy ass to make a marathon trip out in late April so I'll hope for a couple "scenes" like I found last night.

p said...

I was going to comment back to say that maybe a last minute road trip isn't such a bad idea but then saw your post in the FCAST thread. Everyone is anxious and plucking opportunity out of the details yet you are going against the grain (no offense towards anyone of course, i'm excited too). Not allowing emotion to override logic, you really need to get your ass behind a forecast desk. Hope for your sake we get something worthwhile this evening. I kind of think we'll see a repeat of that one IA dudes report... straight up and down activity w/lots of hail. Could make for good lightning though? Who knows, again best of luck!