August 6, 2018

Statistics

Initial Target

Start

End

Storm Intercepts

Tornadoes

Hail

Wind

Features

Miles

Farmer City, IL

Springfield, IL 5:07 PM 8/6/2018

Springfield, IL 12:50 AM 8/7/2018

Champaign, IL

0 mph

RFD Clear Slot, Ophan Funnel

256

Summary

Summer impromptu chase. Targeted west of Champaign for the off chance at a supercell. Noted RFD clear slot on cell west of Champaign, followed by evening stormscapes, ophan funnel on withering cell, and CG display near Champaign.

Crew and Equipment

Solo chase. Equipment: Sony AX100, Canon 60D, Samsung S7 Edge.

Video

Map

Details

This was an impromptu summer chase. I left the house late, hoping to catch developing storms west of Champaign near Farmer City, IL.

Initial storms were small but sported some supercellular characteristics. This was a classic looking RFD clear slot and horseshoe shaped updraft base. The southern side (foreground) was even sporting some anticyclonic rotation.

I stair stepped on the grid toward Champaign following in behind the cells.

Evening Stormscape
Blue Ridge, IL
7:17 PM

The tower, flanking line convection and rainbow were gorgeous in the evening light, so I stopped to shoot time lapse from behind the cells to the west looking east.

Convection
Blue Ridge, IL
7:22 PM

Ice Cream
Blue Ridge, IL
7:34 PM

Looking north at some soft-serv icecream. Shooting stormscapes from behind cost me a shot of a funnel cloud, but the views and lapses I came away with were nice regardless.

I tracked the storms into Champaign on 74 as dusk set in. The storm I was on withered away into an orphan funnel, the updraft shrinking, but the rotation increasing as it went. Lightning was picking up as the cooling air saturated.

Chinese
4 miles N of Champaign, IL
9:00 PM

I took a break from the chase and picked up some cheap Chinese take-out on the north side of town. Binging on the stuff is one of my excuses to get out of the house on a chase. Clusters of storms were tracking north of the city, so I transitioned into a lightning shooting mode. I watched through the windshield, shoveling food into my face, while my DSLR sat outside on the tripod snapping away.

Twin CGs
4 miles N of Champaign, IL
9:19 PM

Catch-o-the-day from my lightning lapse sequence.

Conclusion

It would have been nice to get that funnel cloud shot, but the stormscape and lightning lapse sequences made this summertime, no-expectations chase for me.

Lessons Learned

Follow On The Web!

Storm Chasers Giving Back!