Advice for eastern chaser heading to the plains for the first time

[Brian OConnell]

I've been chasing storms for years in the Mohawk valley of NY state (the best the terrain gets is like east OK) but I am going to spend late spring/early summer 2023 visiting relatives in Colorado and chasing storms out there, so I was wondering what advice plains chasers have for someone familiar with severe storms and chasing but new to the area (i'll be based near Greeley)

An incomplete list of things I wonder about:

Hail: Where I am damaging hail can be avoided simply by staying out of the mesocyclone, inflow notch, and heavy rain areas in supercells, and the largest hail I have ever seen was quarter size, which was in the core of a supercell that passed over my house, but I have read that plains supercells can have hail where there is not heavy rain, so I am curious how you know where this is. Also, can nonsupercell storms have hail large enough to damage a car? Here you can be right in the core of almost any nonsupercell storm without fear of hail (falling trees are another story)

Road conditions: Years ago I was in the same part of CO and tried to chase a little non-severe storm, but could not as the car (2011 crv) shook violently whenever I hit 9 mph on the washboard dirt and gravel that composed the road grid, this shocked me as I can do 35 just fine on dirt roads around here, my car is old and needs replacing anyway, so what kind of vehicle is good for plains chasing?

Cops: Does chasing storms in Kansas require being willing to risk arrest? I hear stories of Kansas cops targeting chasers but I do not know to what extent these are the isolated bad cop stories you can find anywhere and to what extent crossing over the Kansas line is a risk if you can't take a chance on ending up in jail. Also where I live no one follows the speed limit exactly, they all add 5-8 MPH to any 40 or greater speed limit and (correctly)assume they won't be ticketed (even my driving instructor told me I am unlikely to be stopped if I am going 7 over or less), but I have heard this is not true everywhere, especially western states with higher speed limits? (I do not intend to drive dangerously but I have gotten used to doing 59 in 55s and 70 is 65s since everyone else is doing that or worse)

Wind: Where i am the biggest storm-related hazard is by far outflow/downbursts due to failing trees, I don't intend to be as careful with wind in places where there are no trees or powerlines around, but I want to make sure I don't get myself into trouble with extreme winds, as I have not encountered winds over 48 mph since I was 7 years old

Landspouts: Where I live tornadoes come almost entirely from supercell mesocyclones or squall line mesovorticies, are there additional tornado danger zones in Colorado storms?

And any other advice you might have on plains chasing

 

[Mike Smith]

I live in Kansas: Those stories are a decade old. Unless you violate the law, you will be fine!

Kansas also has the best road network for chasing. .

 

[John Farley]

Regarding the first two questions, yes, plains storms can have hail where no precipitation is visible. However, most of the time if you don't get too close to the mesocyclone and avoid the vault area (between the mesocyclone and the visible precipitation), you will be OK. Although if the storm is really intense, you might want to stay a little farther away, as these storms can fling hail out a little farther than you may be used to. Regarding the second question, unpaved roads in Colorado are often very poor roads, and with the high clay content in the soil in parts of the eastern Colorado plains, these roads can become nearly undrivable when they are wet. I have had a couple unpleasant experiences, and generally avoid unpaved roads in eastern CO and nearly parts of KS and OK if the roads are wet or likely to become so while I am on them.

 

[Brian OConnell]

if the storm is really intense, you might want to stay a little farther away, as these storms can fling hail out a little farther than you may be used to.

What I am used to is no hail at all in supercells, I have never seen so much as a single pea size hailstone while chasing a supercell, I have seen hail in 2 supercells that passed directly over my house before I was old enough to drive, but both cases were positions I would never put myself in while chasing (one was directly under the meso of a little LP, the other in the middle of the FFD of an HP) The only chases I have encountered hail have been sub-severe hail in squall lines

I'm not trying to imply supercells here have no hail, a friend of a friend was injured by grapefruit hail in a freakishly intense (for ny) supercell near me, but I always avoid the vault, downdrafts, and being directly under the meso for reasons other than hail, and this has always kept me out of any hail

Regarding the second question, unpaved roads in Colorado are often very poor roads, and with the high clay content in the soil in parts of the eastern Colorado plains, these roads can become nearly undrivable when they are wet.

Thanks for the warning! This brings up another question, how do people who live there deal with this? I can't imagine not going to work or school every time it rains

 

[Mike Smith]

"Thanks for the warning! This brings up another question, how do people who live there deal with this? I can't imagine not going to work or school every time it rains."

While the roads in rural Kansas are quite a bit better than Colorado's, even here we have "mud routes." School starts at 10am and the farmers usually have 4-wheel drive vehicles or use their (enclosed) tractors. They take their children to where the mud route comes closest to their homes. This almost exclusively affects farmers.

 

[Rick Schmidt]

During the May 25, 2016 EF-4 wedge that threaded the needle between Abilene, Solomon, and Chapman, myself and about 10 other chaser vehicles were subjected to unwarranted anger and orders to turn around and leave the area by law enforcement, one in plain clothes, probable detective, because we were close, but not in the path of the tornado, about a mile away or less. I know some of the cops were panicking, because they looked young and inexperienced. I also have that on video. He said if we did not immediately turn around and leave the area, we would be arrested. So, some cops will have an attitude; just a caution.

 

[Mike Smith]

Everyone:

FYI: At Chasercon 2019, which was held in Wichita, we had the Kansas Highway Patrol, Wichita police and the Sedgwick Co. sheriff's office as part of a panel discussion. They all emphasized that storm chasing is legal and that they do not and will not hassle storm chasers who obey the law.

That stated, there are two ways of looking at the 2016 event:

• Cops with an attitude. We certainly have our share of those. However, they have an attitude about everything, and it is not directed specifically about chasing.
• The other and, perhaps more likely, if there was damaged they were worried about looting. I was genuinely shocked by the reports of looting after the Andover Tornado three weeks ago. In a situation like that, the cops' reaction is, "keep everyone out and we'll sort it out later!"

I wouldn't let the incidents from 2012-2016 (and, there were several, ask Lanny Dean and others) stop me from chasing in Kansas today.

 

[Brian OConnell]

So, some cops will have an attitude; just a caution.

This can be said about any place and activity, my question is about whether there are specific states or jurisdictions where chasers are at elevated risk of being arrested, and from your post it's not clear if this is just a general comment about cops or specifically a Kansas issue

 

[Matt Hunt]

The largest hail is typically in the inflow notch area, and yes it's often just south of the precip. If you encounter large hail, drop a bit further south, however, keep in mind it can get flung around the RFD, too. But for the most part, if you're due east of the meso, you should be fine.

Regarding roads, I always try to avoid dirt roads unless they're wide, graded roads. I had quite the adventure down a curvy dirt road in Nebraska in 2019 just across the border from CO, that in many spots turned to just two dirt lines with grass in the middle. Luckily I was still able to make it through with my Honda Accord, but it was dicey.

 

[Brian OConnell]

The largest hail is typically in the inflow notch area, and yes it's often just south of the precip. If you encounter large hail, drop a bit further south,

Are you assuming I am north of the meso in between the meso and FFD?

for the most part, if you're due east of the meso, you should be fine.

Fine hail wise maybe, but this seems like a position to get hit by a tornado, I usually watch mesocyclones from the south or southeast to stay out of the path

Regarding roads, I always try to avoid dirt roads unless they're wide, graded roads. I had quite the adventure down a curvy dirt road in Nebraska in 2019 just across the border from CO, that in many spots turned to just two dirt lines with grass in the middle. Luckily I was still able to make it through with my Honda Accord, but it was dicey.

I'm not sure how you define "wide graded" but I am talking about the county road grid, not winding trail-like roads.

 

[samuel stone]

I live in rural Kansas near Chapman, as far as the washboards go, you just gotta get up to speed on em and then you'll just kinda skip across em. But don't gun it and slow down for turns sooner you can definently fish tail.

For muddy roads.. atleast in east central Kansas theres alot of well-graveled roads in the county grid but definently stay off the clay or silt if its wet and you don't have 4-wheel.

As for law enforcement I've never had a problem with them, but haven't chased a whole hell of alot in the last 8 years or so, once or twice a year. Didn't have any problems on the Abilene Chapman EF4 in 2016

 

[Matt Hunt]

Are you assuming I am north of the meso in between the meso and FFD?



Fine hail wise maybe, but this seems like a position to get hit by a tornado, I usually watch mesocyclones from the south or southeast to stay out of the path



I'm not sure how you define "wide graded" but I am talking about the county road grid, not winding trail-like roads.

1. Yes, more or less, but it can extend out to the east a ways as well. Every storm is different, of course.

2. Yeah, typically in the path is the best view. Using a landmark, you can tell if it's moving to the left or right of that landmark, or not moving either direction. If it's not moving either direction away from that landmark, it's coming right for you. Of course the idea is to continue moving east and stay in front of it. At least that's what I *try* to do, but it's always dependent on the roads. Once rain wraps around the RFD, you'll have no view from the south or southeast, but yes that is the safest position.

3. Wide meaning... wide. Those are typically more often used routes, and therefore in better shape. Graded meaning, they come through and level it out to get rid of those washboards. Of course with dirt roads, you never know when it might turn to garbage. I try to just stick to pavement for the most part.

 

[Brian OConnell]

1. Yes, more or less, but it can extend out to the east a ways as well. Every storm is different, of course.

That makes sense, becasue the largest hail should fall closest to the updraft, I just wanted to make sure you weren't saying hail is being flung out the south side of the meso

2. Yeah, typically in the path is the best view. Using a landmark, you can tell if it's moving to the left or right of that landmark, or not moving either direction. If it's not moving either direction away from that landmark, it's coming right for you. Of course the idea is to continue moving east and stay in front of it. At least that's what I *try* to do, but it's always dependent on the roads. Once rain wraps around the RFD, you'll have no view from the south or southeast, but yes that is the safest position.

This would rarely work in the east, by the time the meso was close enough to see clearly despite humidity and low cloud bases and terrain in the way you would be close enough that your escape would risk taking you through one of the downdrafts, risking impact by falling trees or escape route blockage

3. Wide meaning... wide. Those are typically more often used routes, and therefore in better shape. Graded meaning, they come through and level it out to get rid of those washboards. Of course with dirt roads, you never know when it might turn to garbage. I try to just stick to pavement for the most part.

Wide is a relative term, when I hear wide I think of major state highways, but I don't think any dirt road is that wide, as for grading, the washboard roads I was on looked like they had been graded that spring, just not recently enough to stop the washboards

Pavement is nice, but from what i've seen there doesnt seem to be much of it on the CO plains

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Cops: Does chasing storms in Kansas require being willing to risk arrest? I hear stories of Kansas cops targeting chasers but I do not know to what extent these are the isolated bad cop stories you can find anywhere and to what extent crossing over the Kansas line is a risk if you can't take a chance on ending up in jail. Also where I live no one follows the speed limit exactly, they all add 5-8 MPH to any 40 or greater speed limit and (correctly)assume they won't be ticketed (even my driving instructor told me I am unlikely to be stopped if I am going 7 over or less), but I have heard this is not true everywhere, especially western states with higher speed limits? (I do not intend to drive dangerously but I have gotten used to doing 59 in 55s and 70 is 65s since everyone else is doing that or worse)

Obey the law, don't be irresponsible and you'll be fine. These reports you speak of are years old, and a lot of it was during the craze that came along with Discovery's Storm Chaser show that put storm chasing back into the limelight causing hordes of people who probably shouldn't have been chasing to begin with to clog up Kansas roads and acting completely irresponsible (passing on the wrong side of the road, completely blocking roads, going around barricades, speeding, etc).

I lived in Kansas much of my life and have chased all over the state since the 90's and honestly not once have I had any bad encounters with law enforcement. Really, about the only encounters I had was when I would be pulled off somewhere waiting for storms to fire and a police officer/deputy would approach to make sure I wasn't broken down or anything. Once I explained what I was doing, the conversation went straight to what the severe weather threat was and what was expected. Always friendly interactions and have nothing negative to say about Kansas law enforcement.

Like I said, obey the traffic laws, don't be irresponsible and drive like an idiot, don't block roadways and you'll be fine.

 

[Matt Zumbrunn]

Alot of western KS roads get slimy with a little moisture. I distinctly remember sliding backwards in 4wd down a hill pheasant hunting one day. And that was with aggressive mud tires. If I went into a ditch only a 4x4 tractor was getting me out. I know turkey hunting forums have countless tales of walking out on foot to a hard packed road.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Alot of western KS roads get slimy with a little moisture. I distinctly remember sliding backwards in 4wd down a hill pheasant hunting one day. And that was with aggressive mud tires. If I went into a ditch only a 4x4 tractor was getting me out. I know turkey hunting forums have countless tales of walking out on foot to a hard packed road.

The road network in Kansas is great, even back roads, but yeah some roads can be iffy and probably best to avoid them. Western Kansas seems to have the more iffy roads, Southeast and Central Kansas tends to have great back roads; gravel, not mud/clay and easy to travel down.

 

[Matt Zumbrunn]

The road network in Kansas is great, even back roads, but yeah some roads can be iffy and probably best to avoid them. Western Kansas seems to have the more iffy roads, Southeast and Central Kansas tends to have great back roads; gravel, not mud/clay and easy to travel down.

That brings me to another point. 4 ply passenger tires get eaten for breakfast by the gravel on the roads at least in this part of KS.

 

[Todd Lemery]

Hell Matt, if you’re on a gravel road chasing in the Southern plains, just be happy and don’t worry about the tires. If you’ve got good tread, worry about something else!

 

[Brian OConnell]

The road network in Kansas is great, even back roads, but yeah some roads can be iffy and probably best to avoid them. Western Kansas seems to have the more iffy roads, Southeast and Central Kansas tends to have great back roads; gravel, not mud/clay and easy to travel down.

I'll be mostly in east CO, southeast WY, west NE, and maybe far west KS, given where I know people I can stay with

 

[Brian OConnell]

That brings me to another point. 4 ply passenger tires get eaten for breakfast by the gravel on the roads at least in this part of KS.

What kind of tire do you recommend for plains chasing? I had thought of tire choice as important for traction in mud, rain, and snow, but not that the roads would tear up tires!

 

[Dave C]

Hail: can be large out of the smallest squall line close to the front range. I've seen golf balls in a small squall line do massive damage in the metro. Out on the planes the same holds true. Non supercell clusters or lines can have very large wind blown hail. As far as avoiding hail - don't go in anywehre you cannot see through the precipitation. No vault, not under the shelf cloud, not into heavy precip, etc. On the backside of an LP, be very watchful for hail off the back of the updraft caught in RFD or just blown away from the storm. I've seen quite a few LP updrafts kick out large hail into clear air without warning.

Cops: are a non issue almost anywhere if you drive correctly, respect that you are passing through a place others live, etc. I drive through plains towns as if it was my own and realize some people may be uninformed and scared in the presence of sirens or storms and it is NOT my right to speed around or lose patience with them. They are there first and I am a guest. Very infrequently cops will profile out of state plates in certain areas; if you are respectful they don't do anything but ask questions and let you go. Never ever speed in a town limits, that is how they wait and make money in many towns. On highways, keep it reasonable - 7 to 9 over should be the max. I have seen days with literally dozens of cops in KS out on the highways and they pull over the people doing high speeds (9+ MPH over typically). I've heard of people getting huuuuge tickets for their lead foot in most states. Perhaps most important and separate from cops somewhat - stop at every stop sign; even in middle of nowhere out here. Lets not have another incident like the two Weather Channel chasers killing another chaser.

Roads: Wherever there is a grid network, chasing is great. This starts at the Kansas line east. Wyoming, Western NE, and CO all have some gridded areas, and some very rural areas where there is only one road that everyone will be on. As some mentioned, clay is prevalent in NE and CO. I use a 3 hour rainfall product when chasing and reliably avoid mud no matter the state. Nothing but the craziest mud crawler purpose built truck or tractor can stay on the road after it gets an inch of water in 30 minutes. I would suggest studying the road density and learning the numbering system in each state. For example, Colorado has a lot of 2 - 5 mile grids where there are grids at all and numbered county roads are usually but not always better maintained than lettered or double lettered roads in most counties. Usually the longer straight roads that look like feeders connect to them are better maintained. In parts of KS, the road grid is 1-2 miles, and there are more paved roads in the grid every 5-10 miles. In TX, there are farm to market roads, etc. It really pays to learn each states naming systems and study a chase area by map satellite view before heading out, and in the field if you have enough data.

Tires: A good A/T tire with road manners is a nice compromise. I use an hybrid A/T H/T tire and have had no issues from heavy rain to light mud to rough gravel or dirt. All wheel drive is a huge plus in all conditions.

Winds: Sideways baseball hail is a thing. Avoid RFD/FFD if you are not ready for it. Stay out of the gust front of large squall lines / bow echos or outlfow dominant beasts dying. Straight line winds can tip over semis, create a dust hazard that is REALLY dangerous. I've seen straight line winds take out a gas station window before. If a squall line is going 80MPH and has high winds and heavy precip, find shelter rather than trying to stay ahead of it in most cases (this is frequent in places like Kansas). If you just keep aware of the parts of the storm where winds can be high, and keep a healthy distance, you shouldn't have any problems. Note: this year and maybe next - dust across whole states is a major hazard.

Landspouts: Colorado plains near the front range, and certain other terrain in neighboring states, has orographic lift and convergence zones that enhance cyclogenisis and landspouts can happen easily (Denver Convergence Vorticy Zone is the name of the Colorado area). Landspouts as you know can come from any part of the storm including the front or back, etc. They seem to most often happen from boundary interactions, mergers and splits of storms or clusters. While not associated with a meso usually, they are associate with updrafts, so a radar product like echo tops may be helpful. On days with enhanced vorticity, just being aware there could be landspouts is often enough to keep safe unless you regularly drive under all parts of storms without looking.

Because of hail, chaser conergence, and other reasons, I rarely chase a tornadic supercell in path of a tornado or wall cloud for very long. The view is actually not as good as chasing to the SE or S or SW of the hook (better light on wall clouds and tornadoes, can see RFD cuts and structure, etc). Being in path I also find to be the most complex position for safety and affords little time to relax.

 

[Brian OConnell]

Nothing but the craziest mud crawler purpose built truck or tractor can stay on the road after it gets an inch of water in 30 minutes.

I remember after the fact analysis of the 2013 El reno tornado by Skip Talbot saying that the chaser deaths resulted from inappropriate escape rout choice, that the chasers went south or east across the path or the tornado when they should have gone north, in a "reverse core punch" becasue hail is less dangerous than a tornado, but from what I'm hearing reverse core punching is not a viable escape route on unpaved roads

All wheel drive is a huge plus in all conditions.

This is one thing I was wondering, I would never buy a 2WD vehicle because it wouldn't get up the hill to my house in the winter, but I was wondering if AWD is enough or if 4WD is needed (thinking about a subaru, and I hear they have very good "symetrical AWD")

Winds: Sideways baseball hail is a thing. Avoid RFD/FFD if you are not ready for it.

Who is ready for that?

If a squall line is going 80MPH and has high winds and heavy precip, find shelter rather than trying to stay ahead of it in most cases (this is frequent in places like Kansas).

2 rules I use for eastern chasing are never drive in a squall line and never outrun a squall line, as trying to do the latter will lead to doing the former, in squall lines here I try to stop someplace open with nothing upwind of me that can hit me and if there is a hail risk the car pointed into the wind, is this good for plains chasing or are you suggesting that I leave the car and go in a building?

Because of hail, chaser conergence, and other reasons, I rarely chase a tornadic supercell in path of a tornado or wall cloud for very long. The view is actually not as good as chasing to the SE or S or SW of the hook (better light on wall clouds and tornadoes, can see RFD cuts and structure, etc). Being in path I also find to be the most complex position for safety and affords little time to relax.

This makes a lot of sense to me, The only reasons I can see for being in the path are crossing the path way ahead of the meso, or if you are a scientist placing probes, other wise it seems like a pointless risk

Thanks for such thorough answer!

 

[Dave C]

I remember after the fact analysis of the 2013 El reno tornado by Skip Talbot saying that the chaser deaths resulted from inappropriate escape rout choice, that the chasers went south or east across the path or the tornado when they should have gone north, in a "reverse core punch" becasue hail is less dangerous than a tornado, but from what I'm hearing reverse core punching is not a viable escape route on unpaved roads

This is one thing I was wondering, I would never buy a 2WD vehicle because it wouldn't get up the hill to my house in the winter, but I was wondering if AWD is enough or if 4WD is needed (thinking about a subaru, and I hear they have very good "symetrical AWD")

Who is ready for that?

2 rules I use for eastern chasing are never drive in a squall line and never outrun a squall line, as trying to do the latter will lead to doing the former, in squall lines here I try to stop someplace open with nothing upwind of me that can hit me and if there is a hail risk the car pointed into the wind, is this good for plains chasing or are you suggesting that I leave the car and go in a building?

This makes a lot of sense to me, The only reasons I can see for being in the path are crossing the path way ahead of the meso, or if you are a scientist placing probes, other wise it seems like a pointless risk

Thanks for such thorough answer!

I think north or into a core on dirt is still valid escape if there is no better option (dirt in all directions and all wet, or paved north, or another route is definitely in path of a tornado that is close by). It would absolutely be better to be cored than trying to outrun a tornado if you can get out of the path with certainty, even if you got stuck but made it out of major danger. Traction must be factored into escape routes of course. The three hour rain product some radar apps have is invaluable; I can usually tell when a road will be dry, wet, or nightmare with pretty decent accuracy, if it is not obvious from having a huge core go over the road. Another factor on escape routes out on the plains, which maybe you have encountered out east as well, is random closed roads with no warning. This has happened to me three times while using my escape route before (I very rarely need to use one since I don't usually chase that close). In one case I was cored and learned to stay back further from volatile situations, and the others were closer escapes from hail and a not yet producing tornadic hook.

AWD has worked great for me for 10 years of chasing, including sliding like a boat through Nebraska clay as I chased a tornado from a safe distance behind. I am sure in certain scenarios true 4WD is better, but once the roads are a certain level of bad, only monstrous mud tires and torque are getting anywhere fast. A lot of the modern AWD are incredible at traction control (Honda, Subaru, etc) by independent electronic adjustment to torque on each wheel, including mud and sand modes that behave more like 4WD. 4WD usually comes with less fuel efficient vehicles, so I am one for the slight less traction in extreme scenarios in exchange for comfort and fuel economy and great on pavement manners. Subaru of just about any model would be a great choice as would a lot of the modern major reliable brands.

For finding shelter, I meant for your car with you in it unless you are about to get hit by truly massive hail or tornado. While some may not care, I don't like hail damage or windshield loss, so I will find shelter even from medium hail under a car wash or gas station overhang, or just stay out of the situation in the first place. I imagine squall lines move at similar speeds everywhere, but it seems most of the extremely fast ones I have had to move to shelter for were in KS or NE, which often form behind you if you chase a leading supercell. I think your existing rules about avoiding squall lines are very smart.

If you are aware of a gust front or RFD, it is not surprising and can usually be dealt with, not without sometimes a hail, dust, or other risk. So in the aspect of expecting it, you can be 'ready'.

 

[Brian OConnell]

I think north or into a core on dirt is still valid escape if there is no better option (dirt in all directions and all wet, or paved north, or another route is definitely in path of a tornado that is close by). It would absolutely be better to be cored than trying to outrun a tornado if you can get out of the path with certainty, even if you got stuck but made it out of major danger. Traction must be factored into escape routes of course. The three hour rain product some radar apps have is invaluable; I can usually tell when a road will be dry, wet, or nightmare with pretty decent accuracy, if it is not obvious from having a huge core go over the road. Another factor on escape routes out on the plains, which maybe you have encountered out east as well, is random closed roads with no warning. This has happened to me three times while using my escape route before (I very rarely need to use one since I don't usually chase that close). In one case I was cored and learned to stay back further from volatile situations, and the others were closer escapes from hail and a not yet producing tornadic hook.

AWD has worked great for me for 10 years of chasing, including sliding like a boat through Nebraska clay as I chased a tornado from a safe distance behind. I am sure in certain scenarios true 4WD is better, but once the roads are a certain level of bad, only monstrous mud tires and torque are getting anywhere fast. A lot of the modern AWD are incredible at traction control (Honda, Subaru, etc) by independent electronic adjustment to torque on each wheel, including mud and sand modes that behave more like 4WD. 4WD usually comes with less fuel efficient vehicles, so I am one for the slight less traction in extreme scenarios in exchange for comfort and fuel economy and great on pavement manners. Subaru of just about any model would be a great choice as would a lot of the modern major reliable brands.

For finding shelter, I meant for your car with you in it unless you are about to get hit by truly massive hail or tornado. While some may not care, I don't like hail damage or windshield loss, so I will find shelter even from medium hail under a car wash or gas station overhang, or just stay out of the situation in the first place. I imagine squall lines move at similar speeds everywhere, but it seems most of the extremely fast ones I have had to move to shelter for were in KS or NE, which often form behind you if you chase a leading supercell. I think your existing rules about avoiding squall lines are very smart.

If you are aware of a gust front or RFD, it is not surprising and can usually be dealt with, not without sometimes a hail, dust, or other risk. So in the aspect of expecting it, you can be 'ready'.

My concern about north escape routs were more about getting stuck as the tornado occludes and turns north

I'm planning to build one of those deployable hail gaurds that can cover most windows, so I am not too concerned about smaller hail, and I personally would be more worried about the wind effects on whatever I am sheltering under

Squall lines here move 45-60 mph, and the roads are 40-55 mph roads that are never straight, so maintaining even 40 mph in a single direction is extremely difficult

 

[Mike Smith]

My concern about north escape routs were more about getting stuck as the tornado occludes and turns north

While the people who post here are enthusiastic about storm chasing and the many contributions it has made to weather science (with, perhaps, more on the way, see: Meteorologists: Tornado "Tipping Vorticity" ), I'm beginning to wonder if you really wish to chase at this time?

If not, that's fine! Wait until a time when you feel comfortable or be an "armchair chaser." Don't feel pressured.

Regardless, we are happy you are posting here and wish you the best.