2020 Severe Weather Experiences: Year In Review

2020 was a year out of the ordinary indeed. The annual Linn County Severe Weather Spotter Training by the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities got in just under the gun of the growing Covid-19 pandemic on Saturday, March 7, 2020. By the following Thursday, the NWS DVN had shut down all in-person training sessions. A similar domino effect was occurring throughout the country, with church services, restaurants, basketball tournaments and myriad other scheduled events all cancelling. Spotting and intercepting severe weather was now for the individual. To add insult to injury, two large destructive storm events would strike the Cedar Rapids metro area in 2020, causing damage in the millions of dollars. The following images have been selected from severe weather events this past year that I intercepted and/or spotted for. 

6:08 pm CDT, March 28, 2020: (Image above) A tornado-warned cell looking north from Interstate 380, just north of the town of Brandon in Buchanan County, Iowa. The storm cell, located about 6 miles distant in Black Hawk County, featured a lengthy inflow cloud.

6:40 pm CDT, April 7, 2020:  Large hail falls in our back yard in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The first of two widespread destructive storms of the year. Duration of the event here was about ten minutes. The inset picture at lower left shows the largest stone harvested from our back yard--2.5 inches in width! This was probably the largest hail stone I have ever encountered. The storm was responsible for millions in dollars in damage throughout Eastern Iowa and kept insurance and roofing companies busy throughout the year.

7:55 pm CDT, May 14, 2020: Looking southwest at a wall cloud, seen from my spotting position on Yucca Avenue, about a tenth-mile south of Highway 92, about one mile east of US Highway 218, and about 1.8 miles east of Ainsworth, Iowa in Washington County. The wall cloud was about 20 miles distant, near the town of Brighton in Washington County.

2:27 pm CDT, May 26, 2020: Wall cloud passing to my right, southwest of my location on US Highway 30 at V40/Highway 131, about 4 miles northeast of Belle Plaine, Iowa in Benton County, Iowa. The wall cloud was about 8 miles distant. The painted grain bin at left would later be destroyed in the August 10 derecho.

7:03 pm CDT, June 3, 2020: Beautifully spreading cumulonimbus anvil cloud to the southeast of my spotting location on Alburnett Road in the Bowman Meadows housing development in Marion, Iowa. The storm was located about 55 miles distant, and about 6 miles southeast of Durant, Iowa. The anvil cloud stretched some 50 miles from left-to-right in the image, and at times showed a peeking overshooting top. 

1:49 pm CDT, June 4, 2020: Northbound on Highway 13 just south of County Home Road, just north of Marion, Iowa in Linn County. The most intense area of the severe-warned storm was located about 16 miles distant, near the town of Troy Mills in Linn County. This storm began to weaken, and lost its severe warning about 5 minutes later.

4:17 pm CDT, June 21, 2020: Rain shafts drop from departing severe-warned storm to my east, located near Anamosa, Iowa in Jones County--about 16 miles distant. Image was captured from North 10th Street in Marion, Iowa, about a quarter-mile south of County Home Road.

3:16 pm CDT, June 26, 2020: Wall cloud to my northeast as seen from East Mission Road, about .8-mile east of Strawberry Point, Iowa in Clayton County. Storm is about 11 miles distant.

9:18 am CDT, June 27, 2020. Brief possible wall cloud in tornado-warned cell, looking southwest from Highway 330 at N99th Avenue W in northwest Jasper County, Iowa. The wall cloud was located about 12 miles distant. iPhone 6-Plus camera.

8:30 pm CDT, July 7, 2020: Severe-warned storm cell to the northwest, featuring a colorful anvil cloud near sunset, seen from the Bowman Meadows housing development in Marion, Iowa. The most intense area of this storm was located about 55 miles distant, near the town of Reinbeck, in Black Hawk County.

10:22 am CDT, July 11, 2020: Incoming shelf cloud along a gust front to the west, as seen from Stamy Road at West Main Street in Robins, Iowa in Linn County. The leading edge of the storm was about 8 miles distant. 60-plus mph winds occurred from this storm as it blew through. iPhone 6-Plus camera.

1:05 pm CDT, August 10, 2020: The "Grandaddy" of them all. Wind gusts approaching 100 mph blast against my spotting vehicle, located on Quiver Court just south of Boyson Road (background) in Marion, Iowa. A pickup truck, who was using my vehicle as a wind break, can be seen in my sideview mirror.  Power in some local places was out for several weeks, if not months. The aftermath was the most widespread destruction I have witnessed in my life. The derecho tracked for 770 miles, and caused 7.5 billion dollars in damage, ranking it the fourth costliest storm in US history. 

3:57 pm CDT, August 28, 2020. Same spotting location as for the derecho. A severe-warned cell approaches from the west, about 40 miles distant, near the town of Traer, in Tama County, Iowa. The Cedar Rapids metro area was prepared to sound sirens if wind speeds reached 40 mph (lower than the 58 mph severe norm), because of the danger of already broken tree branches from the recent derecho. The storm would pass to the north here, with no sirens sounded. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera images.

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KGAN Derecho Interview

I was afforded the honor of an interview of my experiences in the August 10, 2020 derecho storm event by KGAN Channel 2 on Wednesday afternoon, December 9, 2020. The interview was to be part of a piece about the epic storm to be aired by the TV station on February 10, 2021. Above, the interviewing crew (all with social distancing accoutrements) are shown on the grounds of Broadcast Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa following its conclusion. At center is meteorologist Sara Flynn, who posed the questions. iPhone 6 Plus camera.

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A Celestial Game of Chicken Unfolding

 On their way to their December 21 "collision" date, the planets Saturn (upper left at center) and Jupiter are shown within about one degree of one another in the southwest sky on Thursday evening, December 10, 2020. Images from Bowman Woods Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Saturn shown at 0.64 magnitude, Jupiter at -1.99. Above image was captured at 5:38 pm CST, and is a 4 second exposure at f/5.6, ISO 320, 55mm focal length.

5:44 pm. Looking southwest over Chatham Road NE from Bowman Woods Park. 2.5 second exposure at f/4.5, ISO 320, 32mm focal length.

While out in the field in the park, I noticed the distant hillside to my south (looking over Brentwood Drive NE) appearing far more open than it once was, and quickly realized the August 10 derecho storm was the cause. Many trees were damaged or destroyed there and have since been removed, revealing houses and their Christmas lights. This is a three-shot panorama, shot at 5:47 pm. It is a 2.5 second exposure at f/4.5, ISO 320, 18mm focal length. Air temperature was 44 degrees F, down for a daily high of 60 degrees F. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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Hot Sky, Cold Landscape

 A blazing morning sky as seen from Brentwood Drive NE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa was contrasted by a cold wintry December landscape on Saturday morning, December 5, 2020. The top image was captured at 7:11 am CST, the bottom a minute later. Temperatures were in the low 20s F. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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Loess Hills Day 3: Spacious Skies, Fruited Plains and Amber Waves of Grain

 Last day of our visit to western Iowa and the Loess Hills. Sunday, November 8, 2020. The plan was to navigate north to the Loess Hills Scenic Byway and make stops at our last remaining points of interest this morning before returning home. After leaving our cabin at Arrowhead Park, our first (unplanned) stop of the day provided this panoramic capture at 7:55 am CST along Magnolia Road, about 1.75 miles east of Highway L34 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Farm landscapes here featured beautifully terraced fields as far as the eye could see...and beyond.

8:59 am. Hay bales and rustic barns are seen above from Golden Place (road) just off Highway 183 in Harrison County. Cumulus clouds dotted the blue skies. Winds were brisk but temperatures again rose to the upper 70s F.

9:08 am. Panoramic view of hay bales and some of the Loess Hills, northbound on Highway 183 about a quarter-mile south of Geneva Place (road) in Harrison County. 

9:32 am. Ascending Brent's Trail on Murray Hill Scenic Overlook (41°50'20.60"N,  96° 0'0.61"W) along County Road F20, just east of Harrison County Road L14 (Loess Hills Scenic Byway). Image looks southwest.

Panoramic view hiking up Murray Hill.

Southwest view from one of the several overlook stops to the summit. At lower left is County Road F20, at middle right is Harrison County Highway L14.

Brent's Trail looking back toward the north during the ascent.

It was extremely windy on this day (gusts reaching over 40 mph). One literally had to hold on to one's hat! This view looks north from the summit of Murray Hill. Land to the right of the barbed-wire fence is private property.

South view from the summit. Brent's Trail continues down along the fence line and beyond--an eight mile hiking trail connecting Murray Hill with the Gleason-Hubel Wildlife Area. It was here that we turned around and headed back down the hill to our car to allow time for our final destination.

An overlook area on the way back down. Image looks west over flat plains toward the Missouri River and Nebraska.

Looking south near the bottom of Murray Hill. In the foreground is County Road F20. Now on to our final destination in the Loess Hills--the Walter Ordway Jr. Loess Hills Scenic Forest Overlook--a large wooden overlook structure situated on a hillside ( 41°54'19.04"N,  95°56'44.23"W) along Oak Avenue in Monona County. The overlook features a trail leading off to its south.

10:09 am. Panoramic view from the Loess Hills Scenic Overlook. South is at left, west toward the right.

Another view of the trail.

Closeup of the trail, leading off toward the south.

West view of hills, vegetation and sky from the trail.

A look back toward the overlook structure from the trail.

Similar view from farther along the trail.

Last look. View from the overlook area toward the trail we had just returned from. From here we set our sights toward US Highway 30 and back home. The Loess Hills were spectacular--a very pleasant surprise, and a great destination decision! Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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Loess Hills Day 2 Waubonsie State Park

 

Sunrise on the morning of Saturday, November 7, 2020 from our cabin in Arrowhead County Park, just southeast of Neola, Iowa in Pottawattamie County. A start to the day planned for a visit to Waubonsie State Park, located in the extreme southwest corner of Iowa. The above image was captured at 7:19 am CST, and is a 1/125 second capture at f/10, ISO 125, 18mm focal length.

Similar capture at 7:21 am. 1/500 exposure at f/10, ISO 125, 55mm focal length.

11:04 am. Ridge trail scene within the 1,247-acre Waubonsie State Park (40°40'48.09"N,  95°40'54.15"W) in Fremont County, Iowa. The park, located on the southern tip of the Loess Hills, afforded gorgeous open vistas and high wooded foot trails. Conditions and temperatures were ideal for this time of the year: sunny, with highs in the upper 70s F.

Similar view.

Panoramic view, showing the high contrasts of hills and open plains to the west.

Open trail along the ridge, with distant flat plains seen at upper right. 

Trail scene. The blues of the sky contrasted nicely with the greens, browns and yellows of the landscape. I was impressed by the open sky vistas and high hill perspectives so much that it is my opinion these particular qualities are unsurpassed in any other state park in Iowa.

3:38 pm. Final stop of the day before returning to our cabin. Panoramic view looking west from the Lewis & Clark Memorial (41°18'12.26"N,  95°51'30.27"W) in Lewis & Clark Park, just north of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Interstate 29, the Missouri River, and Omaha, Nebraska can be seen in the distance. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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Loess Is More--Let's Get Fired Up!

 The Loess (Pronounced "Luss") Hills of western Iowa was our travel destination for the weekend of November 6-8, 2020. The hills are composed of fine particles of wind blown silt, known as loess, created as the glaciers retreated from the last Ice Age. Today, the 650,000-acre Loess Hills landscape rises 200 feet above the Missouri River valley and is recognized for its unusually deep deposits of loess. The only two places in the world where loess has formed in such significant heights is here, and in the Shaanxi province of China. Our Day One destination was The Hitchcock Nature Center ( 41°24'48.42"N,  95°51'31.72"W) located in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. As we approached the area, we noticed large palls of smoke rising in the distance. This in fact was a controlled (or prescribed) burn, conducted here once or twice a year to remove unwanted species that threaten the native prairie ecosystem. Hiking on the network of trails in the 1,268 acre grounds was still allowed during the burns. Above, smoke rises in the distance at 3:07 pm CST, Friday, November 6, 2020, seen from an observation area of the facility.

Another capture seen from the observation area of the facility.

Smoke rises from a charred hillside as seen from the Badger Ridge Trail. The classic Loess Hills landscape can be seen in the background.

Smoke mixed with sun created these shafts of sunlight along the trail.

4:06 pm. More ridge trail scenery.

4:36 pm. Panoramic scene view from atop the facility's 45-foot tall ("HawkWatch") observation tower. The setting sun is now just above the tree line. In the distant background at left is the city of Omaha, Nebraska.

 

4:40, 4:43 pm. Similar scenes from the tower (shown above and below).

The smoke was taxing to our lungs and made our clothes reek, but the unique visual opportunity provided by this burn event was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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