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April 15th, 2011 - Priorities People!"I am not trying to be the chaser police here, but I feel I must take a minute to talk about this.... I am friends with a several NWS mets on facebook. I learn a lot from them and have even grown a friendship with some of them. Well one of these mets I have talked to for a few years now, posted something that pretty much embarrassed me. He posted a link to a tornado filmed in Wisconsin last Sunday and made a comment that made me want to make like an ostrich and bury my head in the sand. I won't name anyone's names or the forecasters name or those who commented but this comment should never be uttered by an NWS met...."
March 28th, 2011 - After An Absense, I Am Back!
"I am still alive! It has been a peaceful four weeks. We had a huge chase party at Skip Talbot's after Sean Casey's premiere of Tornado Alley. We went to see it on Saturday afternoon and were surprised by Sean and Jennifer Casey! Jennifer Casey asked us to stick around and wait for Sean to get done greeting his fans so we can have some one on one time with Sean to shoot the breeze. Chatted with him for 30-45 minutes before leaving for party time!"
February 16th, 2011 - A Little Insight From The Mind Of A Once Confused Chaser
"This will be a shorter post than I am used to... Probably not, once I start typing I can't stop and before I know it I have written another novel! A number of storm chasers chase in pairs as it is the easiest and most effective way to see success. Not saying those who chase solo never see any success, but if you think about it the driver can drive and the passenger can navigate. It cuts down on your distractions and allows you to focus on your main objective. With that being said some times those who go solo or are forced into solo trips need a little eyes from back home."
February 11th, 2011 - Night Time Chasing: Strategies/Preparation
"I posed an open forum discussion on Stormtrack for those beginners that were seeking advice on the basic aspects of weather. One of the questions posed to me were from Jeremy Perez and Jordan Hartley"
January 31st, 2011 - Tornado Sirens Mean TAKE COVER/NWR Reminder
"As a storm chaser I LOVE the sound of tornado sirens, especially if there is a visible tornado. However it is bittersweet since for there to be tornado sirens, there needs to be people in the vicinity of the tornado and that is always a horrible situation. I do not like destruction or deaths so don't get the wrong impression when I say I like the sound of tornado sirens. Every time my home town goes under a warning and I am not chasing, I always go out there and video the storm coming in with the sirens blaring. I know storm structure and how to read radar so I know if I wasn't in any immediate danger I can stay out there through the duration of the storm. With that being said..."
January 29th, 2011 - RANT - Tornado Types/Difference In Opinion
"Alright, the tone of this blog may be more of an educational rant than anything so bear with me..... The human race is a complex and diverse race. No two people are the exact same, therefore no two people will ever see things the exact same way. So what does this have to do with tornadoes or severe weather?"
January 28th, 2011 - How To View A Tornado and Decide Tornado VS No Tornado
"Yesterday I did a wall cloud refresher lesson where I explained that many thunderstorms have wall clouds but to look for sustained rotation. Now let's take it a step further.... Let's say you have a rotating wall cloud but are unsure if there is a tornado in progress or not. We will dive into what to look for in determining if a tornado is occurring or if rain is playing tricks with you. I will also post examples of great tornado look-a-likes that will fool you because they half fooled me on first glance. Let's begin!"
January 27th, 2011 - A Little Reminder: Wall Cloud Refresher
"We are getting down to storm season so for those who like to follow me or the newer chasers out there I am going to attempt to put a little comparison together here to educate a wall cloud vs not a wall cloud. A wall cloud is defined by the AMS as "a local, often abrupt lowering from a cumulonimbus cloud base into a low-hanging accessory cloud, normally a kilometer or more in diameter. A wall cloud marks the lower portion of a very strong updraft, usually associated with a supercell or severe multicell storm. It typically develops near the precipitation region of the cumulonimbus. Wall clouds that exhibit significant rotation and vertical motions often precede tornado formation by a few minutes to an hour." However it is also to be noted that not all wall clouds are tornadic or even rotate! Any thunderstorm can in theory have a wall cloud associated with it. The key is to look for rotation and call in those reports."
