- APRIL 30, 1997 DAY CHASE
VUSIT CHASE LOG
30 APRIL 1997
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11:45 AM: Heading South on St. Rt. 2 out of Valpo. Target looks to be Watseka, IL.
12:25 PM: In Lowell, waiting to pick up Tom Skilling's weathercast on our portable color TV. Heading South on IN 41...heading toward 24 West.
12:40 PM: A series of horizontal rolls are seen in the sky. Strong directional shear is evident.
1:10 PM: Heading west on 24...at Kentland, IL...tornado watch just issued for most of central, western and northern IL.
1:15 PM: Lightning picked up on T.O.I.L.E.T. (Lightning Detection Data) 150-200 miles due west of Kentland.
1:23 PM: Current temp: 75 degrees F. Dewpoint 52...rising sharply as we head west...up 4 degrees from 10 min. ago.
1:27 PM: Dewpoint 53.1 degrees.
1:45 PM: Dewpoint 54.4 degrees, lightning now detected 135 miles due west.
1:51 PM: Decision to take 57 south for 3 miles to highway 54..heading SW to Gibson City, IL. Dewpoint 54.8 degrees. Tornado warning near Quincy, IL. Clearing skies..Gusty SE winds.
2:13 PM: Dewpoint 57 degrees, as we approach Gibson City.
2:21 PM: Base support acknowledges a line of supercells on radar to our west.
2:30 PM: VUSIT gasses up and grabs some lunch.
3:50 PM: Tornado warning...McClain County...our exact location!!!
4:03 PM: VUSIT spots clear slot....rain free base....lowering?
4:04 PM: VUSIT races south toward the storm through the town of Ellisworth, IL.
4:06 PM: VUSIT spots a rotating wall cloud about 1 mile to our west/northwest.
4:09 PM: Rotating wall cloud becomes rain-wrapped and is no longer visable.
4:10 PM: Rear flank downdraft shifts winds as we begin to pursue mesocyclone.
4:12 PM: VUSIT shifts north. Wall cloud becomes visable again.
4:13 PM: VUSIT loses sight of wall cloud again as it becomes wrapped in rain.
4:14 PM: VUSIT heads back through Ellisworth as storm shows signs of weakening.
4:16 PM: We head eastward and follow the advancing line of severe storms... several thunderstorm and tornado warnings east and south of us.
6:00 PM: The day comes to an end as the storms begin to die and advance into central Indiana..we drive into Laffeyette, IN and head north back to V.U.