If there was a larger size, I would still complain that this wasn't emphasized enough.
2017 Chase Statistics
- Thread starter John Farley
- Start date
Drew Terril
Staff member
Chase Days: 2
Tornadoes: 2
Tornado Days: 1
States Chased: OK, KS
Summary: Changed jobs so didn't have much of any opportunities, but I expected that coming into this year. After the last couple of years, I needed time to recover financially. Secondary season kept me from being shut out for the year for tornadoes, and ironically those were my first fall tornadoes.
Tornadoes: 2
Tornado Days: 1
States Chased: OK, KS
Summary: Changed jobs so didn't have much of any opportunities, but I expected that coming into this year. After the last couple of years, I needed time to recover financially. Secondary season kept me from being shut out for the year for tornadoes, and ironically those were my first fall tornadoes.
Warren Faidley
Supporter
Look at the bright side.
The meteorological odds don't support two really bad years in a row.
I'm going to Vegas in a few weeks and I'll check in with the major casinos to see what the 2018 chase intercept odds are for 2018.
The meteorological odds don't support two really bad years in a row.
I'm going to Vegas in a few weeks and I'll check in with the major casinos to see what the 2018 chase intercept odds are for 2018.
Jeff House
Supporter
Strange year; I did not attempt a Plains chase trip. Work conference kept me from May 16-18, but it would have been my trip.
Attempted North Georgia in March - busted.
Skipped High Risk Dixie in April - knew North Bama was too cool.
August 31, North Alabama tornado in Harvey remains was a consolation for the May debacle.
Total Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017 is another reason I 'saved it' for August. Ended up driving 30 minutes up the road into Totality, no travel needed. Family joined so it was a truly special day!
Attempted North Georgia in March - busted.
Skipped High Risk Dixie in April - knew North Bama was too cool.
August 31, North Alabama tornado in Harvey remains was a consolation for the May debacle.
Total Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017 is another reason I 'saved it' for August. Ended up driving 30 minutes up the road into Totality, no travel needed. Family joined so it was a truly special day!
Royce Sheibal
EF3
Was my first year that I didn't chase since I started back in 2004. Between work, non-chasing vacations, and a general terrible season in the central plains, just couldn't do it. On the plus side, the spring exiting La-Nina typically has some solid action for this area, so I've got hope for 2018. 0/0/0.
Jeremy Perez
Supporter
Plains chase days: 7
Monsoon chase days: 11
Tornadoes seen: 1 - May 18th - Spinup beneath a funnel—identified later when reviewing video
Tornado days: 1
Supercells: 13 (this matters to me—If I get a decent sup, the chase is not a bust)
Busts: 0 (for the no tornado = bust crowd, then 6 : )
States chased in active chase mode: AZ, CO, WY, SD, KS, OK, TX
States chased through: NM, NE
Total states covered: 10
Biggest hail: Possibly golf ball — was fleeing & didn’t attempt to measure.
Most photogenic storm: May 26th — 12 hours of awesome, from Bennet, CO to Wakeeney, KS
Total chase mileage: 8,100 miles (Plains Trip 1: 3,500 mi. • Plains Trip 2: 3,200 mi. • AZ Monsoon: 1,400 mi.)
Mishaps:
Wound up playing sandblast games with a cell moving through Kansas, May 25th. I got several miles onto the farm grid trying to catch up to my storm (dumb), when a southbound gust front slammed me on a north-south road. Dirt road plus dirt fields alternating on either side. It took about 7 minutes crawling along with dirt, sand, husks, and pebbles grinding the car for me to realize that the perfect alignment of screaming wind to endless dirt sources was where glass and paint go to die. If I had jogged 20 or 30 yards onto east/west on a road beside one of the planted fields, I might’ve saved a few dollars. So, my first storm chasing windshield replacement was brought to me by dust, not hail.
Got myself out of position to the north-northwest of a supercell near Watova, OK, May 27th, and had a left split hop off and catch me by surprise. Fleeing a freshly brewed hail core does not light my fire.
Lessons learned:
Two other sky related highlights:
Monsoon chase days: 11
Tornadoes seen: 1 - May 18th - Spinup beneath a funnel—identified later when reviewing video
Tornado days: 1
Supercells: 13 (this matters to me—If I get a decent sup, the chase is not a bust)
Busts: 0 (for the no tornado = bust crowd, then 6 : )
States chased in active chase mode: AZ, CO, WY, SD, KS, OK, TX
States chased through: NM, NE
Total states covered: 10
Biggest hail: Possibly golf ball — was fleeing & didn’t attempt to measure.
Most photogenic storm: May 26th — 12 hours of awesome, from Bennet, CO to Wakeeney, KS
Total chase mileage: 8,100 miles (Plains Trip 1: 3,500 mi. • Plains Trip 2: 3,200 mi. • AZ Monsoon: 1,400 mi.)
Mishaps:
Wound up playing sandblast games with a cell moving through Kansas, May 25th. I got several miles onto the farm grid trying to catch up to my storm (dumb), when a southbound gust front slammed me on a north-south road. Dirt road plus dirt fields alternating on either side. It took about 7 minutes crawling along with dirt, sand, husks, and pebbles grinding the car for me to realize that the perfect alignment of screaming wind to endless dirt sources was where glass and paint go to die. If I had jogged 20 or 30 yards onto east/west on a road beside one of the planted fields, I might’ve saved a few dollars. So, my first storm chasing windshield replacement was brought to me by dust, not hail.
Got myself out of position to the north-northwest of a supercell near Watova, OK, May 27th, and had a left split hop off and catch me by surprise. Fleeing a freshly brewed hail core does not light my fire.
Lessons learned:
- Don’t play with dusty gust fronts on the dirt grid. : P
- Broken railroad crossing guards with an inbound HP supercell are a source of peril. If the lights are flashing, arms are down, but no train in sight: don’t wait for the situation to correct itself. Bust a move down to the next grid point & look for a crossing with no arms (& of course no approaching train).
- I-70 DCVZ storms don’t produce tornadoes for me. But they are outrageously photogenic & still keepers.
- More like “lesson confirmed”: I stink at plucking tornadoes out of moderate/high risk days. I won’t sit it out if it’s in play, but just need to be ready for the aggravation.
- Don’t burn all energy stores on the first chasecation day to long-haul it for a marginal setup to “get the ball rolling” while you’re excited. Because the ball will get completely deflated on day 1 and leave you struggling to re-inflate energy & enthusiasm levels 2000 miles later on day 2.
- The Tohono O’odham Reservation does not like outsiders with cameras parked alongside their roads. Major bummer, because there are some spectacular monsoon storms and scenery down that way.
- Be ready for the icy ravages of a left split if in the dumb spot of winding up north-ish of the storm.
Two other sky related highlights:
- August 21 Total Solar Eclipse. No sight will ever compare to that and I’m brewing ideas for 2024 already.
- December 22 Space X Twilight Rocket Launch: So good I can taste it. I’m going to be really irreverent and rate this right up there with tornadoes for wow factor.
Mike Marz
EF3
I don't know exactly how many chase days I had in 2017, but it was a lot. Mostly "local" marathon setups that I either screwed up or that didn't produce anything worthwhile. I do know I only had one trip south of I70 last season and that was 5/18. I had two tornado days (5/18 and 6/12). Those two days totaled 6 tornadoes, 2 and 4 respectively. It was definitely my best year since I began "seriously" chasing in 2014. If my car wasn't totaled with dents before this year, 6/12 definitely took care of that. If there was one important thing that I learned or that was reiterated from 2017, it would be to never ever ever give up on a day. Both of my tornado days started pretty slow and crappy and I was either out of position, or got slowed by hail. But you can always make up for this if you just keep going. A few firsts from last season: first time chasing Wyoming, first time in Wyoming. Also, the Carpenter tornado began in Colorado and then crossed into Wyoming, making it a dual-state tornado, and also my first Colorado tornado and my first Wyoming tornado, at the same time. Also, all of my tornadoes from last season came in PDS watches. Can't wait for the first setup of 2018.
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It was a rough year. We spent a few largely unproductive days in the Southern plains, including the high risk day in OK where we played a game of chase your tail all day. We Bagged a few brief low contrast/rain wrapped tornados on the other Southern plains days including one that wrapped up and dropped right in front of us. That one immediately turned itself into a mummy (rain wrapped) and disappeared from view, leaving just a damage path to look at. The highlight of that chasecation was some nice baseball size hail.
I had to get a brake job in the middle of the trip even though I had the brakes done less than a year before. The calipers were dragging which sped up the brake pad destruction for me. On the way home from that trip, the alternator went out too.
The rest of the year was all North and sucked. Numerous setups were crushed by morning convection and some solid setups that went on to pay off (looking at you Illinois) I couldn’t chase because of schedule conflicts. Somehow I did manage to see four different funnel clouds right in my hometown in Michigan’s upper peninsula though. The year was disappointing, but i’d gladly take any of those disappointing days now that we’re locked into the middle of winter!
I had to get a brake job in the middle of the trip even though I had the brakes done less than a year before. The calipers were dragging which sped up the brake pad destruction for me. On the way home from that trip, the alternator went out too.
The rest of the year was all North and sucked. Numerous setups were crushed by morning convection and some solid setups that went on to pay off (looking at you Illinois) I couldn’t chase because of schedule conflicts. Somehow I did manage to see four different funnel clouds right in my hometown in Michigan’s upper peninsula though. The year was disappointing, but i’d gladly take any of those disappointing days now that we’re locked into the middle of winter!
Michael Snyder
EF3
Almost forgot May 26th Colorado...
Saw what was possibly a quick landspout tornado, and then the storm went on to produce so many gustnadoes that I could not count.
Decent looking storm... and the 2 supercells to the west of the main show were very nice also. The purple shelf cloud that had the gorgeous yellow orange sunset behind it had me printing it out for my home. I didnt see any other chasers around either, it was nice.
Back to the main story: On the main supercell I got hit by a gustnado full force in the Dodge Dart rental car that I had, on a slick muddy road while trying to move back west away from the leading supercell. I was driving slowly, calm wind, under leading edge of the shelf cloud and SMACK, it pushed me across the road and had all kinds of straw and branches in it. As it first hit I thought to myself quickly, "why is it windy all of the sudden?" Another chaser I was with has a picture of the gustnado, and I got to watch it move away.
That was a first..
Saw what was possibly a quick landspout tornado, and then the storm went on to produce so many gustnadoes that I could not count.
Decent looking storm... and the 2 supercells to the west of the main show were very nice also. The purple shelf cloud that had the gorgeous yellow orange sunset behind it had me printing it out for my home. I didnt see any other chasers around either, it was nice.
Back to the main story: On the main supercell I got hit by a gustnado full force in the Dodge Dart rental car that I had, on a slick muddy road while trying to move back west away from the leading supercell. I was driving slowly, calm wind, under leading edge of the shelf cloud and SMACK, it pushed me across the road and had all kinds of straw and branches in it. As it first hit I thought to myself quickly, "why is it windy all of the sudden?" Another chaser I was with has a picture of the gustnado, and I got to watch it move away.
That was a first..
James Wilson
EF5
2017 was hard … too many undercutting cold front chases early in the season and nothing photogenic later in the season. I missed Dimmitt and Wyoming so blah
Chases: 23
Tornadoes: 12
Photogenic Tornadoes: 0
Miles chased: 10,500 Approximate
States chased: CO, KS, OK, TX, NE, MO and IA (NM, AZ, UT for lightning)
Windshields Broken: 1
Best day: May 16
Top Moment: Girlfriend’s First Tornado
Lessons Learned:
I did not really learn any lessons this year I just made a few mistakes that I knew better than doing like …
Trying to position around a cell in the middle of nowhere Colorado on muddy roads and slipping and sliding around behind the cell. I finally made it on paving and had to go very fast to get back on the cell. Luckily I just got on it as it dropped a tornado about a quarter mile from me.
Staying on McLean to long and having to haul balls to get on the cell for Elk City.
Hoping for another 2013/2015/2016 in 2018!
Chases: 23
Tornadoes: 12
Photogenic Tornadoes: 0
Miles chased: 10,500 Approximate
States chased: CO, KS, OK, TX, NE, MO and IA (NM, AZ, UT for lightning)
Windshields Broken: 1
Best day: May 16
Top Moment: Girlfriend’s First Tornado
Lessons Learned:
I did not really learn any lessons this year I just made a few mistakes that I knew better than doing like …
Trying to position around a cell in the middle of nowhere Colorado on muddy roads and slipping and sliding around behind the cell. I finally made it on paving and had to go very fast to get back on the cell. Luckily I just got on it as it dropped a tornado about a quarter mile from me.
Staying on McLean to long and having to haul balls to get on the cell for Elk City.
Hoping for another 2013/2015/2016 in 2018!
Royce Sheibal
EF3
Side note: Although I didn't chase any tornadoes, I forgot that I did get to see one, up close and personal, and it sucked! EF2 tornado from a LEWP system started over my small suburb in Papillion and went onto destroy a few houses in Bellevue, NE. I got some crappy footage of the RFD hitting me whilst I was at the bar, which I had to leave after the power went out (for a couple days). I went home to find my neighborhood covered in EF0-1 tornado damage including my front yard tree in the street (where I normally park my car), and the rest of the city hit with 135mph (ya rly) straight line winds. Good thing I was at the bar!
So technically: 0 Chases. 1 Tornado. 1 Tornado Day. 1 Tree Lost. 1 New Roof (from a separate baseball sized hail event).
So technically: 0 Chases. 1 Tornado. 1 Tornado Day. 1 Tree Lost. 1 New Roof (from a separate baseball sized hail event).
Kevin R Burgess
EF1
- 0 chases last year.
I just hope I don't get any dis-likes !
I just hope I don't get any dis-likes !
Nikola Pavlovic
EF0
My chase stats for 2017.
Chase days: 11
Tornadoes seen: 7 (CO, WY, NE, IA, IL), IL tornado was actually waterspout on 7/12. I reported this event to NWS Chicago, as well as 4/29 to NWS St Louis (well developed mesovortex funnel near Farina IL), but without any response.
Tornado days: 3 confirmed + 3 maybe funnel maybe tornado (other chasers reported touchdowns, but i hesitate to qualify these events as tornadic since i didn't notice touchdowns)
Number of tornado sirens heard: 1 This is very important to me, after a war when we were 78 days under air raid sirens, which sound same as tornado warning sirens. When i heard these sirens i just went upset expecting bodies lying all around me, getting ready to help.
States chased: IA, NE, WY, CO, IL, IN, MO, ND
Biggest hail: 2.5" (CO, June 12)
Most photogenic storm: Near Towner, ND, 6/9.
Total chase mileage: 8735
New dents on my car: 6
Lessons learned:
1. 2210 mi in two days is too much even for truck driver.
I made some mistakes i already made earlier, stubborness is one of the greatest enemies.
Chase days: 11
Tornadoes seen: 7 (CO, WY, NE, IA, IL), IL tornado was actually waterspout on 7/12. I reported this event to NWS Chicago, as well as 4/29 to NWS St Louis (well developed mesovortex funnel near Farina IL), but without any response.
Tornado days: 3 confirmed + 3 maybe funnel maybe tornado (other chasers reported touchdowns, but i hesitate to qualify these events as tornadic since i didn't notice touchdowns)
Number of tornado sirens heard: 1 This is very important to me, after a war when we were 78 days under air raid sirens, which sound same as tornado warning sirens. When i heard these sirens i just went upset expecting bodies lying all around me, getting ready to help.
States chased: IA, NE, WY, CO, IL, IN, MO, ND
Biggest hail: 2.5" (CO, June 12)
Most photogenic storm: Near Towner, ND, 6/9.
Total chase mileage: 8735
New dents on my car: 6
Lessons learned:
1. 2210 mi in two days is too much even for truck driver.
I made some mistakes i already made earlier, stubborness is one of the greatest enemies.
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James Hammett
EF4
My 2017 chase stats:
Chases: 9
Miles: 5224 total; 602 median
Tornado count: 6 on 3 days
Success ratio: 1:3
Season rank since 2004: 6th (calculated using weighted tornado days and non-bust days per mile)
Strongest tornado: Pawnee Rock, KS EF3 on May 16th
Most pathetic tornado: May 25 in Colorado
Times stuck: none!
Firsts: Tornado in Wyoming
States chased through: WY, CO, OK, NE, KS
Longest trip for a single chase: May 16 - 997 miles
Most photogenic storm: May 8 in Colorado
Worst busts: May 18 - 931 miles
Shortest chase: May 8 - 200 miles
Summary: Compared with the two prior years, 2017 for me was a year of improved execution and success ratio. No big events I either couldn't chase or chose not to. Except for June 12, Colorado was practically a no-show so that put a damper on the raw numbers. I battled bad coil packs and vacuum leaks in the Subie on several chases. After 9 seasons and 220,000 miles it's time to upgrade. The total solar eclipse in August was an excellent way to end the season.
Lessons (re)learned:
Chases: 9
Miles: 5224 total; 602 median
Tornado count: 6 on 3 days
Success ratio: 1:3
Season rank since 2004: 6th (calculated using weighted tornado days and non-bust days per mile)
Strongest tornado: Pawnee Rock, KS EF3 on May 16th
Most pathetic tornado: May 25 in Colorado
Times stuck: none!
Firsts: Tornado in Wyoming
States chased through: WY, CO, OK, NE, KS
Longest trip for a single chase: May 16 - 997 miles
Most photogenic storm: May 8 in Colorado
Worst busts: May 18 - 931 miles
Shortest chase: May 8 - 200 miles
Summary: Compared with the two prior years, 2017 for me was a year of improved execution and success ratio. No big events I either couldn't chase or chose not to. Except for June 12, Colorado was practically a no-show so that put a damper on the raw numbers. I battled bad coil packs and vacuum leaks in the Subie on several chases. After 9 seasons and 220,000 miles it's time to upgrade. The total solar eclipse in August was an excellent way to end the season.
Lessons (re)learned:
- For a backyard chase, prep the night before and spend the morning forecasting from home
- Get a vehicle that doesn't require premium gas
- Leave home earlier to allow time to reassess the situation before initiation
- Either stay positioned close to the warm front or allow time to move further down the dryline. Don't get caught in between!
Quincy Vagell
EF4
2017 chase year in review...
Chase days: 54
Tornado days: 5 (tied with my first year of chasing for the least - 2014)
Tornadoes: 7 (least in my chasing career)
Best chase day: June 12th, easily.
Largest hail: 3.0"
States chased in: AR, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD and TX
Total miles driven: 65,653 (all except two trips involved storm chasing)
Other notables:
Summary: This was my first full year living exclusively in Oklahoma, so although it was easier for me to chase a lot of lower end "local" events, I also had to be somewhat selective to balance two other jobs. The season started off surprisingly good early on, with three tornado days between March 26th and April 2nd, but my chase season turned fairly dull until June 12th. As usually is the case, late spring/early summer featured some nice structure days in the central/northern Plains, but even those days were generally not particularly remarkable.
Tornadoes: As many have echoed, the year in terms of tornadoes was fairly lackluster from a chasing perspective, as most tornadoes were weak, short-lived, and/or in poor chasing terrain. Five of the seven tornadoes I saw were brief glimpses that could have easily been missed. So, while I can't complain about seeing tornadoes, I also won't complain about busted, moderate/high risk days. Bottom line, there wasn't much room for error this year, unless you got lucky, and/or chased June 12th.
If I had to highlight 2017 in a nutshell, I'd say aside from June 12th, my favorite day was "chasing" the total solar eclipse on August 21st. That was a surreal moment and among one of the most memorable events witnessed in my life.
Chase days: 54
Tornado days: 5 (tied with my first year of chasing for the least - 2014)
Tornadoes: 7 (least in my chasing career)
Best chase day: June 12th, easily.
Largest hail: 3.0"
States chased in: AR, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD and TX
Total miles driven: 65,653 (all except two trips involved storm chasing)
Other notables:
- First tornado in Colorado
- First tornado in Louisiana
- First tornado in October
- First year without a tornado in May since 2014
- First year without a tornado in Kansas since 2014.
- "Chased" a total solar eclipse in Nebraska
Summary: This was my first full year living exclusively in Oklahoma, so although it was easier for me to chase a lot of lower end "local" events, I also had to be somewhat selective to balance two other jobs. The season started off surprisingly good early on, with three tornado days between March 26th and April 2nd, but my chase season turned fairly dull until June 12th. As usually is the case, late spring/early summer featured some nice structure days in the central/northern Plains, but even those days were generally not particularly remarkable.
Tornadoes: As many have echoed, the year in terms of tornadoes was fairly lackluster from a chasing perspective, as most tornadoes were weak, short-lived, and/or in poor chasing terrain. Five of the seven tornadoes I saw were brief glimpses that could have easily been missed. So, while I can't complain about seeing tornadoes, I also won't complain about busted, moderate/high risk days. Bottom line, there wasn't much room for error this year, unless you got lucky, and/or chased June 12th.
If I had to highlight 2017 in a nutshell, I'd say aside from June 12th, my favorite day was "chasing" the total solar eclipse on August 21st. That was a surreal moment and among one of the most memorable events witnessed in my life.
