If I were writing a script I would have people talking in the feed store about the Extreme weather that was coming in last night. The man at the gas station making a comment. 
I would have the lead come home and unload her feed and feed her animals and then walk her dogs about the dense quiet of the evening with her camera. All in fast cuts that flow with confidence and smiles. Her big pig would follow her, the cats, the dogs and chickens on the fences.
On her walk she would feel a stiff breeze rise up, whipping at her hair. We cut to the pigs jogging in and out of their storm shelter house.
She walks on, then she stops and turns back to the barn- we can hear the cows bells from the milking parlour, ringing, slightly above the gathering wind. This makes her turn back.
She is noting the natural indications of bad weather coming but she is not alarmed, the clouds are dense and flat – not scary. The wind rises slowly.
She settles the animals and shuts the barn doors. Then she goes in to make dinner, the music playing on the radio. (The passage below was found in my inbox sent by a neighbour but in the script I would probably have it read over the radio. (And shortened))
I want to stress the fact that the majority of the severe weather today will occur after dark into the overnight hours. Fast moving storms with damaging winds/tornadoes will be possible from N IL through S IL and move west to east. Many hours today will remain dry and you may even see a peek of sun or two. Do not fall into a sense of complacency, ESPECIALLY if by 7:00 P.M.there are no storms in your area. These storms are expected to develop and last throughout the night. They are not solely instability driven storms where they would lose strength once the sun sets, they are being driven by another source of fuel. Advection. A very warm and moist/unstable air mass will be advecting into the region as a warm front charges through. My fear is that people will note a lack of thunderstorm activity and the sun setting and completely disregard the weather going forward through the overnight. Do NOT fall into that false sense of security. Keep the weather radios on, the phone next to you, and have several different ways to receive alerts. If you plan on being out spotting and/or chasing, please be extra cautious as these storms will be moving at greater that 60 MPH and after dark. Keep in mind that there will also be radar limitations across northeast Illinois. Have an escape route and keep your distance. Stay safe everyone, I will be in it for the long haul provided my house isn’t under a direct threat.
NEAL
While the dinner cooks and with a glass of wine, the computer on the bench pings with a warning – her area is under a tornado watch. But this has happened before so she is not alarmed. Just a little annoyed that storm clouds will be passing through in the dark without a chance to photograph them. Storms are not unusual.
Ignoring the weather, she turns the computer and researches this new word ‘advection’.
Britannica says: Advection, in atmospheric science, change in a property of a moving mass of air because the mass is transported by the wind to a region where the property has a different value (e.g., the change in temperature when a warm air mass moves into a cool region). Advection can refer to either the horizontal or vertical components of the motion.
The husband comes home in a fury of activity – he has been listening to the sensational alarmist weather forecasts in his truck on the way home and cannot understand why she is not getting things packed for the basement. He drives his vehicles at speed into the garages and barns, slamming doors shut. Once inside and incongruously, he runs his hot bath so he can wash before the power goes out. This makes no sense and she remarks on his priorities which annoys him. The woman is amused at his panic then immersion in hot water as she finishes the dinner.
The jabber from his radio by the bath joins her calm orchestral soundtrack. A discordance.
In my movie these would be the opening frames. I am not sure what happens next. Maybe the panic caused by the media over the storms is a cover for something much more dangerous. There is a spin doctor in an high- rise office somewhere. Something insidious is being moved through the region. Something secret. Something they do not want anyone to note. So the weather forecasters are turning the local populations heads skywards, then the people are scurrying for cover, hiding their heads and closing their eyes as something massive is driven through the region, slipped through in the background while all the people hide.
We would then cut to the storm chasers who are out on the road and we will set them up to discover whatever the government is trying to hide. Only one survives the altercation.
Then back to our protagonist. She sees something from the corner of her vision on her second walk with the camera, maybe out to water herbs or feed the chicks in the glasshouse after dinner. She sees something she captures on film maybe. Its significance not noted until later.
Then the injured storm chaser bursts through the door and her head whips up and round. Eyes wide. The sounds from the radio in the bathroom are smacked off as the power goes out. The dog leaps.
The movie would be called Advection of course. The transport of a large mass from one area to another.
…
But of course in real life everyone went to bed after a normal evening. The tornado watch sat until 10pm. I could see lightening far away from the windows and fell asleep watching it. I was woken in the dead of night to loud hard hail and then intense rain with thunder and lightening. Huge house rocking winds.
Twice actually. Two nasty squalls. But the worst of the weather missed us.
It is morning now but we see no damage – my biggest worry being the barn doors that are old and large but they are still standing.
I hope you have a good day. It is a long time since I was involved in the world of script writing. It was fun to play for an hour.
Now it is time to get to work. It is still pretty windy and the temperature will drop the rain may even turn to snow. But who knows.
Have a lovely day,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
79 responses to “Advection”
Loved your movie writing and glad the tornadoes didn’t materialize. Fun post!
Tornadoes are unreliable but we are in a really low spot and they seem to prefer the higher plateaux – In living memory a tornado has not gone through here – as far as the Old Codger remembers anyway.. c
I’ve been wondering about the Old Codger lately….
He has gone to live with his daughter in California – so I no longer see him.. dear fellow
Ahhh. So that’s it. Well, I imagine (hope!) it’s nice for them to be together, but I’ll bet he misses you and your many kindnesses and your many friendly visiting beasties greatly!
xo
I wondered how near you were to the tornado that hit Illinois. I would react like the man home from work, except I would head to the basement, not the tub. I have great respect for tornadoes, having seen the aftermath of one that killed nine and injured many others.
Must have been awful – I just follow my husbands lead – if he toddles off to bed I figure we are not in imminent danger. He has lived her about all his life. We are not in an area that has too many tornadoes.. c
wow-my oh my what a great script! Your sunset photo is magnificent!
That shot is lovely isn’t it – a front coming across.. c
This piece is wonderful!!!. Thought of you and your farm as I was driving home from work here in Albuquerque listening to the radio talk about storms in your neck of the country!! We have wind here but it just spreads the juniper pollen all over the city. Enjoy your day!
Blowing Juniper! Sounds better than blowing snow – are you all sneezing?
Great story! glad the storms didn’t affect you too much, spring is on its way hopefully!
Hmm – and spring is when the tornadoes are usually about – not really a winter scene – so maybe spring is going to come in early.. c
I’m glad you and yours were safe!!!
yes, we were never in danger – many others are having it worse.. the tornado season started early this year
Love your script and glad you are safe. We are dealing with the threats right now.
Hope you are all safe – we never went from Watch to Warning so it was not too worrying – hope it misses you guys.. c
Yesterday and last night perfectly described in SE Michigan and all the way at least to southern Ohio. Massive system on the move. Glad the barn doors are still there. And your new barn windows!
Yes, it was a large system – weather is never predictable.. c
It was fun to play along with your ominous/humorous scenario. I have never been in a tornado but from the films I’ve seen: Places in the Heart & The Wizard of Oz, & weather documentaries, I would be dragging “loved ones” out of tubs & hurrying them down to the cellar. I’m not fearless in the face of dangers foretold. So glad all of the heavy stuff missed you all & the creatures. I hope they always will.
Yes – the bad weather all went North.. c
Great movie script! I’d enjoy a big bag of popcorn with it! I would think the animals would provide you with the most accurate forecast. I like the cloud picture you took. I can’t imagine anyone chasing a storm in the dark. A bit nuts I think. Watching it from your window or porch, fun. Have an advection free day.
The cows were all sleeping out in the field – the animals weren’t doing anything different really until the thunder then the dogs went hiding.. c
I was so enthalled by the script I had to go back and find the last photo. Getting cleaned up via a hot shower before a bad storn is normal here, if the power goes out we have no pump for water pressure. Last time [because he chivarously allowed me to go first but I dallied] the G.O. ended up rinsing off in the backyard with a watering can 💧
John would agree entirely though he is less that chivalrous when it comes to hot water.. c
I enjoyed that a lot, and was quite disappointed when the screenplay stopped. I had sound track going in my head, lots of slightly menacing woodwind and some brass section for the wind gusts… I think those warnings would have been enough to have me packing the caravan and waiting till the Husband got home and got clean, and then we’d be off up the valley and away from the storm. I’ve got too used to watching Tropical Cyclone maps and getting advisories on my phone….
Glad the farmy was out of harm’s way. The storms hit us in waves, too, but none as severe as those that occurred in the area between us. Thank heavens! I hope this was the exception an not the rule. Tornado season is bad enough without it starting any earlier in the year.
Glad you and Celi both came through okay, John! We live just at the bottom of Tornado Alley here in Denton but have so far been bypassed every time—I don’t really miss the old days in Mt. Prospect of sleeping on the concrete basement floor either because of tornado watches or seeking relief from getting parboiled in the hot summer humidity! 😉 But we had happy times living there, so it was all worthwhile.
😀
xo, Kath
You northerners are getting all of the weird, exciting spring weather. I asked the Universe to keep you all safe last night.
Late as I am may I echo John’s ‘Thank heavens’! And since it is that I surely am allowed to smile and remember all the years you were a successful drama teacher! Reading your brilliant prose no wonder: wish I had been your student . . . . and you are not allowed to have any more horrid possibles before the tornado season really begins . . . .