This day had shown the potential to have some severe t'storm risk in the days leading up to the event, but things really didn't take off potential wise until the night before the event, with potential ramping up into the day of the event as well. Some of the questions revolving around the potential was how would early day clouds/rain/t'storm activity affect things, how would capping advecting in affect things, and specifics regarding an MCV expected to move through.
This day really didn't look like a potential chase day until the night before the event, with it a then slam dunk chase day by late morning after watching how the aforementioned issues would be resolved. With an MCV moving eastward along the SW Wisconsin and NW Illinois border and scattered t'storms starting to develop along the border as well, I ended up heading out west with the initial target of DeKalb IL during the early afternoon. After waiting around for a while, things started to take off during the mid-afternoon hours, with several supercell t'storms developing.
The first supercell of interest was north of Rochelle IL. After a bit of hesitation, I ended up heading a bit northwest to intercept this supercell t'storm. Along the short drive a tornado was reported near Esmond IL, which I ended up witnessing from a distance just before it ended. Finally fully in position on the supercell, another tornado formed, which I followed for it's entire life south of Kirkland IL. After this tornado weakened, I sat for a bit between this lead supercell and another one that had developed behind it. After a bit of hesitation and waiting, I decided to try to catch back up to this first supercell, which had produced the first two tornadoes, as it was looking more organized visually and on radar once again. Driving along try to catch back up, another tornado was reported with it near Burlington IL, and at that point I realized I was not going to be able to catch back up ahead of the supercell. Thus, I quickly turned around and headed back west to the next supercell that had developed and was already tornado warned. Along the drive, a tornado was reported north of Creston IL, which I was able to see from a distance as I approached. Closing in, the tornado ended just as I was driving up to it, as it was tracking on IL Route 64. At this time this was the only supercell with any really potential still immediately nearby, and it was already beginning to cycle and attempt to ramp up again. I continued following this still tornado warned supercell eastward through Sycamore, where it quickly ramped up in a field across from me on the east side of Sycamore. I headed south a bit to get a better vantage point and have better road options east, and while doing so a new developing tornado passed right over me. As I stopped once again about a half of a mile south of my previous position a tornado was now on the ground, tearing through a farmstead. This tornado lasted for several minutes as it moved southeast, within a mile of my location during it's entire life. After this tornado ended, I quickly headed east to keep up with the supercell, with another brief tornado having occurred along the way. Still tracking eastward with this supercell, I observed another larger tornado in the rain, southwest of Virgil IL. This tornado was in the rain, eventually disappearing and ending. Continuing east with the supercell into the more urban western Chicago suburbs, chasing became difficult and I dropped off of this supercell in St. Charles IL, but not before observing a lowering/rotation with it as it passed. At this time another tornado warned supercell was approaching from the west, so I made a short jog back west to watch as it also came into St. Charles. This supercell also had a lowering/rotation as it passed. At this point it was getting later in the evening, some of the main activity was now in the Chicago metro and much further southwest, so I ended the chase.
Some pictures and video from this chase can be viewed below. Additional pictures can be found in the 2021 photography section and additional videos can be found in the 2021 video section.
This day really didn't look like a potential chase day until the night before the event, with it a then slam dunk chase day by late morning after watching how the aforementioned issues would be resolved. With an MCV moving eastward along the SW Wisconsin and NW Illinois border and scattered t'storms starting to develop along the border as well, I ended up heading out west with the initial target of DeKalb IL during the early afternoon. After waiting around for a while, things started to take off during the mid-afternoon hours, with several supercell t'storms developing.
The first supercell of interest was north of Rochelle IL. After a bit of hesitation, I ended up heading a bit northwest to intercept this supercell t'storm. Along the short drive a tornado was reported near Esmond IL, which I ended up witnessing from a distance just before it ended. Finally fully in position on the supercell, another tornado formed, which I followed for it's entire life south of Kirkland IL. After this tornado weakened, I sat for a bit between this lead supercell and another one that had developed behind it. After a bit of hesitation and waiting, I decided to try to catch back up to this first supercell, which had produced the first two tornadoes, as it was looking more organized visually and on radar once again. Driving along try to catch back up, another tornado was reported with it near Burlington IL, and at that point I realized I was not going to be able to catch back up ahead of the supercell. Thus, I quickly turned around and headed back west to the next supercell that had developed and was already tornado warned. Along the drive, a tornado was reported north of Creston IL, which I was able to see from a distance as I approached. Closing in, the tornado ended just as I was driving up to it, as it was tracking on IL Route 64. At this time this was the only supercell with any really potential still immediately nearby, and it was already beginning to cycle and attempt to ramp up again. I continued following this still tornado warned supercell eastward through Sycamore, where it quickly ramped up in a field across from me on the east side of Sycamore. I headed south a bit to get a better vantage point and have better road options east, and while doing so a new developing tornado passed right over me. As I stopped once again about a half of a mile south of my previous position a tornado was now on the ground, tearing through a farmstead. This tornado lasted for several minutes as it moved southeast, within a mile of my location during it's entire life. After this tornado ended, I quickly headed east to keep up with the supercell, with another brief tornado having occurred along the way. Still tracking eastward with this supercell, I observed another larger tornado in the rain, southwest of Virgil IL. This tornado was in the rain, eventually disappearing and ending. Continuing east with the supercell into the more urban western Chicago suburbs, chasing became difficult and I dropped off of this supercell in St. Charles IL, but not before observing a lowering/rotation with it as it passed. At this time another tornado warned supercell was approaching from the west, so I made a short jog back west to watch as it also came into St. Charles. This supercell also had a lowering/rotation as it passed. At this point it was getting later in the evening, some of the main activity was now in the Chicago metro and much further southwest, so I ended the chase.
Some pictures and video from this chase can be viewed below. Additional pictures can be found in the 2021 photography section and additional videos can be found in the 2021 video section.
| Chase Statistics: Tornadoes: 6 Wind: None Hail: None | SPC Severe Weather Reports:  |
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