DeKalb, IL partial eclipse and sunset 6/20/12

It was a really warm day today and it looked like there might be a great chance for some storms..... Well, it is DeKalb so part of that last sentence is mildly humorous.  We did have some storms move north of us and south of us, but it was quiet overall.  So, I was left hoping that the clouds would clear out enough to in order to see the partial eclipse this evening.  Sure enough, they held off and the partial eclipse was really cool.  Yet, the sunset that followed it was just as amazing.  It was best sunset I have seen in a long time.  The shots I grabbed are below.  Enjoy.

Click here for link to time lapse of the partial eclipse

May 6, 2012 Central/Northern IL chase

Today was one of those days where I was sitting at home doing work and couldn't resist a chase close to home.  I saw some storms firing along a warm-front south of town and decided to head down to have a look.  The mid-level support wasn't anything to write home about but there was some nice low-level backing of the winds along the front.  Overall, the storm mode was fairly messy and we kept having to avoid mergers all afternoon.  Either way,  it was a decent chase and I was home by 6PM.  Below are two shots I snagged.  Enjoy.

May 3, 2012 DeKalb, IL convection

It was a bit muggy here today in DeKalb.  We were under a slight risk for severe weather though it seemed marginal to me at best.  We certainly had enough instability to kick off storms with temperatures in the 80s and dew points in the upper 60s to lower 70s.  We just lacked the vertical wind shear to help keep these storms organized.  Either way, once these cells overcame the convective inhibition they really started to 'popcorn'.  So, I decided to head west of town after the NIU AMS banquet and grab a few shots of the cumulus towers.  When I arrived to my usual spot,  I was greeted by a brightly shining moon that I could capture in the same frame as the cumulus towers!  It was amazing.  These kinds of evenings really allow me to recharge my batteries, let alone help me make the final thesis push.  There is just something about being out in a field where I can't hear anything but the wind and smell anything but the spring air.  Nature is pretty damn cool.  Well, below are some of the photos I grabbed before the sun went down for the night.  Enjoy.

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