--------------AE6BCD62669E1B31BE13E627
Content-Type: message/rfc822
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline
Received: from imo12.mx.aol.com (imo12.mx.aol.com [198.81.17.2]) by scire.pair.com (8.9.1/8.6.12) with ESMTP id BAA24713 for <casilist{at}weatherwatchers.org>; Thu, 4 Mar 1999 01:15:56 -0500 (EST)
From: Wthark{at}aol.com
X-Envelope-To: <casilist{at}weatherwatchers.org>
Received: from Wthark{at}aol.com
by imo12.mx.aol.com (IMOv18.1) id PEVOa26608
for <casilist{at}weatherwatchers.org>; Thu, 4 Mar 1999 01:12:41 -0500 (EST)
Message-ID: <2c8904bb.36de2459{at}aol.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 01:12:41 EST
To: casilist{at}weatherwatchers.org
Mime-Version: 1.0
Subject: Va Chase
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows 95 sub 13
Virginia Chase
Since 3/2/99, I was planning a possible chase in SE Virginia/NE North
Carolina. There was a strong cold front from the west with warm moist air
streaming in from the South. Upper levels looked good, but would there be
enough moisture.
Today, 3/3/99, I brought my equipment to work with me including 35mm
camera, Hi8 video, weather scanner, Casio LCD TV and handheld thermohygrometer
which shows dew points. I couldn't leave work earlier than 12noon but I had
time to check data. Temps in SE virginia were rising into the lower 70's with
partly cloudy skies. The front was approaching from the west. I expected
convection to fire by early afternoon so I would have to head SE ASAP. The
best SRH were forecast by models to be through South Central Virginia
especially as the front approaches. The main problem was not enough moisture.
I checked the 12PM dewpoints before leaving work and they were 48 for Richmond
and 52 for Norfolk. There was slighly better moisture in NC but less upper
level support.
My target was around Wakefield, SE of Richmond. Going through lunchtime
traffic was awful especially as the sky filled with midlevel Cu. Winds were
brisk from the South around 15, and gusts to the 20's. Finally, I escaped. As
I passed Disputanta, I saw a darkening to the West. Temps were in the low 70's
and dewpoints around 53 by my measurements. I would prefer higher dewpoints.
At this point, I had to decide which way to go. Follow that storm or head
further SE. I made a quick call to Tim Vasquez's service and he told me there
was a line of storms building to my west. The darkening was the Northernmost
storm which was weakening. There was another one near Emporia which was
heading my way. it was more compact. By this time, a tornado watch had been
issued for eastern NC. Why not Virginia. I waited in Wakefield for awhile then
headed back to Waverly along 460 to intercept the second storm. I was in good
position . The storm was to my west heading NNE. I took 40 to the SW for
several miles and watched a nice wall cloud around 2PM before the storm died.
There was no visible rotation. I saw a beautiful rainbow after another shower
passed. Now I had to decide whether to continue or go home. I didn't know a
tornado watch was now issued for my area. It was mostly cloudy and visibilty
was poor. I figured anything else that fired would be squall lines later as it
gets dark. Not a safe thing to chase. I also realized that the area's severe
ice storm had weakened a lot of trees. Light gusts were causing large branches
to fall over the roads. I headed home only to hear of tornado warnings for SW
of Richmond including Petersburg and Dinwiddie County were a possible weak
tornado injured a number of workers at a factory construction site.
Thankfully, I don't think anyone was killed. The consolation was that it was
indeed too dark for those later tornadic storms.
This was an educational and fun chase. Yes, chasing is possible in the SE. It
is more difficult and probably more dangerous than chasing on the Plains, but
it can be done.
Logistics learning points: The library in Waverly is closed on Wed.
?internet access. The Wakefield library doesn't have internet access. There is
a country store between Waverly and Wakefield, Va on 460, Adam's Country
Store, which will show The Weather Channel on a TV during weather events.
South of Waverly, weather radio reception is generally too poor.
Bill Hark
Bill's Photo Page
http://www.geocities.com/~billhark
--------------AE6BCD62669E1B31BE13E627
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; name="mailing-list-footer.txt"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline; filename="mailing-list-footer.txt"
*************************************************
Central Atlantic Storm Investigators Mailing-List
To Post: casilist{at}weatherwatchers.org
To Cancel: lists-admin{at}weatherwatchers.org
Archive: /members/casilist
*************************************************
--------------AE6BCD62669E1B31BE13E627--