My thoughts in this post can just be prefaced with one great big FWIW. I too get very annoyed with congestion and traffic - that's one of the reasons I moved out of Southern California a few years back. One of the last things I want to deal with is a traffic jam in a remote area on a sometimes less than optimal road network. What's more, massive convergences are far more dangerous than a traffic jam because of the unpredictable behavior of a large group of highly distracted chasers - and I know, not everyone is like that, but some are, which has led us to these unsafe incidents where it's a minor miracle that nobody has been injured.
Call me thin-skinned, but I just don't want to deal with that anymore. I have altered my chasing style over the years in search of a happy medium. I'm sure others have adopted similar practices, and for others it's old hat, but who knows... since we're having this discussion again, maybe some of my thoughts might be helpful to you.
1. Don't get close.
Often times, you can get a much better view of a storm from a good distance away. You probably would miss developments at the updraft base from a vantage point 5-15 miles distant, but the improved view of the total storm is worth it, IMO. Plus, at that distance you achieve some separation from the convergences near the meso.
2. Calculate your intercepts ahead of time, and arrive early.
This one is tricky, because storm motions can be highly changeable in both speed and direction. But if you know for example, that a storm is 40 miles SW of Town X, moving NE at 20 mph, then you know you have two hours to attempt to position yourself somewhere in the vicinity of Town X, arriving well ahead of the storm. If you beat the crowds, and have time to scout around, you might be able to stake out one of the best (and perhaps safest?) locations early. In addition, while waiting for the storm's arrival, you also get to enjoy the benefits of item (1) above.
The downside to this (or maybe the upside, depending on your opinion) is that if you guess the storm motion incorrectly, you could end up someplace you don't want to be (all hail the hail), or too far away to see what you had hoped for. Plus even if you choose wisely, the chaser convergence may form around you anyway.
3. Seek out "nontraditional" vantage points.
If you're watching a supercell and you have your heart set on seeing a tornado, odds are you'll be sitting with everyone else ahead of the updraft region. Sometimes you can get a nice view of the meso (and developing tornado) from the S, or even the W as long as there's not too much precip wrapping around the circulation. Sometimes from the W you'll be afforded a very impressive view of the updraft, more so if the cloud tower is backlit by the sun. If your view of the tower from the backside remains unobstructed after dark, you can take phenomenal lightning pics.
There are the disadvantages of taking a position behind the updraft... if the storm motions are too fast you'll lose the storm quickly, or if it transitions to HP you won't see much, or that if a complex (squall line or MCS) develops you'll find yourself in the oh-so-exciting stratiform rain region.
4. Go for less attractive targets.
Once storms are going, chasers will naturally flock to the supercells. If the opportunity presents itself, try following a left-split for a while. You'll leave a lot of the crowds behind that way. I'm a bit biased because I personally am fascinated by left-splits. It's cool in a mindbending sort of way trying to match up the structural appearance of a left-split with the theoretical models (wait, I need to be on the northwest side to see the updraft base?). Left-splits can often exhibit the same sort of supercell structure that we all know and love... just a bit backwards sometimes. Plus if you get a really prolific hail producing left-split, I'm sure your reports of softball or larger hail will be very appreciated. Following the left-split over the right-split does tend to decrease your chances of seeing a tornado though... and sometimes the left-splits fire up their warp drives and go rocketing away at 90 mph.
I apologize if I'm preaching to the choir here. I know everyone has their own chasing style and their own goals when they go out. But because a lot of folks are frustrated, I thought I'd just throw out a few ideas from my experiences in getting around the problems that cause me aggravation, and how I came to enjoy chasing again.
)... I had a long rambling dissertation on why I thought a battle between chasers and local officials happens but I think I can put it in simpler terms that I am sure most of us already know…
