John Homenuk

Storm Chase 2017 Day 1: Cap concerns, analysis and more

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It’s hard to describe what the first day of storm chasing feels like. A rush of blood and a little bit of pain. We’re heading out on the road, with a pit stop in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood for breakfast and a coffee. While we’re on the topic — can’t speak highly enough about this city. A true gem in the middle of the country. We’ve taken time this morning to dive into a more detailed analysis of what to expect over the next few days and have narrowed down our targeting.

Saturday (Today)

After much discussion and deliberation, we have decided to head into Northern/Northwestern Wisconsin this afternoon. Confidence in the development of severe convection is currently extremely low. Uncertainties stem from the presence of an elevated mixed layer and capping. Essentially, these are functions in the atmosphere that act as a lid to prevent air from rising to form thunderstorms.

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John Homenuk

Storm Chase 2017: Second day model analysis and much more

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When I was in the 10th grade, I bought my first cell phone. I mean I actually bought it, with my own money from my own work. It was a hell of an accomplishment for my teenaged self, and I was proud of it. I was more proud that it was a first edition iPhone, and I couldn’t believe the power of what I had in my pocket. It took some getting used to, but soon enough I could access the internet and send text messages with my thumb!

More than 10 years later, I’m preparing to use my 7th edition iPhone as a tool to enhance a localized internet connection in my car. What a time to be alive. The mobile hotspot has been the discussion point of the day, and we’re making sure that we have it properly set up to have access to the internet at all times during our chase. This is a critical part of our operations and so we’re being fairly hard-nosed with it. We want it to be exactly right.

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John Homenuk

AM Update: Coastal storm skirts by, summer heat looms

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A day which once looked lost to the soggy rains from a coastal storm will turn out quite alright, and the weekend that follows will be the warmest of the year. We come bearing good news this morning, because that day is today and the weekend that follows is just over the hill! Yes, we are finally on the tail end of a drawn out dreary, rainy and cool pattern which was brought into our area by the presence of high latitude blocking.

A coastal storm system will skirt the region to the east today, with heavy rains off the Mid Atlantic and Northeast Coast from today in tonight. As this low pressure system develops, swinging eastward alongside a large trough sitting over the Northeast States, rising air is likely to its northwest. This will produce heavy rain offshore, but also allow sinking air (subsidence) to spread into the Northeast during the day.

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John Homenuk

Storm Chase 2017: First day of planning, prep, and targeting

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They say the excitement builds early for these things. I suppose that excitement was found this afternoon in Home Depot, when I finally located the power inverter I was looking for. Safety and precautions are a long, drawn out process and we aren’t taking any shortcuts with this one, but in all seriousness we are having fun preparing for the weekend ahead. With safety in mind, we are making sure that all of our proverbial ducks are in a row. Who would’ve thought the thrill of the chase would begin in a warehouse?

These things can seem a bit monotonous at first, but in reality it is all part of the fun. We’re taking our time to “dot every I” and “cross every T” along the way. Cell phone service checks, mobile internet hotspot reassurance, spare tire backups, personalized essentials. It’s all part of the plan that begins earlier than the first day of actual chasing. With the checklist dwindling down a bit, we are starting to get anxious to get out there.

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