CHASE ARCHIVES
2010
A decent season of chasing. Highlights included: a rare squall line supercell that produced a tornado in Sunset Beach on January 19; a waterspout and funnel cloud over Huntington Beach on February 27; extreme flooding and epic rains in the Fontana/Lytle Creek area on December 19, and a funnel cloud over Garden Grove on December 22.
January 19, 2010
Sunset Beach, CA - The most intense chase of the year. Conditions were sufficient for a slight risk for severe storms and a marginal risk for tornadoes. A powerful line of thunderstorms formed in the outer waters off Southern California which triggered a waterspout/tornado over Ventura during the morning. By noon a QLCS with an embedded supercell formed west of Catalina Island that produced a strong mesocyclonic waterspout. The storm had an impressive hook echo and was tracking towards Long Beach and Seal Beach. I arrived at Seal Beach about 12:30 pm and waited as the storm approached. At this time tornado warnings were issued for southern Los Angeles and northern Orange Counties. At 1:00 pm the inflow notch of the mesocyclone moved overhead with impressive rotation observed. I sighted a wall cloud but at this time could not yet see the waterspout as my visibility was limited. However, a couple of people who were in the parking lot near me had run up on the beach-head berm and begain pointing excitedly towards the ocean. Although at that moment I was distracted and did not notice their actions, I later determined from my video and timestamping that they had spotted the waterspout, which was approximately 1:05pm. At 1:15pm Seal Beach law enforcement began an evacuatiion order of the immediate beach areas and I was forced to leave, so I decided to head south towards Huntington Beach and find a place to reposition. As I arrived in Sunset Beach (about two miles south of Seal Beach) I noticed emergency vehices in transit ahead of me. I observed them enter a Starbucks parking lot and it was then I saw damage caused by the waterspout-turned-tornado which moved through about 5 minutes before my arrival. Much of the damage in the immediate vicinity included a flipped SUV, uprooted trees, roof damage, and according to witnesses boats that were sucked airborne as the tornado moved east across the boat harbor. Rated EF-1.
NOTE - The only video in existence of this tornado was filmed by Dick Deluxe Egner and his buddy Sean Donnery from their 2nd floor business suite at the corner of Pacific Coast Hwy and Admiralty Dr. Their video is amazing and shows the tornado moving northeast after it crosses PCH. They documented the time as 1:17pm (I arrived at the damage scene several minutes later, then making a u-turn at their intersection to get into better position, and finally went on air with the Weather Channel at 1:35pm). I have included a link to their video as well as a screenshot of this amazing tornado.
Chase video:
Dick Deluxe Egner's Video on Youtube:
January 21, 2010
Lake Elsinore/San Gabriel Valley, CA - Severe thunderstorms broke out across Southern California during the afternoon causing a rare tornado watch to be issued in the COrona/Riverside area around 3pm. The storms produced urban and small stream flooding and high winds around the Lake Elsinore area. Later in the evening I intercepted a severe thunderstorm over San Dimas and Diamond Bar, but for some reason I have no video of the evening chase.
February 27, 2010
Huntington Beach, CA - Cold core low moved into Southern California. Staged at Huntington Beach and observed a developing squall line that produced a waterspout about 10 miles offshore. Same squall line then produced a rotating meso and associated funnel cloud that moved directly over downtwon HB. Other areas of lowerings abserved farther south over Newport Beach.
November 21, 2010
Wrightwood, CA - First snowfall of the season fell in the mountains of Southern California during the first winter storm of the season. Did a quick trip to Wrightwood in the San Gabriel Mtns to check things out.
December 19, 2010
Inland Empire, CA - Atmosheric River event in Socal. Day 3 of heavy rains. AS much as 12-20" of rain fell across SoCal in 24 hours. Encountered extreme flooding along Lytle Creek at the mouth of the canyon, which was only the beginning of a major flood that crippled the canyon during the next 48 hrs.
December 22, 2010
Garden Grove, CA - Marginal tornado risk and mesoscale discussion reagrding isolated severe storms in SoCal. Intercepted a squall line over Garden Grove that produced a brief funnel. Intercepted a discrete severe thunderstorm over Long Beach and a rotating severe thunderstorm over Santa Ana. Intercepted another severe thunderstorm after dark in Riverside/Grand Terrace with some flash flooding. However, only have video of the Garden Grove intercept.
