March 14, 2024

Statistics

Initial Target

Start

End

Storm Intercepts

Tornadoes

Hail

Wind

Features

Miles

Jacksonville, IL

Springfield, IL 2:41 PM 3/14/2024

Springfield, IL 6:39 PM 3/14/2024

Waverly, IL

0 mph

Gust Front

116

Summary

Low-expectation backyard chase in two parts. Intercepted tornado warned bow echo south of Springfield, IL noting overturned semi. Intercepted afternoon tornado warned supercell near Waverly, IL noting RFD gust front with supercell cycle.

Crew and Equipment

Solo chase. Equipment: Sony AX100, Canon 60D with EFS 10-22, Samsung S9.

Video

Map

Details

A backyard storm chase broken into two parts. It started with a late morning intercept of a tornado warned bow echo that was crossing I-55 south of Springfield, IL. I punched the north end of the bow, the commahead tornado warned. I didn't see much, but once clear of the heaviest core, I came across several semis that had been blown off the road.

Gust Front.
3 miles SW of Waverly, IL
4:30 PM

I went out again in the afternoon targeting afternoon scattered thunderstorms approaching Jacksonville.

I pickeed the dominant cell on the east end of the cluster, and to my surprise it went tornado warned as I was driving east to put some ground on it. When I turned south I finally had a visual on the base and there appeared to be a cone funnel in progress. I stopped to watch it, but after reviewing video it was obvious I was looking at a non-rotating lowering, the pointed edge of the gust front.

Supercell Cycle
Waverly, IL
4:39 PM

The storm went through the motions of a supercell cycle with an occluded updraft behind a bowing RFD gust front and inflow band feeding in from the north. Low level rotation was not pronounced, however.

The cell soon gusted out.

Gust Front
4 miles NW of McVey, IL
4:50 PM

I ran east to chase it, hoping it would cycle again. Looking north at a brilliant white chunk of RFD gust front:

HP Gust Front
3 miles ESE of Virden, IL
5:00 PM

The storm filled in with rain and bowed out, and would remain and outflow driven line. I chase it a few more miles to the east before calling and heading for home.

An interesting looking, but outflow driven lowering:

Conclusion

Not much to write home about on this chase, but this was a super local, low-expectations chase that had two tornado warned storm intercepts with some supercell cycling, so I'll count this as a successful run.

Lessons Learned

Be careful of semis when on the highway and driving through the core of warned cells.

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