[Ska]

The storms around here have been spotty lately, raining one minute, sunny the next, wind picks up, dies off, cool air mass moves in, humidity the next day and so on and so on. Lightening and wind has been intense at times. Yesterday was no different however we had finally decided, the way things have been going, that if we sit and wait for a nice day, we’ll never get out on the trail.

I get on the local weather site and track one of many storm cells moving our way and, since we’d be driving an hour to the trail in the same direction the storm was moving we figured we’d have a good window of opportunity. We pack up and run for it.

Well, long story short, delays on the drive and on the trail and a slightly changing wind current drove something our way that we didn’t want to see. When we were just finishing up our loop we felt the temps drop quickly then the winds deadened for a time. Coming from an area that springs up crazy storms at any given moment we knew that chill we felt wasn’t a good thing. It was quite a drop. You know that expression “the calm before the storm”? Well, we knew we were standing in it. Many saw it.

We didn’t get the hail we expected but sure enough, not far from us.........

 

[havnmonkey]

Yeah!!! "Dude, I was flying down some sick singletrack and when I got to this tigh switchback I got snaked by a twister!!!"

Hey, it looks like a memorable ride none the less...

 

[kevkizer]

wow. glad it didn't hit you guys while you were on the trail!

 

[Secace]

Our weather around here has been shady too. I hit some supremely high winds near Dover ,OH last weekend on my way to Snowshoe. There were trees blowing across I-77. I still cannot believe the bikes didn't rip right off the roof! I never saw a vortex but there had to have been a tornado close. I dropped off the nearest exit, tore the bikes from the rack and pulled in a quarter car wash for an hour. It was like a war zone.

 

[Glynis27]

Our weather around here has been shady too. I hit some supremely high winds near Dover ,OH last weekend on my way to Snowshoe. There were trees blowing across I-77. I still cannot believe the bikes didn't rip right off the roof! I never saw a vortex but there had to have been a tornado close. I dropped off the nearest exit, tore the bikes from the rack and pulled in a quarter car wash for an hour. It was like a war zone.

Yep, I have yet to hit the trails. Every time I try, it rains, rains, rains. Saturday I headed out to Westbranch, and after just 5 minutes the sky completely opened up and dumped on me. Branches were falling everywhere and I was glad I was wearing my helmet. Tried to head out there again yesterday, but it started to pour right before I even got on the trail. I really think Ray's should open back up until this rain stops. :madman:

 

[Ska]

Our weather around here has been shady too. I hit some supremely high winds near Dover ,OH last weekend on my way to Snowshoe. There were trees blowing across I-77. I still cannot believe the bikes didn't rip right off the roof! I never saw a vortex but there had to have been a tornado close. I dropped off the nearest exit, tore the bikes from the rack and pulled in a quarter car wash for an hour. It was like a war zone.

Yeah you're not that far from us so I assume some of your weather is the same. The last truly wicked storm (there have been many lately) we had was 1 week ago on a Sunday afternoon. Out of nowhere, and I mean literally within 15 seconds, the wind picked up and started snapping trees around our place and laying down power lines all around the city. It came up so fast I literally watched (and heard) it roll towards us as it hit my neighbors yards headed in our direction. When the gust hit us, it immediately snuffed out my BBQ and branches and crap were blowing all over the place. I thought for sure we were going to get some tornado action in our area but nothing was reported other than some funnel clouds.

I've lived here my whole life (where Lake Huron dumps into the St. Clair River) and have seen and been in many storms in my life both while on shore and out on the water but this one picked up more quickly than any other I've ever seen….ever. It was amazing to actually WATCH its leading edge roll in. There was no gradual increase in pressure like every other storm. It was literally a wall. You had dark cloud around but when it came to the wind -BANG! It was here.

I'm guessing it was part of the same one you're referring to as that band was quite wide and spread all the way towards you as well.

The lid of the BBQ opened while I was inside and there was no saving dinner. We had to order Pizza ;-(

 

[havnmonkey]

It was amazing to actually WATCH its leading edge roll in. There was no gradual increase in pressure like every other storm. It was literally a wall. You had dark cloud around but when it came to the wind -BANG! It was here.

Sounds like goog ol' fashioned FL beach weather to me!!! It's actually kind've entertaining watching people who wait until the last minute to pack up all there blankets, chairs, and coolers. The wind can go from 5-10 and breezy to 40+ tearing your kids out of your hands in a matter of seconds.... I would hate to be caught on the trail in one of those!!!

 

[Mrledzeppelin]

Wow scary, did you make it out alive? Any flying cows?

 

[Ska]

Sounds like goog ol' fashioned FL beach weather to me!!! It's actually kind've entertaining watching people who wait until the last minute to pack up all there blankets, chairs, and coolers. The wind can go from 5-10 and breezy to 40+ tearing your kids out of your hands in a matter of seconds.... I would hate to be caught on the trail in one of those!!!

Yeah, people are sometimes surprised by the severity of some of the storms we get around here. The lakes do sometimes play a major role on their creation or at least calming them down or making them worse. It's great watching them come in off the lake off in the distance but there's always time. In the case I was referring to it was odd as the wind was coming in more of a downward direction and aside from debris, it was mixed with rain that was flying in two different directions as well. It was very odd and really freaked my wife out. The trees in the surrounding yards were going in all kinds of direction and not in just one. Again, I've seen many storms but nothing quite like this one. That night at work everyone was talking about it. It happened instantly and not in 15 seconds as I made it out to seem. I guess I should say I watched the leading edge come in for 15 seconds while waiting for my steaks and veggies on the BBQ.

Again ;-( to our lost meal.

 

[Ska]

Wow scary, did you make it out alive? Any flying cows?

LOL

No. It was a fair distance from us and I don't think it touched down for more than a second or two (from the reports) in some farm fields or something. It wasn't anything major in that sense.

The storm I spoke of above was far crazier.

 

[callmetheNewGuy]

Havnmonkey...you have the best signature ever. best i've ever read, and you make my reading a mtb passion.

""Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government!..." -- Dennis the Peasant"

 

[toones]

Yeah, people are sometimes surprised by the severity of some of the storms we get around here. The lakes do sometimes play a major role on their creation or at least calming them down or making them worse. It's great watching them come in off the lake off in the distance but there's always time. In the case I was referring to it was odd as the wind was coming in more of a downward direction and aside from debris, it was mixed with rain that was flying in two different directions as well. It was very odd and really freaked my wife out. The trees in the surrounding yards were going in all kinds of direction and not in just one. Again, I've seen many storms but nothing quite like this one. That night at work everyone was talking about it. It happened instantly and not in 15 seconds as I made it out to seem. I guess I should say I watched the leading edge come in for 15 seconds while waiting for my steaks and veggies on the BBQ.

Again ;-( to our lost meal.

Sounds like a microburst. Had one here in Rockford, IL a few years back, 4th of July. Storm came in and then BAM, stuff flying every which way, something like 2 inches of rain in an hour, flooding, downed trees & power lines, most of the city was dark for four days.

Crazy, man. This year we're just trying to stay above water, lots of flooding--although not as bad as Iowa.