CHASE ARCHIVES
2014
A tough year due to the major drought that has impacted California. Ironically what little occured were actually significant events such as the severe setup days on February 28 and March 1, and the landspout on April 18. A late season cold core low on May 22 provided a warm-up to monsoon season with some severe thunderstorms in the Antelope Valley. The secondary season began October 1 with several significant El Nino enhanced systems in early December and a rare historic snowfall event in the southern Inland Empire on December 30 and 31.
February 28, 2014 - San Clemente, CA
Anomalous extratropical low off the California coast produced conditions favorable for severe weather including supercells and tornadoes for a large area of California.
March 1, 2014 - Inland Empire, CA
Anomalous extratropical low off the California coast continued producing conditions favorable for severe weather including supercells and tornadoes. Intercepted several storms with supercell structures in Eastvale and Ontario.
March 13, 2014 - Beaumont/Hemet, CA
Upper level vort moved south out of central California triggering weak elevated thunderstorms in a narrow region of instability over the eastern section of the Elsinore Convergence Zone from Mt San Gorgonia south through Beaumont and Hemet in Southern California. Last cell that formed over Hemet around 6pm morphed into a mini elevated supercell with impressive structure.
March 29, 2014 - Fresno, CA
Attempted a chase in the San Joaquin Valley as a cold-core low moved into northern California. Conditions were favorable for a Marginal and Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms with a 2% risk for tornadoes. I unfortunately made it only as far as Fresno as initiation stayed further north and a tornado warning with a confirmed tornado near Corning, 215 miles north of my location in Fresno occurred. I abandoned the chase and went home as there was no point to continue.
April 1, 2014 - Southern San Joaquin Valley, CA
Attempted a chase once again in the San Joaquin Valley during a Marginal Risk. Severe storms did not materialize as expected with mainly sub-severe storms from near Wasco northward. I did observe a brief wall cloud on the storm near Wasco. My late departure limited my northward advance. Unfortunately video footage of this chase has been lost.
April 2, 2014 - Moreno Valley, CA
Chased around Moreno Valley during a cold core setup. Observed a brief funnel cloud on the east side of the valley. Unfortunately video footage of this chase was out of focus and thus contaminated.
April 18, 2014 - Phelan, CA
Upper level cutoff low moved south out of central California triggering thunderstorms in the western Mojave Desert around Phelan. While chasing in the Phelan area I captured a weak landspout just west of town.
May 22, 2014 - Antelope Valley/Western Mojave Desert, CA
Severe thunderstorms in the Palmdale/Lancaster area. Severe storm over Palmdale had rotation with a decent funnel cloud sighted and shown in media. I intercepted the storm from the east along SR 138 but did not see the funnel reported, however I did see a wall cloud. Some flash flooding in Palmdale.
December 12, 2014 - Redlands, CA
Pretty remarkable chase as storms began rotating over the eastern Inland Empire area of Loma Linda and Redlands. While approaching a storm in the southeast area of San Bernardino I wall cloud formed with decent rotation. over Loma Linda as it moved into Redlands. There may have been a brief cold air funnel but due to my distance I could not confirm it for certain, although it appeared so.
December 30/31, 2014 - Temescal Valley/Lake Elsinore/Wildomar, CA
Arctic air plunging out of Canada dropped into Southern California creating a surface-based cutoff low that parked over Orange and western Riverside Counties. Snow levels dropped to below 1000' in the southern Inland Empire of Riverside County with accumulating snow from 2" to 8" along the 1-15 corridor from Temescal Valley southward through Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Murrieta, and Temecula. Snow fell as low as 1500' in the foothills of San Diego County as well. Wildomar received the highest accumulations with as much as 8". I was able to experience the entire event from the moment snow began falling just after 9pm on December 30, until the last flakes flew about 4:30am.
