2015 post mortem

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Well after May 9, I fully intended to go home, but that whole blizzard thing kinda set me to sleeping in the car that evening in Goodland. Good thing I didn't have a date or a job interview in the morning. Whew! 39° was terribly hot and sweaty weather to be bivied in the car overnight.

 

[Chris Kerby]

I blurred pictures, forgot to change the ISO, forgot the lens cap was on for the only short-lived tiny funnel I seen, didn't have my GoPro running for what I can only describe as a rapid-rotating-ground-scraping--rising-scud-merry-go-round-octopus.
3 times lightning struck within 20 yards of my truck & once my truck almost died when I seen a flash behind my truck while I was under an overpass during a heavy CG barrage, another time I went to photograph lightning at night I thought a shelf had gone over me but then the wind & dust was doing really weird stuff & then I really thought about what I had seen during the flashes of lightning & realized I was parked under a massive wall cloud.. one of my more interesting lunch breaks lol
Almost every time I abandoned a storm to go to work on time they went on to produce a tornado most of them in Illinois, I seen some amazing structured storms...from work, I seen 2 inch hail drop & a vortex go over my place of work & I was going to leave work to chase that storm but a semi had blown over across the river from me & was blocking my only way, on the bright side the hail left no dents & only minor scuffs on my windshield.
So it was both a interesting & frustrating 2nd year of chasing & I don't have much to show for it. 3rd year's a charm hopefully!

 

[James Wilson]

My season is not over as I live in Kansas and anything is possible in the second season ... example I nailed Wayne's start and got up close to it on October 4th 2013 ... not over yet I hope.

2015 has been amazing so far with about everything I could hope for other than a high rated tornado. I had enough in 2013 (Moore, El Reno, Wayne) so a break is fine.

I have seen at least 21 tornadoes in only three states (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri) this year and saw four tornadoes that only a couple people made it too (Medicine Lodge & Topeka).

I have seen amazing Colorado days, twins twice, a nighttime wedge, 0% risk tornado, tornadoes with rainbows, extreme hail in Lucas Kansas, Lee Summit tornado from ¼ mile, etc … Just amazing year and hopefully not done!

Congrats to all that had great years!

 

[James Wilson]

I guess I should also say this is the first year in the last four that I went alone … previously we had four people deciding targets but this year I did it all alone and it turned out to be my best year.

 

[Rick Schmidt]

James---- What was the date of the Topeka tornado you saw this year? Do you have any images? Just curious, since I live in Topeka.

 

[GPhillips]

Rick. I think maybe James was referring to the May 15 mini-supercell day where the storm went from Jackson county to Brown county.

 

[Rick Schmidt]

OK. That's sounds reasonable. Thanks, George!

 

[joel ewing]

Chase season just about looks like it's just about got a fork stuck in it. Once I start seeing frost advisories, I pretty much figure the fat lady is in the back room warming up. Here's a quick rundown on my thoughts for 2015.
1) Saw four tornados. Nothing past May
2) Texas police officer pulled me over for 80 in a 65 and didn't even run my license. I'd love to buy that man a beer!
3) one of my chase partners (out of two) never went out this year. He's since made a verbal commitment to next year, but we'll see.
4) seemed like every decent setup came when I had to work this year.
5) I'd really like to buy that officer a beer.
6) I'm really starting to like Holiday Inn Expresses. They all seem clean, have free wifi and offer a nice breakfast.
7) I really thought Missouri would be the hot spot this year. I haven't looked at the numbers, but it sure seems like I was way off.
8) This season isn't completely over yet, but next year already has me laying awake at night trying to figure out how to be more productive.
9) MOAR STORMS!!
10) I love my wife. She puts up with me leaving at the spur of the moment. Two years in a row I was gone for Mother's Day and she let me live. I hope it doesn't become three in a row, but she'll understand if it does. I think that makes her special

Anyone else with thoughts on the year?

I'll need to give more thought to summing up "Chase 2015" as I refer to these chase excursions, but here's a couple of thoughts to your points: My cousin/chase partner Doren Berge and I have long found that we prefer the "HIX's" (our term for Holiday Inn Expresses) when it comes time to look for a place to bunk. We've stayed at 'em all throughout the alley...for years. For the most part....even though they are all franchised (individually owned), their Corporate Policies, which their district and local managers are required to implement and enforce, tends to keep these hotels at a fairly high level of cleanliness and professionalism throughout. The mornings after our stays Doren and I will inevitably ask each other what we thought about each night's stay. Only once in a while will we agree that "the place was a little bit shopworn", and for the most part....we've had really good experiences regardless of where in the alley we stayed. Personally, I'm terrified of the "B" word with respect to hotels, and that word is BEDBUGS. The ONLY time I have encountered Bedbugs was at a Holiday Inn Express in Oakland, California on a business trip. And that was at a HIX that when I told the on-duty manager that I just got back from walking kitty-corner from the hotel to the Denny's Restaurant across the street...his eyes literally bugged out HUGE and he admonished me for "taking my life in my hands and walking to the Denny's instead of driving" as this was one of the most dangerous areas for a white-guy in the nation. Great....Bedbugs and a war-zone all in one hotel. Anyway....Doren and I give 2 thumbs-up to the HIX's in the alley. You'll pay anywhere from $89 to $120 per night in June...with AAA or similar discount.
Speaking of your wife who didn't divorce you for being away chasing and missing 2 Mother's Days.....you DO know you've got a real GEM there....right? Either that, or she's having an affair and is glad you're out chasing. Just kidding. The "Lucky Mrs. Joel" (my wife) lets me take off for about 3 to 4 weeks annually to chase. This has been going on for decades! I can say this looking anybody in the eye....I know she's not running around at night while I'm gone chasing, nor am I out chasing skirts each night once we drop anchor in some remote tornado-alley town, either. It sure would be easy to do so, if we were inclined. But I'm not foolish enough to ruin a great thing and I know she feels the same way. It's obvious you have a fine woman as your wife. In this day and age, when we're all swimming in a sea of moral pollution, really great spouses are extremely difficult to find. Don't take my word for it....just ask one out of every 2 people on the street. Your bride is being super-cool with you and it's obvious she recognizes and also respects your love of chasing, my brother. That's about as cool as cool can get. I'm sure you'll take precious good care of her and reciprocate in your own way, a way that will be recognized as "special for just her" when the earliest opportunity arises. And please.....make sure you always remember this....."when the one cries....may the other taste salt".

 

[Todd Lemery]

You are so right Joel, a great spouse is a special thing and hard to find. Love, trust and respect. Because of that, there is never a shred of doubt for either of us. If I didn't have such an awesome wife, I wouldn't see half the storms I do now.

 

[James Wilson]

Rick sorry just saw this ... here are a couple photos from 5-15-15 of the tornado North od Topeka by Netawaka

Storm Reports here:
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/150515_rpts.html

 

[Rick Schmidt]

Great pics, James! Good job!

 

[James Wilson]

Thank you ... it was a rewarding cell for sure.

 

[Verne Carlson]

Here's how my year has been so far:

2015 Stats:
Storm Chasing Days 23
Tornado Days: 4
Tornadoes: 20
Photogenic Tornadoes: 16
Largest Hail Encountered: Baseball
Tornadoes Hit By: 1
Vehicles Totaled: 1
Best Chase Day: June 4
States: CO, KS, OK, TX

April 8 - Medicine Lodge, KS - 3 Tornadoes
May 6 - Brookville, KS - 1 Tornado
May 9 - Cheyenne Wells, CO - 7 Tornadoes
June 4 - Simla, CO - 9 Tornadoes

 

[Tim Paitz]

I didn't get to do any chasing this year. Bummer. It was all either too far away (as I wanted to chase nearby storms) or other stuff (like school) got in the way.

 

[James Wilson]

Chase First Tim! ;-)