After reviewing the nearly 100 photos I snapped during yesterday’s chase I have concluded the following:(1) This was a tornado at 8:11 pm (my fourth in Virginia chasing). I should note that the visible condensation pieces were rotating around the cent…

While chasing this afternoon and evening my son and I chanced upon this scene looking northeast from the Chancellorsville area (map above):This was the last in a series of 3 photos I hurriedly snapped at 8:11 pm. I called in a wall cloud and funnel re…

Given that (a) I’m home a bit earlier than normal today and (b) I am awaiting convection to fire in today’s ripening conditions I thought I would complete the post regarding yesterday’s chase over three counties. My son and I left for Culpeper at 4:45…

With ripening conditions this afternoon showing the town of Culpeper as the bullseye (e.g. supercell composite value of 4 was centered there) my son and I left for that vicinity just before 5 pm this afternoon to await convection. We wound up chasin…

Not sure that Cristobal will lead to storms in our area. In fact, given the subsiding air that usually exists west of a tropical system Cristobal may well suppress any storms tomorrow that would otherwise result from an approaching cold front. Howeve…

“THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS CONTINUING TO INCREASE INASSOCIATION WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED JUST OFF THECOASTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. ENVIRONMENTALCONDITIONS APPEAR CONDUCIVE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT…AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION COULD FORM…

Facing an onrushing convective line, the chaser carefully frames his photograph.

An approaching cold front forced a pronounced “lee trough” east of the Blue Ridge this afternoon, and the resulting convection convinced me to pick up my son and head northwest just after 3:00 pm. We stopped for a while in Bealeton to check radar and …

Another example of the toilet bowl…storms passing by south and north of the area and out of my chasing reach. I might have been able to catch the northernmost cell in the southern line as it passed through Caroline county, but I had already committe…

Given the SPC Day 2 forecast and the local Sterling weather office discussions it appears that tomorrow (Wednesday) may be a productive chase day in our area. Whether or not I can break free from the daily grind to seek my convective fortune is anothe…