The fact that we have forecast threads starting up in late fall, dozens of chasers taking to the roadways from September on (and being successful to boot), makes me wonder if we are entering a new era of 'year-round', all-USA chasing. Of course, we know the weather is not changing - but it seems that we as chasers are beginning to. Our awareness of this 'whole new world' of chasing is increasing. We are beginning to notice things like cold core setups and cool-season midwest/southern outbreaks. Sure, we've always known about Xenia and Palm Sunday - but rarely ever gave a thought to actually giving east of the Mississippi before April or after June a try. I, like most of us do, used to put all the gear away once the first strong cold front of fall scoured out all of our summer moisture. And I didn't give chasing much thought until the first rumbles of spring convection began appearing in March. But now I never put my gear away. I haven't even deactivated my WxWorx data subscription, though I first planned on doing so in August. I'm now on 'standby' mode for chasing all year. Now that we are expanding into this new frontier, and are having decent success at it (seeing tornadoes), how is this affecting your view of chasing?
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/021110_rpts.html
- bill
That sounds great on paper, but the fact is most events are well underway by 5pm, and they're rarely within an hour of home. Living in a "chasing mecca" is no benefit whatsoever if you can't leave when it's time to leave.
Those January tornado photos say it all. A bona-fide chase day in December or January seemed like a fantasy a few years ago - but is something I might actually end up doing this year.
The original idea from Dan was on point, and we see it expanding still. Not everyone can chase year round, due to work or home base (like me in the DC suburbs), but with hundreds living in chase-able areas that have more frequency of severe weather in off months, there's plenty to do and chase.
Finally, the advancement of technology has made chasing safer in marginal areas with less visibility. I am certainly more inclined to chase in the East with XM, cell phone and Wi-Fi.
As encouragement to think outside of tradition, below are some images from my Eastern Fury collection of tornado video. Although taken by amateurs,these were chaseable set ups in unusual areas and times. Please note the dates!!
Williamson, GA Jan 2,2006 http://www.harkphoto.com/WilliamsonGApromo.jpg Norman Park, GA Jan 13, 2006
Lake Murray, SC Jan 13, 2006 http://www.harkphoto.com/ef29.jpg
http://www.harkphoto.com/ef28.jpg
Zebulon, GA Jan 2, 2006
http://www.harkphoto.com/ef27.jpg
In Janaury, the SDS is miserable and we are looking forward to May, yet some chasing is possible especially in the south.
Bill Hark
Eastern Fury Tornadoes of the Eastern United States
http://www.harkphoto.com/EasternFury.html
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Amen to that. It's like a dog that kills a chicken or some other animal and gets the taste of fresh blood, they have to have it after that. Same thing with me and October tornadoes, although I'd not be opposed to November-February :D
Spring in the Plains is without a doubt the premiere season, and always will be the most 'bang for your buck'. But I do feel a draw in catching tornadoes in unconventional places at unconventional times.
Thus, I enjoyed a fulfilling chase into E.Texas just before Thanksgiving, and an extra night stay in Houston to see another kickbutt show last month.
In 2002, my girlfriend from then and I drove from Dallas to within 70 miles of Houston to intercept a vort max swinging around a powerful Southern Rockies low and heading for SE Texas. It was a moderate risk day, 12/21 or so, and we drove from arctic chill of 30's and falling into 69 or 70 DWPT bouyant air, with tornado-warned supercells hurtling towards the Interstate from the West. We saw no tornadoes, but the lightning and wind was spectacular as was the thrill of intercepting cells that visibly rotated on radar loops. We ended the day with a game of catch using the golfball hail that rested on the ground.
Definitely a wonderful brief vacation. Tornadoes? No; Excitement, drama and beauty? Yes.
One of the most spectacular lighting shows I have ever seen was again around 12/21 near Tyler TX. a few years ago. It was night, and I stood a couple miles from a line of thunderheads that arced from horizon to horizon beneath a star-filled sky. Frenzied lightning danced across the entire line beneath stars and a moon that ascended from behind the cloud bank.
A great point because if chasing includes tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, supercells, severe weather at sea, wildfires, many forms of severe events would be included. With just tornadoes and lightning alone in the US, you can do April-June in the Plains, have a 2 week break for travel, then do July-Sept for lightning, flash floods and microbursts in the Southwest. Fires in the west can be chased over all those months as well. Then, hurricane season in the Gulf states starts and soon thereafter, off to the northeast for the Witch of November then the Oregon & Nor Cal coast for December Pacific gales ("storm watching" as they call it in those parts). In Jan & Feb, the deep south for more severe weather or blizzard conditions up in the northern Plains. You could become nomadic pretty easily :)
I think I blew my right ear drum out today on a shoot on what could have been one of my more dangerous video shoots. More dangerous the my solo scuba dives or driving into tornadoes. Worse then undercover stake outs in high crime areas. More dramatic then shooting video inside court rooms and crime scene video.
What could be so bad? I was at the Mall Of America to shoot video this afternoon and lost my most of my hearing for a few minutes and my ears are still ringing.
Why? "One Tree Hill" stars James Lafferty (Nathan Scott) and Lee Norris (Mouth McFadden) will be at Mall of America for an appearance and autograph signing. Show creator, writer and producer, Mark Schwahn, will also make an appearance. I was on stage with them and a few other local news photogs and it was nuts with all of the insane screaming fans. 2000+ screaming girls and about 15 - 20 dudes (talk about a good hook up ratio) all screaming at the same time when they walked on stage.
But back on topic, Chasing does not have to be your only gig if your into doing video work. There is a lot of stuff to chase if you are looking at shooting video for looking for a chase of sorts. It does not all have to be about the weather. Besides, paparazzi work pays way better then storm chasing these days.
i like this idea! lets chase people around simply because they have a talent that pays better than any of ours!!! :rolleyes:
the whole idea of celebrities is insane.
anyways, i chase pretty much any mediocre set-up within a few hundred mile radius. why? i would rather be out on the road chasing crap storms than at home doing nothing.
I think I blew my right ear drum out today on a shoot on what could have been one of my more dangerous video shoots. More dangerous the my solo scuba dives or driving into tornadoes. Worse then undercover stake outs in high crime areas. More dramatic then shooting video inside court rooms and crime scene video.
What could be so bad? I was at the Mall Of America to shoot video this afternoon and lost my most of my hearing for a few minutes and my ears are still ringing.
Why? "One Tree Hill" stars James Lafferty (Nathan Scott) and Lee Norris (Mouth McFadden) will be at Mall of America for an appearance and autograph signing. Show creator, writer and producer, Mark Schwahn, will also make an appearance. I was on stage with them and a few other local news photogs and it was nuts with all of the insane screaming fans. 2000+ screaming girls and about 15 - 20 dudes (talk about a good hook up ratio) all screaming at the same time when they walked on stage.
But back on topic, Chasing does not have to be your only gig if your into doing video work. There is a lot of stuff to chase if you are looking at shooting video for looking for a chase of sorts. It does not all have to be about the weather. Besides, paparazzi work pays way better then storm chasing these days.
I think so long as I am able to maintain the flight connections, its likely you'll see me out more on those setups. The fairly inexpensive price of the trip makes it about the same as a normal chase to Kansas. Hard to pass up such an opportunity.
I look forward to getting out and experiencing the challenges "off-season" chasing has to offer. December may be the toughest to pull out, but I envision one day catching a major outbreak in my homestate of Ohio in November. Afterall, it was mid October 1999 when an F-3 raked my hometown of Circleville, Ohio.
-gerrit
My view of chasing has never changed; I've always been aware of chase opportunities year 'round. My problem is and has always been money. You don't see chase reports from me about the huge outbreaks in the southeast or the one day a year South Dakota actually has great storms/tornadoes, because I can't afford to be there. It's not because I'm unaware or chose to sit it out. It is what it is.
I agree that chasing is in a phase of change. I mean look at the Twister Sisters. It's become big business, and it's not about the weather anymore, it's about image, niche markets, and "reality" sensationalism. Chasing is merely the backdrop now, not the focus. And that's just the media aspect of it all. I'd liken it to the decline of TWC regarding actual weather information.
As far as actually chasing, that's been changing too. I've joked about it for years but it's true, it's becoming like golf. White males with money are dominating the activity now, and this is before you consider the "all year" aspect, which will segregate chasing even more into that exclusive "money" club, those who can afford to be out 24-7. This group is taking chasing into that next frontier, because they can pay for it. The "traditional" chasers (Plains March/June) tend to be the ones with limited income. I've never seen it as a choice so much as 'the way it is'.
It's interesting though. The faces that are splashed all over television are the relative newcomers to the activity, but America's perception is they are the veterans, the experts. Meanwhile, many of the actual veteran chasers could walk through a typical chaser gathering and not be noticed by half the people there. And then there's everyone in between. What you have are two very different dimensions: you have the chasing world as it actually is, as it's known and recognized by chasers and enthusiasts (reality), and then you have the chasing world as it's seen on television by America (perception, which 99% of the time is reality).
If you were to step out of one dimension into the other (having no knowledge/perception of the other) the "reality" changes would blow your mind.
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