First chase of the year. A pretty significant outbreak was going on in the deep south, with a lesser threat in the local area. This would be my first year chasing with internet and radar, so at most I wanted to test things out before the season really got going.
We hit the
road around 115pm, almost an hour late because Matt didn't get me at noon
like he was supposed to. Saw something neither of us
expected. FOG. 
 I
actually was in a very pessimistic mood going into this chase, I knew
the chances of catching anything really good were gonna be very slim,
despite the massive outbreak going on down to the south and fairly
favorable predictions from SPC. Live conditions just didn't seem like
they would do anything, but I had already taken the half day, and I wanted to test out some of the new equipment I bought. The cell card
in the laptop works well, didn't die once although it was slow at times.
The anemometer also did its job even tho the units are in KPH and I
cant figure out how to change it, but I just looked at my
speedometer to get a quick conversion to MPH.
We
chose to go down I-57, there was a nice looking squall line with an
embedded bow echo moving east that had a few warnings with it. I thought
we had a chance but this thing was racing to the east very fast, one
good thing to learn is all the construction that ruined most chases
last year is all finished so we hit no traffic for the first time
ever.
We stopped in a little town called Chebanse for
gas, just in time for the only cellular storm of the day to pass
by. 
By
this point the day was pretty much over, but GR3 was indicating some stuff
developing behind the first squall line and SPC put out a new MD for
where we were at saying the potential was still there. Based on that we went a little
further south. We got off at IL-24 and headed east, the original plan was to
get ahead of the squall and dip south into Indiana before it passed, but
it weakened so we called it off.
One thing I love
is the crazy little towns we end up driving through, IL-24 took us through Gilman, Crescent City and finally in Watseka.
Local Police station.
What
comes after TCs? TDs! For those who don't know, TCs is a local favorite pub of mine. 
So ended chase #1, not too eventful but it ended up being a good test
of the new equipment so Ill be better prepared and organized for the
next chase. I was able to figure out what worked out well and what didn't, its
better to learn these things on a slow day then for it to be an active day
and realize everything is either getting in the way or not
working. Oh, yes that is a bag of Doritos reflected in the
windshield...lots of driving = lots of munchies! There usually isn't
time to stop and eat! We gotta be constantly on the
move.
I can see it being a good
year!
| 
Mar107
