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Lane from Linn County
LANE FROM LINN COUNTY
A TRUSTED WEATHER FORECASTER WITH A FOLLOWING THAT SPANS THE PLAINS
By Kelsey Ritchey
Lane Ingle-Shaw’s fascination with weather began at a young age. While his peers were spotting animal-shaped clouds, Lane was captivated by the sky’s patterns and formations. This curiosity soon turned into a serious pursuit, with Lane delving into forecasting and model guidance by the age of 10. At just 12, he launched his first Facebook page to share his weather reports, marking the beginning of his journey as a trusted weather forecaster.
“After a few years of getting interested in meteorology, I decided to create a group on Facebook,” Lane recalls. “After that, I launched my Midwest Weather page on Facebook, which eventually made its way to YouTube.”
Unsurprisingly, the social media accounts exploded. The initial followers, who were made up of family and friends and local connections, would amass to a community of more than 80,000 people. Lane continued to share his weather predictions for every season — from snow totals and windchills to springtime precipitation and severe storms. Much like the tornadoes he loves to chase, Lane is a powerful force. The accuracy of his modeling and unfiltered enthusiasm created a strong updraft, and now, he’s a supercell carving a path for himself to educate followers that stretch from Kansas and Nebraska to Indiana and Michigan.
“Storm structure got me more and more into weather during my elementary years of school,” says Lane. “Watching systems evolve and understanding today’s technology has encouraged me to make my own accurate forecasts. It’s fascinating to watch storms develop and intensify.”
Forecasts are more accurate than ever thanks to the incredible advances in weather technology and computer modeling. Farmers can look to meteorologists in the spring for seven- and 10-day forecasts to anticipate rain chances, conditions for planting and weather risks pertaining to their crops and livestock.
During harvest, these same insights are equally important to aid in decision-making around when to gather ripened crops, whether to pull grain carts into wet fields or when to expect the first frost. Thanks to automation and technological advances, this type of information is stored in a farmer’s back pocket — literally — with the ability for notifications to alert with updates about moisture, daylight, temperature and more.
For farmers like Brent Renner from Klemme, checking weather apps at least twice daily isn’t uncommon. Renner, an at-large director for the Iowa Soybean Association, says he’s “blessed to farm within a 10-mile radius” and is amazed at how much weather can differ across that space.
“Accurate forecasting helps me decide where to start and when to stop an operation, so I don’t get caught in the field or have an herbicide issue with a rain event making them ineffective,” says Renner. “We used to get forecasts on the evening news if we were not in the field. Now, we have our favorite weather apps accessible on our smartphones. I like choices when it comes to following weather experts. When more people like Lane are involved in studying weather models, things can be forecasted more accurately.”
Simply put, weather forecasting and agriculture have always gone hand in hand.
Old Farmer’s Almanac
Before notifications on smartphones and daily weather reports from local television stations, farmers relied on historical knowledge of forecasting patterns, assumptions from observations from outside their front windows, and guidance provided by the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The Almanac was first printed in 1793, making it the oldest continuously published periodical in North America. It thoughtfully included a hole in the top left corner so subscribers could hang it from a nail or string.
Robert Bailey Thomas served as the Old Farmer’s Almanac editor for more than 50 years. Before becoming a publisher and bookbinder, Thomas served as a Massachusetts school teacher. He would study solar activity, astronomy cycles and weather patterns to develop a secret forecasting formula, which is still in use today. Farmers and other subscribers relied on the Almanac for planting charts, recipes and folklore but also articles predicting fashion, food and living for the coming year.
Today’s almanacs emphasize temperature and precipitation deviations from 30-year statistical averages prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration every 10 years. While this type of analysis can be interesting, it isn’t always helpful — nor accurate enough — for an Iowa farmer assessing their soil moisture, deciding when to fertilize fields or determining if wind will impact their pest control applications. That’s where Lane can help.
Lane’s Midwest Weather
It was only a matter of time before a 16-year-old, weather-loving boy from the heartland would get the itch for storm chasing. Growing up in the northern part of Linn County, Lane is familiar with the risks of living in a tornado alley.
“There are over 50 tornadoes per year in Iowa,” Lane says. “But in recent years, those tornadoes have been stronger than usual. Iowans need to be cautious, aware of risks and ensure they can get information about severe weather warnings and watches in multiple ways.”
Iowa ranks sixth in the U.S. for tornado frequency. The state’s position between the warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico and the cold, dry air from the north and northwest can create strong crosswinds and atmospheric instability. Most tornadoes emerge from afternoon thunderstorms after a hot and humid day and typically travel northeast. Even though tornado warnings can reach more people than ever before, a tornado’s results can still be catastrophic.
“My mom gets nervous when I get into certain situations during a storm chase,” Lane admits. “If we are close to a tornado or trapped by more than one cell, she might get scared. However, we talk about the safety and risks that are in play. I pack food, clothes and other things just in case we get stuck somewhere. This has been my first year of actual major chases.”
April 2024
On Friday, April 26, Lane and a friend headed to southwest Iowa hoping to intercept significant severe weather. Mother Nature didn’t disappoint.
“Who is ready to rock and roll with me today?” Lane posted via Midwest Weather. “I am so happy to be back again for another chase! Rapid destabilization is ongoing within the dry slot ahead of an upper trough moving into the central plains. Visible imagery shows towering cumulus deepening along the bent back dryline near Kearney, Nebraska, to the Kansas border.”
Twisters eventually crossed Interstate 80 in Lincoln, Nebraska, before barreling through the Omaha suburb of Elkhorn. An EF3 tornado hit Minden, Iowa, causing extensive damage before moving toward Harlan and Defiance. Lane was monitoring storms from his location between Stanton and Creston, Iowa, where he was within reach of three EF2s and two EF1s within the span of one hour.
The severe weather outbreak would cause 24 confirmed tornadoes throughout Iowa. A few days after the chase, Lane turned to his community on Facebook.
“On the way home from the storm chase, the emotions kicked in, and I could see the significant damage and how people’s lives changed,” Lane wrote. “Each successful storm always causes a phase of sadness because damage ruins towns. We don’t want tornadoes to happen even though we are passionate about seeing them. However, sometimes there is no choice and storm chasers and reliable meteorologists are needed during destructive events.”
There are over 230 5-star reviews on Facebook thanking Lane for his commitment to sharing accurate weather forecasts along with messages of encouragement to continue his future in meteorology.
So, where does Lane see himself in 10 years?
“I hope to have intercepted multiple tornadoes and maybe started my journey toward a degree in meteorology,” Lane says. “I plan on becoming a full-time storm chaser after high school.”
If you were to ask his thousands of fans, they have no doubt he will get there. His mom, who, despite being nervous about some of his endeavors, always supports him.
“He is more than a ‘chaser,’” said Lane’s mom, Sarah Welter. “He forecasts these storms days and weeks in advance and spends every minute outside school forecasting and tracking. This isn’t just a passion; this is his future.”
