What first attracted you to storm chasing?

Here's my story:

May 27, 1997, Jarrell, Texas. Even those who don't chase storms or pay a whole lot of attention to the weather know what happened there that day. A series of tornados touched down, from near Waco to north of Austin, all down the west side of I-35. But the one that bore down on the Double Creek Estates in Jarrell is the one we all remember, an incredible F5 monster that slowly moved through and swept the land clean.

I first heard of it the next day on the news, and when I got to work I began looking for more details on the internet. I had lived in Georgetown (a few miles south of Jarrell) for a few years, and had been IN Jarrell on several occasions, so this particular tornado caught my attention. I watched video of it (on CNN's website I think) and I read many accounts of eye-witnesses. One of those accounts was Craig Green's account of actually *chasing* after the Jarrell tornado, even though he and his wife arrived on the scene toward the end of this particular event. For some reason, the idea of playing 'tag' with a tornado intrigued me, and I began searching the internet for more information. I eventually ended up on Gilbert Sebenste's "Storm Chaser" web site, where I ran across a really neat little "find a chase partner" page. I contacted Steve Miller who was evidently looking for some help with navigation and/or gas expenses, and he agreed to take my wife Bronwyn and I along on his next chase!

A few days later, Monday, June 9, Bronwyn and I were in the car after work and I spied a large cloud northeast of us. I talked her into 'chasing' it, as a practice round of course, and we headed out. We drove east on Loop 635 across the north side of Dallas, then headed south on Loop 12 in an attempt to cut it off 'at the pass.' We ended up heading east on some back roads and eventually came out on Hwy. 80 in Forney, on the east side of Mesquite. The cloud was moving faster to the south than we could really keep up with, but we got to drive through where it had rained. As we worked our way back to I-20 I turned on the radio and WBAP-820 mentioned that this storm had put out a funnel just north of where we caught up with it! Just after this we passed a storm spotter scanning the skies for further activity. The fact that we came so close to the 'action' on what was really just a whim only further fueled my desire to chase storms. I was hooked!

Our first 'official' chase with Steve took place on June 11. Little did I know at the time, but it would be just over a YEAR before I would see my first tornado! 

That's my story, what's yours?

Meteorata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all chasers. Chart your outlook quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the NWS and NSSL for they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive forecasters, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become bitter and vain, for always there will be greater and lessor chasers than yourself. Enjoy your successes as well as your busts. Keep interested in your hobby, however frustrating; it is a real possession in the changing winds of time. Exercise caution in your chasing purchases; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what goodies there are; many persons strive for technical wizardry; and everywhere life is full of Faidleys. Be yourself. Especially, do not hate nature. Neither be cynical about the weather; for in the face of all busts and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and chasing alone. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the weather, no less than the wind and the rain; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the weather is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with Mother Nature, whatever you conceive Her to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of El Niño, keep peace with your soul. With all its busts, gust fronts, and broken forecasts, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

[yes, this is a chaser version of the Desiderata]

Anatomy of a Typical Storm Chase

Chasing storms is not like planning a vacation. When looking at long-range forecasts it is often difficult just to determine whether or not it will rain. Predicting the likelihood of severe weather and the potential for tornadic storms is even more difficult. Having said that, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has become fairly adept at doing so at least up until the day after tomorrow. So if it is Thursday and you want to know whether or not you should plan on chasing on Saturday you can take a look at the SPC Day2 or Day3 Convective Outlook. Between the graphics and the text you should be able to get a good idea of where your target will be.

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On chase day one of the first places to look for information is the SPC Day1 which comes out at 1300z (7:00am Central time). Another popular source of forecasting information are the forums at StormTrack.org, although they typically allow no new registrations during the height of spring storm activity in May and June. As your own skills increase at forecasting you may want to check the raw data and forecast model runs yourself. Eric Nguyen’s site has a very organized and concise listing of forecasting tools.

If you are very organized you either already have your chase gear in your car or in a handy ‘go bag’ of some sort. Once you decide on a target it’s best to just get going, otherwise you will keep looking at more and more data and possibly miss the best storm of the day due to a late departure. Depending on where you live your destination can easily be three or more hours away.

Once you are in the general vicinity of your target you can check data again to see if the parameters have shifted and then you can adjust and head in that direction. A laptop with a wireless data plan can be very crucial at this stage. Once you have arrived at ‘the’ target you can use the laptop to watch radar. Some times the weather and visibility allow you to see your target storms in the distance but often some sort of radar access is critical.

Once you are on your way checking radar on the go in your car can be difficult and possibly dangerous. Having a weather radio comes in very handy as they will alert you to any storms that have severe or tornado warnings out on them. And, of course, once you get within shouting distance of a good storm you just follow along and watch and take pictures or video. It’s not unusual to give up on one storm and move on to the next, depending on what is happening. Hopefully you will eventually get to see a tornado drop out of a wall cloud and capture the moment on film (woah, did I just say film? Uh, I mean, on your sensor!). Try to avoid large hail stones and keep your ‘escape’ route road options open just in case the storm changes directions and begins pursuing you!

After dark you can attempt some lightning photography or just head to the nearest hotel. Or, if you’ve been very fortunate and chase storms toward where you live, just drive back to your house.

While this represents a fairly typical storm chase it by no means covers all of the possibilities. Some days you sit and stare at blue skies. Having a passion for photography can help you avoid the day being a complete waste of time (and gas) as you will often travel to places you would never see otherwise. Take advantage of it. And some days you chase all day and then spend a good part of the evening trying to avoid being run over by yet another tornado. But I think this ‘typical’ day as I’ve described it should definitely give you a good idea of what to expect.

SkyWarn Classes

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One easy (and free!) way to educate yourself about severe weather is to attend a nearby SkyWarn class. These classes are done usually in the spring and are presented by someone from your nearest National Weather Service forecast office. To contact the nearest Warning Coordination Meteorologist you can click on your area on this map or you can try Todd Sherman’s list of SkyWarn/RACES web pages. Your local amateur radio club probably has information on this as well.

To get an idea of what material is covered in these classes you can check out the slide show as presented by Angie Enyedi at the Jacksonville, Florida NWS. Even though some of it is specific to the Florida region it looks like a good overview. Pay special attention to how storms form, their structure, etc.

 

How to Prepare for Storm Chasing

Eric Nguyen explaining something that Glenn Dixon probably doesn't understand

Eric Nguyen explaining something that Glenn Dixon probably doesn't understand

If you are reading this blog you are already doing the first step, which is to seek out information about storm chasing. Don’t worry about learning how to forecast weather or operate a ham radio just yet.

Storm Chase Tours

One possible way to get your feet wet (so to speak) with minimal education and training is to purchase a seat on one of the many storm chasing tour groups that drive all over the midwest in pursuit of severe weather. The operators, drivers and forecasters are usually seasoned veterans and almost always find at least one tornado even on the mildest of weeks. Yes, you will pay for the luxury of having someone else drive you right up to a storm but many take advantage of this option each year and the trips often book up months in advance. It’s a great way to get a feel for the hobby, but you will want to record what you see! I will cover both storm chase tours and video and digital camera equipment in a future article.

SkyWarn Classes

If you don’t have enough money or vacation days for a tour, probably the most common first step for most chasers is a local SkyWarn class conducted by the National Weather Service. These classes are required by many storm spotter and emergency management organizations and are an excellent way to familiarize yourself with what you are likely to encounter when you start chasing…and they’re free!

Weather Conferences

There are at least two other major conferences that cater to storm chasers. The first and oldest (I think) is TESSA which was started by Martin Lisius in 1996. Martin also runs Tempest Tours, one of the first storm chasing tour groups. The other is the National Storm Chaser Convention in Denver. While both provide a lot of information, TESSA is probably more accessible to the novice. There are many regional events like these which I will cover in a future article.

Basic Equipment

This is a list of the essential equipment that is required for a successful storm chase:

  • Weather data - At some point you have to determine where storms are most likely to form. During the chase you will need to find out where storms are actually forming and drive to them. This can be as simple as a NOAA Weather Radio or a scanner, or a computer with an internet connection, all the way up to a high-dollar hardware or software specialized weather data package delivering radar in real-time.
  • Transportation - Drive a car, share a ride or go with a tour group.
  • Communication - The minimum form of communication is a cell phone, the ultimate is probably a ham radio.
  • Navigation - The “Roads of” series of map books is basic, but a GPS device is almost a given these days.

Many more details and reviews of these products will be the subject of future articles.

I’m sure I left out something here and there, but this should give you an idea of the basics. Keep watching this site for more information.

 

Adventures in Tornado Alley


I put this book on my Amazon wish-list when I first heard of it, shortly after the untimely death of one of the authors, Eric Nguyen. I received it last week and have only had a chance to briefly peruse it, but it is great reading for those who love to see the awesome power of nature. Eric and Mike have captured some of the best storm photos you will ever see. I highly recommend this book.

Posterous theme by Cory Watilo