Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 6, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Severe weather forecaster Pat Mccarthy uses a weather gauge in the sweltering heat of Iowa on Day 4. Storm chasers continued from Page b1 vans pull Over to a Side country Road in an excited thunderstorm and Tornado warnings have already been Rush. Students grab their cameras and cheer As they issued. Gleefully stare at the inverted mushroom Cloud rotate by the time we reach Iowa an ominous Grey sky ing in the sky a few Kilometres away. Looms Over the Corn Fields and the afternoon air is this is the awesome St thing i be Ever seen in my heavy humid and dead Calm. Life says atmospheric science student Robyn Dyck even though the Sun is still shining Carlsen says the 22, As she hurriedly snaps pictures with her digital storm is picking up so much Energy it has the potential camera. To cause some extreme damage. With Hopes of the rotation morphing into a Tornado we Don to want people Hurt we Don to want things the chasers pile into the vans and Speed to another damaged he says. Last year i saw some transform Eastern Edge of the actively building storm. The weath ers explode because of a Tornado and that was an Oher office issues a severe thunderstorm warning for crap moment. You Don to want to see that. You can areas North of Calgary around red Deer. Several Tor replace stuff but people Are the most important Nado warnings have been in effect for several hours. By 3 55 ., Chase 1 and Chase 2 Are parked next to but just As quickly As the storm blows up the a Corn Field near the sleepy Midwest town of Haar Promise of a More severe sighting begins to dissipate. Den. Weather radar shows the Cap or layer that is this storm totally blew itself apart Sills says not preventing the storm is weakening and the storm is ing the delicate balance of Energy and wind just in to expected to break within the next two hours. Right for a Tornado to form. And so we wait. The vans pull Over to where two College of Dupage sweat drips Down our backs As we stare at the Bud Chase vans Are parked at the Side of the Road just North Ding Clouds hanging in the steamy Haze and 47-degree of three Hills. Heat. Both groups hop out of the vans and stand at the loitering it seems is As much a part of chasing Edge of a wheat Field pointing at the sky. The Dupage storms As eating on the Fly and an Impromptu Bath severe weather forecasters Dave Carlsen left and Pat Mccarthy Check sky near Russell. Students decide to abort their Chase in Alberta and room break in random canola Fields. Pack up for Saskatchewan. Linda Pic 23, Points to her right ankle where she but we re not giving up that easily. Hopes to Tattoo the natural disaster on her body if we h is a severe weather specialist with 25 years optimism we re told is key Only 10 to 15 per cent see a Tornado. Others Cross their fingers that Well Beof chasing and a triple Crown under his Belt of super cells spawn tornadoes. Eating Steak tonight ? the fare every Chaser Gorges on they he has seen tornadoes in three countries an hour later Mccarthy stares at the Clouds from a to celebrate a Tornado sighting. Including Canada the . And Australia. His Gas station near three Hills and declares the storm slowly the Blue skies Cloud Over and the puffy White first Brush with a twister came in 1987 in Edmonton might not be Over just yet. He rallies us Back to the tops turn dark. A thick Haze casts a deep Shadow atop when a 1.3-Kilometre-wide funnel swirled past his vans after a Brief dinner break of soda pop and beef the Clouds As the chasers grow worried their High risk weather office and killed 27 people ? one of the dead see it and Jerky. High Reward Chase might turn out to be a Flop. Liest tornadoes in Canadian history. Its after 7 And the dark sky is menacing. Chase because the conditions seem so perfect i a really that experience he says turned his intrigue into a 1 and Chase 2 head North and soon screech to a halt sceptical about it Dyck says. Passion to understand How and Why severe weather next to a canola Field. After nearly two hours of baking in the Sauna like happens. A Circle spins around in the Clouds above them a conditions we head Back towards Hawarden to pick up they say my whole View of storm chasing changed from rotating up draft like no one even the experts has Ever some data and chill in the local drive in. Being an extreme Hobby to try and understand the Way seen before. An hour passes and just As we get into the Lull onto get the warnings out he says. Its one thing to sit in a classroom its another to be playing along with a reality pop quiz to show Carlsen by late afternoon the wind is picking up Speed and out Here and have it in your face says 25-year-old Stu storms into the quaint drive in. Clouds of dust spiral up toward the sky on nearby coun lets get Dent Kyle Swystun standing awestruck under the Back in the Van in five minutes he says. Try roads. Chase 1 and Chase 2 Speed toward the Small eerie sky. As if from a scene in twister we grab the remnant town of Olds alta., to get a closer look. A Cluster of rotating circles appears overhead and of our dinner our bags and Rush out of the restaurant the Edge of the storm draws nearer and begins spins As rays of Light poke through the brightening sky. To the Surprise of Laid Back locals still munching their building As Clouds spin lower to the ground. The vans herds of cows Moo As Thunder booms overhead and cheese dogs. The hell veer East off the Highway a few Kilometres away from the sound of Barking coyotes echoes Over the horizon. The winds Are changing the sky is dark and Chase 1the spinning spiralling Cloud other Drivers Are trying the chasers stand on a Hill overlooking the Valley and Chase 2 head North to find a High Point in the redo avoid. Puzzled albertan watch in Awe As the vans and declare the Day a Success twister or not. Box to watch it All unfold. With the storm chasers Emblem shoot past them on this is Mother nature Carlsen yells. This is we stand we sweat we curse we Pace. the Highway and head towards the Nastiest darkest weather but an hour later nothing happens. Part of the Cloud cover. That teaches us How unpredictable weather can be they see it and they say lets get the hell i. Wolfe says noting she a already Learned More in five see that and i a like get me nearer to that says Days about forecasting than she did during five week Carlsen who a been a severe weather fanatic since he i see that d a 3. We re weaving through the valleys in the classroom. Saw a Tornado spin through Rural Saskatchewan at age around Russell man., when a routine radar later that evening the group relaxes in a Cool out nine. Check near Brandon shows the big one door hotel Pool in Sioux City Iowa and muses about the a Good Chaser knows to stay on the Southeast Side of might be just around the Corner. Ups and Downs of their journey. The storm to avoid the bears Cage ? the most Dan satellite images Are showing High temperatures Dew i think there a nothing More Beautiful than a Thun and i a serous part of a storm riddled with heavy rain Light Points and merging warm and cold fronts along the Jet de storm going up Carlsen says. Id do it Aga inning and Hail. Rarely does an experienced Chaser Ever Stream on the Iowa Nebraska Border. Because the pay off when you get it right is so great. Get wet. Fireworks in the sky ? baseball size Hail heavy rain its a powerful spiritual experience when it but even with experience close shaves Are some and a 10 per cent Chance of a Tornado ? could erupt As although there was no airborne livestock no Blind times part of the calling. Like Early As the following morning. Ing rain and no splinters of debris tumbling Down thelast year Carlsen rolled his car while speeding Down and the storm chasers Are prepared to drive All night Road the bust does to dim his unwavering enthusiasm a gravel Road in Humboldt sask. Just to get there. To hop in a car and do it All Over again. Even Mccarthy had a close Call with a bears Cave if something happens it will be enormous says for a Chaser the end of one storm is the just the while chasing in the . He was chasing on the wrong Shawna Wolfe 25. This is a stressful beginning of another one. Get me Side of the storm and if a Tornado had formed Chase 1 and Chase 2 Speed toward the Border Cross its addicting geography student Chris Hanline Mccarthy would have been in the Middle of its path. Ing at Boissevain and Don to Stop until we reach grand says. Bust or not its still addicting. Its the emotional you could to see the end of the Hood of the car he Forks after 2 30 . After a Brief snooze and a sip of ride of says. It was very Burnt Coffee the group is Back on the Road by 8 ., nearer lightning strikes the ground in the distance As the headed towards the red Box in Iowa where severe Manitoba British Saskatchewan to that Columbia three Hills Saskatoon Vancouver Roblin Calgary Canada Kindersley Alberta Winnipeg Ontario Seattle Regina Washington Brandon grand Forks Montana North Dakota Minnesota Fargo Duluth Oregon Idaho Wisconsin Minneapolis St. Paul Toronto Watertown United states South Dakota Michigan Detroit photography Hawarden Wyoming Sioux City p Ruth Bonneville Nevada Sioux City Chicago Winnipeg free press Nebraska Iowa Ohio Day 2 Regina to three Hills Alber Day 3 Kindersley to Russell my Day 4 grand Forks through South Day 5 Sioux City Iowa to South where they went Day 1 Winnipeg to Brandon to to to Kindersley so. To just outside Brandon to grand Dakota to Watertown through to Sioux City Nebraska to grand Fork Regina. Forks we drove through the Hawarden Iowa. Then to Sioux City to Winnipeg. Boissevain Border crossing Iowa. And headed East How to stay Safe storm chasing terms learning the ropes. Bears Cage e ver since the 1996 movie twister but even with the latest satellite when stalking the most dangerous part of a storm glamorized the fanaticism of Hunt images chasers May not end up at the bad weather marked by intense winds rain and ing and tracking some of natures right spot at the right time. Hail. Most destructive storms More average an area under a severe thunderstorm. Always stay on the Southeast Joes have been jumping in their cars to or Tornado warning could be As Large As Side of the storm to avoid. Scud try to get a closer look at wicked skies. 40,000 Square Kilometres and chasers heavy rain Hail and lightning. Piece of Cloud usually not attached to that a part of the reason some of Man have to use data and intuition to take a you Are most Likely to be the thunderstorm base that is often Tobas most experienced storm chasers Stab at where the storm is going to injured or killed by flying mistaken for a Wall Cloud or Tornado. Debris. Severe weather scientists and Meteorol break. Super cell ogints decided to Pool their Wisdom and radar can to track whether or not a a thunderstorm with a persistent. If your hair stands on end Volunteer to teach a new generation of Tornado has touched Down and the rotating up draft. Although it is rare it you Are about to get hit by weather fanatics How to Chase and Prairie and Arctic storm prediction is responsible for severe weather like lightning. Crouch Down with understand storms safely and properly. Centre relies on information from on tornadoes Large Hail and damaging both feet on the ground or run University of Manitoba a storm Chas the ground weather spotters or storm winds. U of is Robyne Dyck under a mushroom Cloud in Alberta. To the nearest vehicle for ing course was offered for the first time chasers to confirm their forecasts and cover. Cap last year and is the Only program of its sometimes Issue weather warnings. Layer in the atmosphere that prevent kind in the country. We have the latest satellite Genera. Don to seek cover under an the development of a with a background in meter Tion yet we still can to Tell what a happen underpass. Its not Safe since towering cumulus from left Linda Pic Chris Hanline and Kyle Swystun Analyse weather patterns. 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 the rolling Hills North East of Calgary see a perfect storm of chasers As students from Manitoba and Chicago gather hot on the Trail of a super cell ;