Paul Austin
After getting some basic structure and storm mode behavior understanding, the field really is the best classroom. Too many chasers keep their heads buried in their laptops and miss tell-tale storm details their eyes could have easily picked up on, myself included at times. Those tools are fantastic, but once you are on a storm, pay attention to the skies. Experience will teach you more than any other resource. The hard lessons learned are the most valuable, and unfortunately the most painful.
Case in point: In 2005, I got suckered into abandoning my original chase target for storms firing along a warm front to the north. I ended up with outflow dominant crap, while the tornado of the day touched down within 30 miles of my original target. The very next day, I forced myself to stick to my original target, seeing nothing, while slow-moving supercells dropped numerous tornadoes in one of the biggest tornado days of the year. With the right decisions, I could have seen tornadoes three days in a row, instead of the very brief one I saw on day three. I'm not complaining; that's just chasing. I generally won't abandon a good early target, now, but I am willing to, if atmospheric changes warrant.
So, get at least a little knowledge, talk to as many experienced chasers as possible, get your gear ready, and just get out there and do it.
And try not to get too discouraged if you bust. All chasers do, even the veterans.
Oh, also, when you are out on the road, don't forget driving hazards. Other traffic (especially drivers gawking at the sky instead of paying attention to the road), chasers stopped in the middle of the roadways, slick road conditions, deep mud, flash floods, and storm debris can often present more danger than the actual storms you are facing. Be safe and have fun.
Case in point: In 2005, I got suckered into abandoning my original chase target for storms firing along a warm front to the north. I ended up with outflow dominant crap, while the tornado of the day touched down within 30 miles of my original target. The very next day, I forced myself to stick to my original target, seeing nothing, while slow-moving supercells dropped numerous tornadoes in one of the biggest tornado days of the year. With the right decisions, I could have seen tornadoes three days in a row, instead of the very brief one I saw on day three. I'm not complaining; that's just chasing. I generally won't abandon a good early target, now, but I am willing to, if atmospheric changes warrant.
So, get at least a little knowledge, talk to as many experienced chasers as possible, get your gear ready, and just get out there and do it.
And try not to get too discouraged if you bust. All chasers do, even the veterans.
Oh, also, when you are out on the road, don't forget driving hazards. Other traffic (especially drivers gawking at the sky instead of paying attention to the road), chasers stopped in the middle of the roadways, slick road conditions, deep mud, flash floods, and storm debris can often present more danger than the actual storms you are facing. Be safe and have fun.
