Jun.24, 2000- great day for severe storms!

[DarkSky]

June 24, 2000
Saw the storm build up after going ENE past Long Point and
tried to intercept it around the Cayuga area but didn't even get
close to my destination. Great cloud formation and a nice
low-level shelf cloud moved towards me as the gust front
approached. Cloud lowerings shot down (shown below) and
moved ENE about 500 meters in front of me. Gust front
passed directly over, wind picked up, torrential downpour
lasted for about 5 minutes. I continued down towards the small
back-highways of Niagara - DO NOT ATTEMPT. I ended up
getting lost and only found my way back by backtracking along
my graphical GPS route page. Towns/Hamlets travelled through:
Fonthill, Wellandport, Smithville, Wainfleet, Port Colbourne,
Grimsby, West Lincoln, Fenwick, and a handfull of others I can't
even remember. 'Met up with Paul Snobelen in the evening and
went out again as a second storm system passed through
producing yet more torrential rain, fog, heavy lightning and strong
winds. Travelled through: Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls,
Fort Erie, and made it to the Peace Bridge at the F.Erie/Buffalo
border. Chase stats: 312km, 8 hours.

Cloud lowering, click thumbnail for high-resolution picture:


Highway 20 - Pelham, Ontario (facing west) (Hi-8 video captures) :
|
Apparently St. Kitts got hit pretty good while I was away on the chase.
Bottom left picture is an upper branch off a tulip tree in our front yard...


And later on in the evening Paul Snobelen hooked up with me and we headed
out towards Fort Erie for some night lightning shots (didn't get much) :
| <- looking across the river at Buffalo, NY

Very close lightning strike ->