![[Valid RSS]](images/valid-rss-rogers.png "Valid RSS")
This is a valid RSS feed.
This feed is valid, but interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.
<div id="attachment_4923" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter ...
line 42, column 0: (24 occurrences) [help]
<div id="attachment_4923" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter ...
line 42, column 0: (22 occurrences) [help]
<div id="attachment_4923" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter ...
line 42, column 0: (24 occurrences) [help]
<div id="attachment_4923" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter ...
line 93, column 0: (8 occurrences) [help]
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.6 ...
line 93, column 0: (8 occurrences) [help]
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.6 ...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</title> <atom:link href="https://www.chriskridler.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/</link> <description>writer, photographer, editor, storm chaser</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 18:59:38 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2</generator> <item> <title>As another storm-chasing season begins, the sky still beckons</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2024/04/as-another-storm-chasing-season-begins-the-sky-still-beckons/</link> <comments>https://www.chriskridler.com/2024/04/as-another-storm-chasing-season-begins-the-sky-still-beckons/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 18:59:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Creativity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[art]]></category> <category><![CDATA[life]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[storm chasing]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4926</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I keep hearing blogs are dead, unless they’re so full of searchable content that they’re not. Mine has been quiet for a while, and there are reasons for that. While I occasionally opine about writing and I love to share my photos, I mostly use the Sky Diary blog as a kind of archive so ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2024/04/as-another-storm-chasing-season-begins-the-sky-still-beckons/">As another storm-chasing season begins, the sky still beckons</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I keep hearing blogs are dead, unless they’re so full of searchable content that they’re not. Mine has been quiet for a while, and there are reasons for that.</p><p>While I occasionally opine about writing and I love to share my photos, I mostly use the Sky Diary blog as a kind of archive so I can remember and relive my storm chases over the years. But real life often gets in the way of my record-keeping. I still have a bunch of old files on my legacy storm-chasing site that haven’t migrated over here yet. And 2023 – well, I managed to post just one of my Tornado Alley chases with <a href="https://aletheakontis.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Alethea Kontis</a> from last year DURING last year. </p><div id="attachment_4923" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4923" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-21-900x557.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="557" class="size-large wp-image-4923" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-21-900x557.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-21-300x186.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-21-768x475.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-21.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4923" class="wp-caption-text">A lightning-filled, highly structured supercell on May 25, 2023, in New Mexico.</p></div> </p><p>Part of the issue is that when you’re chasing, you’re driving. And driving. And driving. And maybe eating subpar snacks and forecasting a little. If I’m lucky, I’ll get a few hours of sleep after dumping all my photo cards each night and backing everything up. It takes forever. And when I get home, I have to catch up with reality all over again.</p><div id="attachment_4927" style="width: 197px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://www.lucylakestone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LucyLakestone-hires.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4927" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/riskywhiskey-700-197x300.jpg" alt="" width="197" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-4927" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/riskywhiskey-700-197x300.jpg 197w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/riskywhiskey-700-459x700.jpg 459w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/riskywhiskey-700.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-4927" class="wp-caption-text">The Other Me is still writing novels.</p></div> So on the eve of chasing storms in 2024 — after missing a historic outbreak — I thought it might be time to catch up on my storm reports a bit. I’ll be posting a few fantastic 2023 chases under 2023 in the blog sequence (backdating them). Feel free to browse and see what you might find. The first one is up: a dazzling <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/25-may-2023-electrifying-lightning-filled-supercell-in-new-mexico/">lightning-producing storm in New Mexico on May 25, 2023</a>.</p><p>What have I been doing, if I’m so slow to post my chase photos? One, I have a day job editing books and creating book covers. Two, I’ve thrown almost all of my “extra” energy into writing new mysteries under my <a href="https://lucylakestone.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">pen name</a> and trying to grow the audience for those. Three, hubby and I are occasionally traveling now that the worst of the pandemic is over, and four, I have family obligations that take a bite out of my schedule. </p><p>And we have crazy dogs. Did I mention dogs?</p><p>Storm chasing has been a long and twisty road. It’s changed. So have I. As life gets more complicated, why do I keep doing it?</p><h3>Perspective after almost three decades of chasing</h3><p>I remember a time when I dreamed of integrating storm chasing into every part of my life, of being in the inner circle, of “making the grade” and earning some kind of gold star of recognition. I felt like I had something to prove, I guess. I haven’t fully achieved any of those things, for good reasons, it turns out, one of them being that sometimes those shiny things are worth less than you think. </p><p>But I chase. And storms did work their way into much of my life, elevating my photography and inspiring my <a href="https://chriskridler.com/books/">Storm Seekers Series of novels</a>. Storm chasing is a huge part of my identity still.</p><div id="attachment_3886" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3886" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/051322sdoz-11-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-medium wp-image-3886" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/051322sdoz-11-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/051322sdoz-11-900x675.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/051322sdoz-11-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/051322sdoz-11.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-3886" class="wp-caption-text">Visiting another roadside attraction with Alethea and Dorothy.</p></div>Back when I got hooked on chasing, I applied for jobs in Tornado Alley, which would have been a big move for me as a lifetime East Coaster. In the end, I compromised and took a job in Florida, figuring at least there’d be lightning storms. But I still had a “real job” in newspapers, and I wasn’t willing to make the sacrifices some chasers make — going into significant debt, living in their cars. I mean, I am IMPRESSED by that dedication. I just don’t have the constitution to endure the hardships. And there’s so much life to taste, to quote a song. I want to chase storms and do a lot more before my time runs out.</p><p>And now I have a life on the East Coast that means I’ll probably never live just a few hours’ drive from targets in the Alley, which means I’m going to continue to miss huge events like last week’s tornadoes unless I can somehow afford to — or desire to — shed a lot of the other things I do.</p><p>At this point — 2024 marks my 28th season — I’ve missed way more events than I’ve caught. But I’ve caught some incredible ones. </p><p>A hard lesson to learn if you’re really obsessed with storms is that you will NOT see everything. Sometimes you’ll even be on the right storm and not see the tornado, and it hurts. I still sting over some of my misses, but life is short, and you have to decide if you want to balance other priorities with the thrill of chasing. </p><p>Caveat: “Thrill” is not a great word to use, because it’s associated with an adrenaline rush, with courting danger, with “zero metering” (getting into a tornado, which I’ll never do intentionally). Adrenaline happens, of course, and so do mistakes, but the thrill for me is capturing nature’s spectacles along with the freedom of roving the country and going wherever the weather is. Seeing old friends is a huge part of chasing for me, too. And if I can capture beautiful structure, I don’t even care that much if I don’t see the tornado. </p><div id="attachment_3821" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3821" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/topstorms-67-900x600.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" class="size-large wp-image-3821" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/topstorms-67-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/topstorms-67-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/topstorms-67-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/topstorms-67.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-3821" class="wp-caption-text">Mammatus with a low-precipitation supercell at Earth, Texas, May 16, 2021. We missed the tornado, but I didn’t really care when I saw this.</p></div> </p><h3>The sky still calls, and so does the art</h3><p>Video has been totally devalued, so “getting the shot” is more for my satisfaction than for my occasional video sales (I’m not averse to sales, mind you!). And now YouTube has stripped monetization from my videos because I don’t get enough traffic. Not that I ever earned much. So I’m still trying to fund my passion, fund the art – sell photos (you can see some at <a href="https://stolenbutter.com/products/a-bridge-too-far?variant=42928422027481" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Stolen Butter Gallery</a>), sell books, and share beautiful things that people like. (You can <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chriskridler" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Buy Me a Coffee</a> with the links on this site if you enjoy my content.) </p><div id="attachment_4096" style="width: 200px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4096" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/052022texas-11-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-4096" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/052022texas-11-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/052022texas-11-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/052022texas-11-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/052022texas-11.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4096" class="wp-caption-text">The road beckons.</p></div>Some people say content is free, but you have to be able to afford to make it, or the only thing we’ll see is reductive AI iterations of storms and stories. And who wants that? So the struggle goes on.</p><p>Given chasing is rarely a fortune-making endeavor, it comes down to: Why do I chase? Still?</p><p>The wonder. The satisfaction of nailing a forecast. The exploration. I mentioned the freedom. And photography still drives me when I chase storms. My sensibility has evolved from a journalistic viewpoint to more of an artistic one. </p><p>When you’re “running and gunning” with stills and video, there’s extra challenge to framing a meaningful shot. Sometimes you just want to document the moment. And that’s OK. But when an opportunity presents itself to say more, you have to recognize it and take it. </p><p>That artistic quest, finding meaning in the moment, will never stop challenging me. And it’s another reason I keep going back to Tornado Alley.</p><hr><p><em>Keep up with our chases on my <a href="https://chriskridler.com/skydiary/">Sky Diary page</a> and on social media. Follow me on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=chriskridler" rel="noopener" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chriskridler/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FunnelVision/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Funnel Vision page on Facebook</a>.</em></p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2024/04/as-another-storm-chasing-season-begins-the-sky-still-beckons/">As another storm-chasing season begins, the sky still beckons</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.chriskridler.com/2024/04/as-another-storm-chasing-season-begins-the-sky-still-beckons/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>28 December 2023: Two SpaceX rocket launches in one night</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/12/28-december-2023-two-spacex-rocket-launches-in-one-night/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 29 Dec 2023 06:36:04 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category> <category><![CDATA[launch]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[space]]></category> <category><![CDATA[spacex]]></category> <category><![CDATA[video]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4854</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>It’s been months since I photographed a rocket launch, even though we’ve had a lot of them here on the Space Coast. I’ve been busy working and also writing books (under my pen name). There’s only so much time in the day … or the year. Which is almost over. But I couldn’t resist checking ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/12/28-december-2023-two-spacex-rocket-launches-in-one-night/">28 December 2023: Two SpaceX rocket launches in one night</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.66' style='height:380px;width:630px'><iframe class='youtube' style='height:100%;width:100%' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WGVce7tP8og?autohide=2&controls=1&disablekb=0&fs=1&start=0&loop=0&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light&modestbranding=1&wmode=transparent' width='100%' height='100%' frameborder='0' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div>It’s been months since I photographed a rocket launch, even though we’ve had a lot of them here on the Space Coast. I’ve been busy working and also writing books (under my pen name). There’s only so much time in the day … or the year. Which is almost over. But I couldn’t resist checking out the SpaceX Heavy launch and booster return on a beautiful evening … followed by another SpaceX launch, a Falcon 9 carrying more Starlink satellites.</p><p>My framing was a bit off for the Heavy launch, meaning the returning boosters can be seen just at the right edge of the composite image. Both images were shot on the edge of the Indian River Lagoon in Rockledge in slightly different locations. I wanted to include the pretty boat lit up for the holidays. The only disappointment is that from this angle, I couldn’t get the moon in the launch shot with my 12-24mm lens.</p><p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4855" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/122823falconheavymergeweb-500x700.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="700" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/122823falconheavymergeweb-500x700.jpg 500w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/122823falconheavymergeweb-214x300.jpg 214w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/122823falconheavymergeweb.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></p><p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4856" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/122823spacextwoweb.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/122823spacextwoweb.jpg 700w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/122823spacextwoweb-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/12/28-december-2023-two-spacex-rocket-launches-in-one-night/">28 December 2023: Two SpaceX rocket launches in one night</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>19 June 2023: Spectacular lightning on Florida’s Space Coast</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/06/19-june-2023-spectacular-lightning-on-floridas-space-coast/</link> <comments>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/06/19-june-2023-spectacular-lightning-on-floridas-space-coast/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jun 2023 03:55:34 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lightning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Space Coast]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4796</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>When I saw a big line of storms approaching the east coast of Florida with lots of lightning on June 19, I figured I could get into position to photograph it. But Act I of the chase was disappointing. I parked at the St. Johns River west of Cocoa and photographed the line coming in. ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/06/19-june-2023-spectacular-lightning-on-floridas-space-coast/">19 June 2023: Spectacular lightning on Florida’s Space Coast</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I saw a big line of storms approaching the east coast of Florida with lots of lightning on June 19, I figured I could get into position to photograph it. But Act I of the chase was disappointing. I parked at the St. Johns River west of Cocoa and photographed the line coming in. Just about all the lightning was in the clouds. I caught the shelf cloud, then as the rain hit, I scurried east and holed up at home with the scared dogs while it pounded over us.</p><p>But as the line was passing, I noticed a flash out our back door and thought, lightning crawlers? It was worth a try.</p><div id="attachment_4800" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4800" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-4-900x600.jpg" alt="After the storms pushed mostly offshore, they left in their wake an incredible lightning crawler show. This was shot from Rockledge, looking over the Indian River Lagoon." width="900" height="600" class="size-large wp-image-4800" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-4-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-4.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4800" class="wp-caption-text">After the storms pushed mostly offshore, they left in their wake an incredible lightning crawler show. This was shot from Rockledge, looking over the Indian River Lagoon.</p></div><p>I missed one or two amazing crawlers, like fireworks across the sky, as I tried to get set up along the Indian River Lagoon in Rockledge. Just when I was about to give up hope, a dazzling lightning crawler exploded across the sky from horizon to horizon. A quick preview of the shot showed it might be overexposed – this was a seriously bright bolt for a crawler. Fortunately, with a slight exposure adjustment in editing, it looked fantastic!</p><div id="attachment_4803" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4803" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-7-900x599.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="599" class="size-large wp-image-4803" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-7-900x599.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-7-768x511.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061923rocklightning-7.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4803" class="wp-caption-text">Lightning the night of June 19, 2023, shot by Rockledge High School.</p></div><p>I got a few more crawlers, none quite as spectacular. I moved to near Rockledge High School as more rain moved in. Now I shot from within my car to stay sort of dry (the camera still got wet; I had to wipe the lens frequently) and to stay safer. And in spite of the rain, I caught several more lovely lightning crawlers. Just before midnight, I headed home. This was the best lightning I’d seen on the Space Coast in a long time.</p><p>When do you see crawlers? In my experience, it’s usually late in the storm cycle, as severe storms have lost some of their power but are still electrified. Patience is essential, as great crawlers can occur several minutes apart. Crawlers can be intracloud (within one storm) or intercloud (between storm clouds). Some folks call it sheet lightning, spider lightning, streak lightning or heat lightning, a colloquial term also used for diffuse flashes caused by a storm that’s too far away to be seen. </p><p>Roll over an image to see a caption, or click on any photo to start a slide show.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/06/19-june-2023-spectacular-lightning-on-floridas-space-coast/">19 June 2023: Spectacular lightning on Florida’s Space Coast</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/06/19-june-2023-spectacular-lightning-on-floridas-space-coast/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>25 May 2023: Electrifying lightning-filled supercell in New Mexico</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/25-may-2023-electrifying-lightning-filled-supercell-in-new-mexico/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 26 May 2023 03:55:34 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[video]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2023]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lightning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[New Mexico]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[storm chasing]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4902</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Sometimes small chances lead to big payoffs when storm chasing – like the gorgeous, lightning-filled spinning supercell Alethea Kontis and I caught in New Mexico on May 25, 2023. We’d seen a beautiful, dusty supercell the previous day and ended up in Amarillo. We headed west toward New Mexico, not expecting much, and played around ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/25-may-2023-electrifying-lightning-filled-supercell-in-new-mexico/">25 May 2023: Electrifying lightning-filled supercell in New Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.66' style='height:380px;width:630px'><iframe class='youtube' style='height:100%;width:100%' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/iNcY-879nXQ?autohide=2&controls=1&disablekb=0&fs=1&start=0&loop=0&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light&modestbranding=1&wmode=transparent' width='100%' height='100%' frameborder='0' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div id="attachment_4906" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4906" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-4-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" class="size-medium wp-image-4906" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-4-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-4.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4906" class="wp-caption-text">We stopped in Tucumcari, New Mexico, to check out the old Route 66 landmarks. Tee Pee Curios is super cool.</p></div>Sometimes small chances lead to big payoffs when storm chasing – like the gorgeous, lightning-filled spinning supercell <a href="https://aletheakontis.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Alethea Kontis</a> and I caught in New Mexico on May 25, 2023.</p><p>We’d seen a beautiful, dusty supercell the previous day and ended up in Amarillo. We headed west toward New Mexico, not expecting much, and played around in the strip of cool vintage Retro 66 landmarks in Tucumcari. Tee Pee Curios is amazing and filled with wonderful goodies. </p><p>Speaking for myself, I was out of practice in the Chaser Patience department. We considered giving up, though I wanted to hedge our bets and stop and do some timelapses of the clouds just east of the Texas border. </p><p>The sky was gorgeous, and finally, storms initiated in the Land of Enchantment. So it was back over the border, where we were greeted by a towering anvil filled with mammatus over one of a couple of storms that had formed. As afternoon turned to evening, one became spectacularly dominant, a layered, spinning supercell spitting out almost constant lightning. The video is absolutely magical.</p><div id="attachment_4917" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4917" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-15-900x600.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" class="size-large wp-image-4917" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-15-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-15-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-15-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/052523nmstorms-15.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4917" class="wp-caption-text">A sparky lightning show ensued.</p></div><p>The bad news: Wind blew over my tripod with one of my Nikons on board, damaging my favorite wide-angle lens. I’d had the 12-24mm for years and didn’t realize that night that it wasn’t working correctly after its plummet to the earth, so I had issues with soft focus on the later photos I took of the supercell. Drat! I’m writing this almost a year later; the lens has been replaced. But the rest of the trip meant being very judicious about focusing if I used that lens, or I just used another lens.</p><p>Click on any image to start a slide show.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/25-may-2023-electrifying-lightning-filled-supercell-in-new-mexico/">25 May 2023: Electrifying lightning-filled supercell in New Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>24 May 2023: Dusty tornadic supercell in New Mexico</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/24-may-2023-dusty-tornadic-supercell-in-new-mexico/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 25 May 2023 03:27:08 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2023]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lightning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[New Mexico]]></category> <category><![CDATA[storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[supercell]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Texas]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4844</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>  It took a while for Alethea Kontis and I to “pull the trigger” on this year’s storm-chasing trip. That’s what my chaser friends who don’t live in Tornado Alley say when they’re planning to hit the road. For most of us, with jobs and families and other things that keep us busy, we can’t ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/24-may-2023-dusty-tornadic-supercell-in-new-mexico/">24 May 2023: Dusty tornadic supercell in New Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.66' style='height:380px;width:630px'><iframe class='youtube' style='height:100%;width:100%' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6z6btYAVvQg?autohide=2&controls=1&disablekb=0&fs=1&start=0&loop=0&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light&modestbranding=1&wmode=transparent' width='100%' height='100%' frameborder='0' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </center><br /> <br />It took a while for Alethea Kontis and I to “pull the trigger” on this year’s storm-chasing trip. That’s what my chaser friends who don’t live in Tornado Alley say when they’re planning to hit the road. For most of us, with jobs and families and other things that keep us busy, we can’t do a lot of spur-of-the-moment thousand-mile trips. It’s better to block out a week or two and maximize our time on the road.</p><div id="attachment_4831" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4831" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-22-900x600.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" class="size-large wp-image-4831" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-22-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-22-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-22-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-22.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4831" class="wp-caption-text">A view of the inflow features.</p></div> <br />The pattern didn’t look fantastic, but I thought there was potential around the periphery of the ridge. And we were rewarded with many beautiful storms, all of which I will eventually post on the blog. This was the first one we chased, on May 24, starting eastern New Mexico and working its way east into Texas after dark.</p><p>We saw the potential even as we left Florida, and I was determined that we would chase this day if we could get there. It was a long haul, and we got on the storms a bit late, so our position wasn’t great to see the tornado our friend Jason Persoff saw. And a later tornado was seen by chasers who didn’t mind driving into the heart of the beast. I don’t have much stomach for core-chasing, so we stayed back and were treated to gorgeous, dramatic structure.</p><div id="attachment_4842" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4842" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-33-900x581.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="581" class="size-large wp-image-4842" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-33-900x581.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-33-300x194.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-33-768x496.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/052423nmstorms-33.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4842" class="wp-caption-text">As darkness fell, this dusty storm got extremely sparky.</p></div> </p><p>The storm turned into a dust-eating UFO after dark as it moved into the Texas Panhandle, and we got hypnotic lightning shots and timelapses before the chase was done.</p><p>Roll over any photo to see a caption, or click on one to start a slide show.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/24-may-2023-dusty-tornadic-supercell-in-new-mexico/">24 May 2023: Dusty tornadic supercell in New Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>23 May 2022: Recounting the tornado chase of a massive beast of a supercell in Texas, one year later</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/23-may-2022-tornado-chase-of-a-massive-beast-of-a-supercell-in-texas/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 22 May 2023 04:24:11 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Morton]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Texas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[tornado]]></category> <category><![CDATA[video]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4791</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>  It’s been almost a year since the May 23, 2022, chase in Texas that was both awesome and maddening. Alethea Kontis and I were on the storm of the day from the moment it was a piddly shower. But the wrong move put us on the wrong side of a wall of dust that ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/23-may-2022-tornado-chase-of-a-massive-beast-of-a-supercell-in-texas/">23 May 2022: Recounting the tornado chase of a massive beast of a supercell in Texas, one year later</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.66' style='height:380px;width:630px'><iframe class='youtube' style='height:100%;width:100%' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yMe5NQ0Ty4Y?autohide=2&controls=1&disablekb=0&fs=1&start=0&loop=0&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light&modestbranding=1&wmode=transparent' width='100%' height='100%' frameborder='0' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </center><br /> <br />It’s been almost a year since the May 23, 2022, chase in Texas that was both awesome and maddening. <a href="https://aletheakontis.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Alethea Kontis</a> and I were on the storm of the day from the moment it was a piddly shower. But the wrong move put us on the wrong side of a wall of dust that obscured a massive, violent tornado.</p><p>This is the one storm from 2022 that I didn’t post last year as I worked through all of my photos … maybe because it was so epic. Or maybe because we didn’t see exactly what we wanted to see.</p><div id="attachment_4774" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4774" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-22.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" class="size-full wp-image-4774" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-22.jpg 1200w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-22-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-22-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-22-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4774" class="wp-caption-text">Tornadic supercell near Morton, Texas.</p></div> <br />We hung out in Muleshoe, first, and learned a bit about mules (see the video). Then we saw a sun halo, one of many we saw in 2022. We weren’t sure if we should take it as a good sign, however, given how weak our chase trip had been thus far. But we targeted Morton – later the site of the wedge tornado – and not far from there, eyed a growing but unimpressive supercell. When it appeared a dusty outflow boundary would overtake the storm, it seemed like it might be in trouble. Even though in the back of my mind, I thought of Florida’s outflow boundaries and how they can make a storm spin up a tornado, I couldn’t imagine what followed. <a href="https://stormdoctor.smugmug.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Jason Persoff</a> (with whom we’d met up) and Alethea and I began a repositioning maneuver in the wrong direction, and then the storm went nuts.</p><p>This time we moved with the dust back toward the storm. And I confess, I wasn’t ready to dive-bomb into the core to see what was on the other side. What was clear is that there was a big tornado in there, but we didn’t have the fantastic view the chasers who hung out among the falling giant hailstones had. Yet we did have a view of the monster. As the power lines sang an eerie tune in the inflow winds, we watched it get closer and decided to see if we could get into a position where we had a view of the supercell’s base. And maybe a tornado.</p><div id="attachment_4782" style="width: 350px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4782" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-32-467x700.jpg" alt=""Supercell Skyscraper" by Chris Kridler" width="467" height="700" class="size-large wp-image-4782" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-32-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-32-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-32.jpg 667w" sizes="(max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4782" class="wp-caption-text">"Supercell Skyscraper" – A dusty beast of a spinning tornadic supercell looms over west Texas on May 23, 2002. Prints available at StolenButter.com. Photo © Chris Kridler, ChrisKridler.com</p></div>We approached the dramatic stacked layers of the dusty beast, got almost under it and saw – more dust. And a dark shape in the dust. Given how the dust swept around the notch and chased us down the road – not to mention the radar signature – I feel certain we saw a tornado in there. Barely.</p><p>We bailed on the conga line of storm chasers – so many chasers – and dropped south to get a tremendous view of the stacked supercell. My favorite image of this I call “Texas Skyscraper,” and it’s <a href="https://stolenbutter.com/collections/the-spinning-sky/products/supercell-skyscraper" rel="noopener" target="_blank">available at Stolen Butter Gallery</a>. </p><p>After Alethea had to get medieval on the sovereign of a local gas station to let us fill up – they were trying to close because of the storm, even though they were safely out of the path and we were running on fumes – we pursued the cell into its lightning phase. It was very difficult to keep up, and eventually we let it slip off into the darkness, a wild runaway in the night.</p><div id="attachment_4783" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4783" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-33.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" class="size-full wp-image-4783" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-33.jpg 1200w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-33-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-33-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/052322mortontxcell-33-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4783" class="wp-caption-text">The storm was a prolific lightning producer.</p></div> </p><p>Some chasers had close calls that went along with their fantastic view of this storm. Check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFT3i23lN0A" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pecos Hank Schyma’s harrowing video</a>. I’ve done a lot of Monday-morning quarterbacking in the wake of this chase, but it’s hard to come up with a perfect scenario even if I could relive the day.</p><p>This storm pretty much wrapped up our 2022 chase season. At least it was a real storm – a powerful and visually stunning supercell. And if I look hard enough into my photos, I see the big tornado.</p><p>Now we’re about to head out to the Plains again, much later than usual given the quiet pattern in Tornado Alley. I’m not expecting much, but it will be great to be on the road again. </p><p>To get all the latest updates, follow me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FunnelVision" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chriskridler/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@chriskridler" rel="noopener" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. (Alethea’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/AletheaKontis" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here on YouTube</a> as well.) </p><p>If you like our photos and video, won’t you consider throwing a few bucks into the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/princess-aletheas-2023-stormchasing-gas-fund" rel="noopener" target="_blank">storm chasing gas fund</a>? Thank you! </p><p>Roll over any photo to see a caption, or click on an image to start a slide show. </p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/05/23-may-2022-tornado-chase-of-a-massive-beast-of-a-supercell-in-texas/">23 May 2022: Recounting the tornado chase of a massive beast of a supercell in Texas, one year later</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>30 April 2023: SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch at twilight</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/30-april-2023-spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-launch-twilight/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 01 May 2023 03:55:59 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rocket launch]]></category> <category><![CDATA[space]]></category> <category><![CDATA[spacex]]></category> <category><![CDATA[timelapse]]></category> <category><![CDATA[video]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4742</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>  SpaceX launched a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center at twilight on April 30, 2023, with the ViaSat 3 internet satellite and two other payloads. I went to Cocoa Village to try to get a shot. It was about a half hour after sunset, and I could have tried a streak shot but ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/30-april-2023-spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-launch-twilight/">30 April 2023: SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch at twilight</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.66' style='height:380px;width:630px'><iframe class='youtube' style='height:100%;width:100%' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fj4YS2-a-JY?autohide=2&controls=1&disablekb=0&fs=1&start=0&loop=0&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light&modestbranding=1&wmode=transparent' width='100%' height='100%' frameborder='0' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </center><br /> <br />SpaceX launched a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center at twilight on April 30, 2023, with the ViaSat 3 internet satellite and two other payloads. I went to Cocoa Village to try to get a shot. It was about a half hour after sunset, and I could have tried a streak shot but worried it wouldn’t be quite dark enough for the long exposure (and I didn’t have an appropriate neutral density filter). </p><p>Instead, I opted to bring out Big Bertha (the 200-500mm lens) with mixed results. Even when the photos are rough, images of these launches always have a touch of the spectacular with all the fire and color.</p><div id="attachment_4745" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4745" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/043023spacex-3-876x700.jpg" alt="I love the blue in the SpaceX rocket flames." width="876" height="700" class="size-large wp-image-4745" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/043023spacex-3-876x700.jpg 876w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/043023spacex-3-300x240.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/043023spacex-3-768x614.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/043023spacex-3.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4745" class="wp-caption-text">I love the blue in the SpaceX rocket flames.</p></div> </p><p>The GoPro timelapse (shot in nightlapse mode on a Hero 8) turned out nicely. Check out the video for 45 seconds of magic.</p><p>Roll over any photo to see a caption, or click on an image to start a slide show.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/30-april-2023-spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-launch-twilight/">30 April 2023: SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch at twilight</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>29 April 2023: LOUD hailstorm chase on Florida’s Space Coast</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/29-april-2023-loud-hailstorm-chase-on-floridas-space-coast/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 30 Apr 2023 02:37:36 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[video]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category> <category><![CDATA[hail]]></category> <category><![CDATA[hailstorm]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Space Coast]]></category> <category><![CDATA[storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[weather]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4738</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>  This is the third day out of four that I ended up storm chasing. Today’s chase was even more spontaneous than Thursday’s, as I’d been at an event for most of the afternoon and visibility was terrible today. But then, in spite of the murk, I saw the cool structure on this severe storm ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/29-april-2023-loud-hailstorm-chase-on-floridas-space-coast/">29 April 2023: LOUD hailstorm chase on Florida’s Space Coast</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.66' style='height:380px;width:630px'><iframe class='youtube' style='height:100%;width:100%' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/woqASrIKWLw?autohide=2&controls=1&disablekb=0&fs=1&start=0&loop=0&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light&modestbranding=1&wmode=transparent' width='100%' height='100%' frameborder='0' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </center><br /> </p><div id="attachment_4731" style="width: 350px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4731" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042923cocoahail-3-467x700.jpg" alt="" width="467" height="700" class="size-large wp-image-4731" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042923cocoahail-3-467x700.jpg 467w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042923cocoahail-3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042923cocoahail-3.jpg 667w" sizes="(max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4731" class="wp-caption-text">A side view of the hailstorm that tempted me into a short, loud chase.</p></div>This is the third day out of four that I ended up storm chasing. Today’s chase was even more spontaneous than Thursday’s, as I’d been at an event for most of the afternoon and visibility was terrible today.</p><p>But then, in spite of the murk, I saw the cool structure on this severe storm and couldn’t resist. Besides, the hail core looked decent, especially for Florida’s Space Coast, so I headed north from Rockledge to see if I could intercept it. Or, more accurately, to let it chase me. It followed me as I headed north.</p><p>I was behind the eight ball from the start of this very short chase, mostly thanks to the prodigious traffic lights of Cocoa. That said, when I saw a perfect hail shelter – a carport at a closed business – I couldn’t resist parking in this strategic spot and waiting to be cored. That’s what chasers call letting yourself be run over by a storm’s hail core.</p><p>The experience of being under a metal carport in a hailstorm is satisfyingly loud. These weren’t giant stones, but for Florida? They were pretty good. I measured multiple 1.5-inch stones. They melted quickly. And they shredded leaves on the trees. </p><p>I didn’t get a chance to get a radar snapshot in the middle of the barrage, but an even bigger core passed to my southeast. I’m wondering how big those hailstones were. </p><p>You can check out my chase on the video, and here are a few photos. Roll over any one to see a caption, or click on one to start a slide show.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/29-april-2023-loud-hailstorm-chase-on-floridas-space-coast/">29 April 2023: LOUD hailstorm chase on Florida’s Space Coast</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>April 26-27, 2023: Two days of chasing severe and tornado-warned Florida storms</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/april-two-days-of-chasing-florida-storms/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 28 Apr 2023 20:48:11 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[video]]></category> <category><![CDATA[chase reports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[supercell]]></category> <category><![CDATA[weather]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4709</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>  Severe storms two days in a row. With hail. And tornado warnings. In Florida? And I got to chase them both. It’s been a weird week for us here in east-central Florida and the Space Coast, but the weather reflects the overall weather pattern, with the southern branch of the jet stream enhancing our ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/april-two-days-of-chasing-florida-storms/">April 26-27, 2023: Two days of chasing severe and tornado-warned Florida storms</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.66' style='height:380px;width:630px'><iframe class='youtube' style='height:100%;width:100%' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RoHQXK_9Q-A?autohide=2&controls=1&disablekb=0&fs=1&start=0&loop=0&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light&modestbranding=1&wmode=transparent' width='100%' height='100%' frameborder='0' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div></center><br /> <br />Severe storms two days in a row. With hail. And tornado warnings. In Florida? And I got to chase them both.</p><p>It’s been a weird week for us here in east-central Florida and the Space Coast, but the weather reflects the overall weather pattern, with the southern branch of the jet stream enhancing our chances of severe storms.</p><div id="attachment_4711" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042623supercell-2.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4711" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042623supercell-2-300x200.jpg" alt="After a ridiculous amount of driving in the rain and horrible traffic April 26, we stopped south of Melbourne at Turkey Creek and got this fantastic view of the supercell, which dumped tons of small hail as it moved south." width="300" height="200" class="size-medium wp-image-4711" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042623supercell-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042623supercell-2-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042623supercell-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042623supercell-2.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-4711" class="wp-caption-text">After a ridiculous amount of driving in the rain and horrible traffic, we stopped south of Melbourne at Turkey Creek and got this fantastic view of the supercell, which dumped tons of small hail as it moved south.</p></div>On Wednesday, April 26, <a href="https://aletheakontis.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Alethea Kontis</a> and I headed out west of Titusville to see the brewing storms. There was a decent chance of big hail with unusually cold temperatures aloft. We had a great view of the sky from a point on State Road 50, and as you can see in the video, there’s disturbing news about Cow, our wind-up companion.</p><p>We left our viewing spot after reviewing the radar and got on a good-looking storm a bit farther south, following it all the way to Vero Beach through horrible traffic and a lot of rain. Once we got south of it, we were able to get a couple of shots of the pretty structure from a bridge over Turkey Creek in the Palm Bay area. At this time, it was dumping drifts of small hail on parts of Melbourne, but we wanted to stay out of the core in hopes of getting photos.</p><p>There weren’t many more opportunities for that, given the territory, but we parked under an overhang in Indian Harbor Shores and waited for the hail to come to us. There was lots of it – but it was all small. Still, it felt like being in a hurricane for a few minutes, and there was lots of minor tree debris and flooding on the road afterward.</p><div id="attachment_4723" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4723" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042723flstorm-9-900x600.jpg" alt="East Coast Florida supercell." width="900" height="600" class="size-large wp-image-4723" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042723flstorm-9-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042723flstorm-9-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042723flstorm-9-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/042723flstorm-9.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4723" class="wp-caption-text">There were many suggestive shapes in the murk as the tornado-warned storm moved east beyond the Indian River Lagoon on April 27.</p></div> </p><h3>Tornado-warned storms on Day Two</h3><p>The next day, April 27, I worked all day, then saw storms headed our way. They seemed promising, so I headed out to the west side of Cocoa near I-95 to take a look. I got into some small hail, then tried to get into position on a tornado-warned storm coming at me without actually getting creamed by said tornado. It was radar-indicated, and while the video shows curvature to the storm amid the deluge, I didn’t see anything tornadic.</p><p>But I dropped slightly south to Rockledge to intercept another storm, and it did a dramatic dance for me before moving east with a tornado warning on it. I hastened to the edge of the Indian River Lagoon and saw what was probably the wildest storm I’ve ever seen in Florida. The structure was fluffy and mushy and tinged with green, presumably from the hail, but a real live rotating wall cloud formed under it. It wasn’t rotating quickly, but it was stunning. Was anything happening in the murk? I wasn’t fully prepared for my “gentleman’s chase” and couldn’t really zoom in well with the lenses I had, but my imagination was working overtime seeing funnels in the gunk.</p><p>Check out the video and see what you think.</p><p><center><div class='video_frame' data-ratio='1.66' style='height:380px;width:630px'><iframe class='youtube' style='height:100%;width:100%' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ef8KwaGA8uI?autohide=2&controls=1&disablekb=0&fs=1&start=0&loop=0&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light&modestbranding=1&wmode=transparent' width='100%' height='100%' frameborder='0' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div></center><br /> </p><p>I’m starting to feel warmed up for Tornado Alley. If you want to keep up with our chases this season, please follow me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FunnelVision" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chriskridler/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@chriskridler" rel="noopener" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. (Alethea’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/AletheaKontis" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here on YouTube</a> as well.) </p><p>If you like our photos and video, <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/princess-aletheas-2023-stormchasing-gas-fund" rel="noopener" target="_blank">won’t you consider throwing a few bucks into the storm chasing gas fund</a>? Thank you!</p><p>Here are photos from both days of chasing. Roll over an image to see the caption, or click on any one to start a slide show.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/april-two-days-of-chasing-florida-storms/">April 26-27, 2023: Two days of chasing severe and tornado-warned Florida storms</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>14 April 2023: Lightning zaps the Space Coast</title> <link>https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/14-april-2023-lightning-zaps-the-space-coast/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Kridler]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 15 Apr 2023 03:00:13 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Storm chasing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[drought]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lightning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[storm chasing]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.chriskridler.com/?p=4702</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>  After the epic 25+ inches of rain in two days and flooding in Fort Lauderdale this week, you’d think we’d all be swimming in rain in Florida. But our place on the Space Coast is still dry. Just a few showers are only teasing the plants rather than making them truly happy. I like ...</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/14-april-2023-lightning-zaps-the-space-coast/">14 April 2023: Lightning zaps the Space Coast</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_4705" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4705" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423flbolt1web.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" class="size-full wp-image-4705" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423flbolt1web.jpg 800w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423flbolt1web-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423flbolt1web-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4705" class="wp-caption-text">Lightning moving east of Sebastian, Florida, as shot from Rockledge on April 14, 2023. Photo by Chris Kridler, ChrisKridler.com</p></div> <br />After the epic 25+ inches of rain in two days and flooding in Fort Lauderdale this week, you’d think we’d all be swimming in rain in Florida. But our place on the Space Coast is still dry. Just a few showers are only teasing the plants rather than making them truly happy. I like to have a lush tropical garden.<br /> <br /><div id="attachment_4703" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4703" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20230411_fl_text-900x695.png" alt="" width="900" height="695" class="size-large wp-image-4703" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20230411_fl_text-900x695.png 900w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20230411_fl_text-300x232.png 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20230411_fl_text-768x593.png 768w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20230411_fl_text.png 1056w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4703" class="wp-caption-text">Much of Florida is still plagued by drought.</p></div> <br /><div id="attachment_4707" style="width: 163px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423lightningradar.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4707" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423lightningradar-163x300.jpg" alt="" width="163" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-4707" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423lightningradar-163x300.jpg 163w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423lightningradar-380x700.jpg 380w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423lightningradar.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 163px) 100vw, 163px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-4707" class="wp-caption-text">Click to see a larger version of the RadarScope radar image.</p></div>Yes, this is typically the “dry” season, but our drought conditions are classified as severe, as you can see from this graphic.</p><p>Still, there were a few storms Friday, and while I didn’t set aside time for a real chase, I ran out to try to catch lightning bolts from a storm moving offshore Friday night, April 14. The radar showed it was coming off Sebastian, south of Palm Bay. I was able to see it from Rockledge. The distance and haze may have even lent the photographs some atmospheric color. </p><p>I got a couple of decent lightning shots that just whetted my appetite for storm chasing this May with <a href="https://aletheakontis.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Alethea Kontis</a>. I’m just hoping there’s more actual weather to chase in May this year than there was during last year’s sparse season. Many areas in Tornado Alley could use the rain, too.</p><div id="attachment_4704" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4704" src="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423bolt2web.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" class="size-full wp-image-4704" srcset="https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423bolt2web.jpg 800w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423bolt2web-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.chriskridler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/041423bolt2web-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><p id="caption-attachment-4704" class="wp-caption-text">Lightning moving east of Sebastian, Florida, as shot from Rockledge on April 14, 2023. Photo by Chris Kridler, ChrisKridler.com</p></div> <br />Each of these shots was for just under 10 seconds at F/5.6, ISO 100, using my 85mm Nikkor lens on my Nikon D500. On a tripod, of course.</p><p>If you want to keep up with our chases this season, please follow me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FunnelVision" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chriskridler/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@chriskridler" rel="noopener" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. (Alethea’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/AletheaKontis" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here on YouTube</a> as well.) I hope we’ll have more to share soon!</p><p>The post <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com/2023/04/14-april-2023-lightning-zaps-the-space-coast/">14 April 2023: Lightning zaps the Space Coast</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.chriskridler.com">Chris Kridler | Sky Diary Productions</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
Download the "valid RSS" banner.
Upload the image to your own server. (This step is important. Please do not link directly to the image on this server.)
Add this HTML to your page (change the image src attribute if necessary):
If you would like to create a text link instead, here is the URL you can use:
http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=http%3A//chriskridler.com/feed/
