Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 6, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba H eds a severe weather specialist with 25 years of chasing and a triple Crown under his Belt he has seen tornadoes in three countries including Canada the u. S. And Australia. His first Brush with a twister came in 1987 in Edmonton when a 1.3 Kilometre wide funnel swirled past his weather office and killed 27 people one of the deadliest tornadoes in Canadian history. That experience he says turned his intrigue into a passion to understand How and Why severe weather happens. whole View of storm chasing changed from being an extreme Hobby to try and understand the Way to get the warnings out he says. By late afternoon the wind is picking up Speed and Clouds of dust spiral up toward the sky on nearby country roads. Chase 1 and Chase 2 Speed toward the Small town of Olds alta., to get a closer look. The Edge of the storm draws nearer and begins building As Clouds spin lower to the ground. The vans veer East off the Highway a few Kilometres away from the spinning spiralling Cloud other Drivers Are trying to avoid. Puzzled albertan watch in Awe As the vans with the storm chasers Emblem shoot past them on the Highway and head towards the Nastiest darkest part of the Cloud cover. They see it and they say lets get the hell away. I see that and ism like get me nearer to that a says Carlsen a hons been a severe weather fanatic since he saw a Tornado spin through Rural Saskatchewan at age nine. A Good Chaser knows to stay on the Southeast Side of the storm to avoid the bears Cage the most dangerous part of a storm riddled with heavy rain lightning and Hail. Rarely does an experienced Chaser Ever get wet. But even with experience close shaves Are sometimes part of the calling. Last year Carlsen rolled his car while speeding Down a gravel Road in Humboldt sask. Even Mccarthy had a close Call with a bears Cave while chasing in the u. S. He was chasing on the wrong Side of the storm and if a Tornado had formed Mccarthy would have been in the Middle of its path. You see the end of the Hood of the car he says. It was very intense. Lightning strikes the ground in the distance As the vans pull Over to a Side country Road in an excited Rush. Students grab their cameras and cheer As they gleefully stare at the inverted mushroom Cloud rotating in the sky a few Kilometres away. This is the awesome St thing Ive Ever seen in my life says atmospheric science student Robyn Dyck 22, As she hurriedly snaps pictures with her digital camera. With Hopes of the rotation morphing into a Tornado the chasers pile into the vans and Speed to another Eastern Edge of the actively building storm. The weather office issues a severe thunderstorm warning for areas North of Calgary around red Deer. Several Tornado warnings have been in effect for several hours. But just As quickly As the storm blows up the Promise of a More severe sighting begins to dissipate. This storm totally blew itself apart Sills says noting the delicate balance of Energy and wind just Isnit right for a Tornado to form. The vans pull Over to where two College of Dupage Chase vans Are parked at the Side of the Road just North of three Hills. Both groups hop out of the vans and stand at the Edge of a wheat Field pointing at the sky. The Dupage students decide to abort their Chase in Alberta and pack up for Saskatchewan. But were not giving up that easily. Optimism were told is key Only 10 to 15 per cent of super cells spawn tornadoes. An hour later Mccarthy stares at the Clouds from a Gas station near three Hills and declares the storm might not be Over just yet. He rallies us Back to the vans after a Brief dinner break of soda pop and beef Jerky. Its after 7 p. And the dark sky is menacing. Chase 1 and Chase 2 head North and soon screech to a halt next to a canola Field. A Circle spins around in the Clouds above them a rotating up draft like no one even the experts has Ever seen before. Its one thing to sit in a classroom its another to be out Here and have it in your face says 25 year old student Kyle Swystun standing awestruck under the eerie sky. A Cluster of rotating circles appears overhead and spins As rays of Light poke through the brightening sky. Herds of cows Moo As Thunder booms overhead and the sound of Barking coyotes echoes Over the horizon. The chasers stand on a Hill overlooking the Valley and declare the Day a Success twister or not. This is Mother nature Carlsen yells. This is weather baby. D a 3. Were weaving through the valleys around Russell man., when a routine radar Check near Brandon shows the big one might be just around the Corner. Satellite images Are showing High temperatures Dew Points and merging warm and cold fronts along the Jet Stream on the Iowa Nebraska Border. Fireworks in the sky baseball size Hail heavy rain and a 10 per cent Chance of a Tornado could erupt As Early As the following morning. And the storm chasers Are prepared to drive All night just to get there. If something happens it will be enormous says Shawna Wolfe 25. This is a stressful time. Chase 1 and Chase 2 Speed toward the Border crossing at Boissevain and dont Stop until we reach grand Forks after 2 30 a. After a Brief snooze and a sip of Burnt Coffee the group is Back on the Road by 8 a. M., headed towards the red Box in Iowa where severe thunderstorm and Tornado warnings have already been issued. By the time we reach Iowa an ominous Grey sky looms Over the Corn Fields and the afternoon air is heavy humid and dead Calm. Even though the Sun is still shining Carlsen says the storm is picking up so much Energy it has the potential to cause some extreme damage. We dont want people Hurt we dont want things damaged he says. Last year i saw some transformers explode because of a Tornado and that was an of crap moment. You dont want to see that. You can replace stuff but people Are the most important part. By 3 55 p. M., Chase 1 and Chase 2 Are parked next to a Corn Field near the sleepy Midwest town of Hawarden. Weather radar shows the Cap or layer that is preventing the storm is weakening and the storm is expected to break within the next two hours. And so we wait. Sweat drips Down our backs As we stare at the budding Clouds hanging in the steamy Haze and 47 degree heat. Loitering it seems is As much a part of chasing storms As eating on the Fly and an Impromptu bathroom break in random canola Fields. Linda Pic 23, Points to her right ankle where she Hopes to Tattoo the natural disaster on her body if we see a Tornado. Others Cross their fingers that Well be eating Steak tonight the fare every Chaser Gorges on to celebrate a Tornado sighting. Slowly the Blue skies Cloud Over and the puffy White tops turn dark. A thick Haze casts a deep Shadow atop the Clouds As the chasers grow worried their High risk High Reward Chase might turn out to be a Flop. Because the conditions seem so perfect ism really sceptical about it Dyck says. After nearly two hours of baking in the Sauna like conditions we head Back towards Hawarden to pick up some data and chill in the local drive in. An hour passes and just As we get into the Lull of playing along with a reality pop quiz to show Carlsen storms into the quaint drive in. Back in the Van in five minutes he says. As if from a scene in twister we grab the remnants of our dinner our bags and Rush out of the restaurant to the Surprise of Laid Back locals still munching their cheese dogs. The winds Are changing the sky is dark and Chase 1 and Chase 2 head North to find a High Point in the red Box to watch it All unfold. We stand we sweat we curse we Pace. But an hour later nothing happens. That teaches us How unpredictable weather can be Wolfe says noting Sheds already Learned More in five Days about forecasting than she did during five weeks in the classroom. Later that evening the group relaxes in a Cool outdoor hotel Pool in Sioux City Iowa and muses about the ups and Downs of their journey. I think theress nothing More Beautiful than a thunderstorm going up Carlsen says. Id do it again because the pay off when you get it right is so great. Its a powerful spiritual experience when it happens. Although there was no airborne livestock no blinding rain and no splinters of debris tumbling Down the Road the bust does not dim his unwavering enthusiasm to hop in a car and do it All Over again. For a Chaser the end of one storm is the just the beginning of another one. Its addicting geography student Chris Hanline says. Bust or not its still addicting. Its the emotional ride of forecasting. E ver since the 1996 movie twister glamorized the fanaticism of Hunting and tracking some of natures most destructive storms More average Joes have been jumping in their cars to try to get a closer look at wicked skies. Thatus part of the reason some of Manitoba ass most experienced storm chasers severe weather scientists and meteorologists decided to Pool their Wisdom and Volunteer to teach a new generation of weather fanatics How to Chase and understand storms safely and properly. University of Manitoba ass storm chasing course was offered for the first time last year and is the Only program of its kind in the country. Students with a background in meteorology but even with the latest satellite images chasers May not end up at the right spot at the right time. An area under a severe thunderstorm or Tornado warning could be As Large As 40,000 Square Kilometres and chasers have to use data and intuition to take a Stab at where the storm is going to break. Radar cant track whether or not a Tornado has touched Down and the Prairie and Arctic storm prediction Centre relies on information from on the ground weather spotters or storm chasers to confirm their forecasts and sometimes Issue weather warnings. We have the latest satellite generation yet we still cant Tell whats happening How to stay Safe when stalking bad weather. Always stay on the Southeast Side of the storm to avoid heavy rain Hail and lightning. You Are most Likely to be injured or killed by flying debris. If your hair stands on end you Are about to get hit by lightning. Crouch Down with both feet on the ground or run to the nearest vehicle for cover. Dont seek cover under an underpass. Its not Safe since some Tornado winds push storm chasing terms. Bears Cage the most dangerous part of a storm marked by intense winds rain and Hail. Scud piece of Cloud usually not attached to the thunderstorm base that is often mistaken for a Wall Cloud or Tornado. Super cell a thunderstorm with a persistent rotating up draft. Although it is rare it is responsible for severe weather like tornadoes Large Hail and damaging winds. Cap layer in the atmosphere that prevents the development of a thunderstorm. Towering cumulus learning the ropes Day 1 Winnipeg to Brandon to Regina. Day 2 Regina to three Hills Alberta to Kindersley so. Day 3 Kindersley to Russell my to just outside Brandon to grand Forks we drove through the Boissevain Border crossing and headed East Day 4 grand Forks through South Dakota to Watertown through to Hawarden Iowa. Then to Sioux City Iowa. Day 5 Sioux City Iowa to South Sioux City Nebraska to grand Forks to Winnipeg. Duluth Detroit Michigan Wisconsin Minneapolis St. Paul Fargo Seattle Chicago Washington Montana Wyoming Oregon Idaho North Dakota Nebraska Iowa Ohio p United states Nevada Minnesota Calgary Toronto Alberta British Columbia Canada Regina three Hills Manitoba Saskatchewan Ontario Kindersley Winnipeg Vancouver Saskatoon Roblin Watertown Hawarden Sioux City Sioux City Brandon South Dakota grand Forks they see it and they say lets get the hell away. I see that and ism like get me nearer to that storm chasers continued from Page b 1 photography Ruth Bonneville Winnipeg free press severe weather forecasters Dave Carlsen left and Pat Mccarthy Check sky near Russell. U of mrs Robyne Dyck under a mushroom Cloud in Alberta. From left Linda Pic Chris Hanline and Kyle Swystun Analyse weather patterns. Severe weather forecaster Pat Mccarthy uses a weather gauge in the sweltering heat of Iowa on Day 4. U of m atmospheric science students from left Robyn Dyck Erin Shay Shawna Wolfe. Scientist Dave Carlsen struggles to get his reflective Vest on in High winds Robyn Dyck from left Dyck Wolfe and Shay tracking weather in Back of Chase one Van. Races to get photos As dark Clouds barrel across the skies Over Eastern Alberta. The View near three Hills alta., on Day two the storm blew itself apart. The rolling Hills Northeast of Calgary see a perfect storm of chasers As students from Manitoba and Chicago gather hot on the Trail of a super cell. Dark Clouds hover Over the setting Sun near three Hills. Where they went ;