Best year in the history of chasing

[Dan Robinson]

I'd like to know what the consensus between veterans and new chasers alike is on the best season that chasers have experienced. This isn't a poll on your best personal chase year, rather base your vote on the season with the best overall quantity, chaseability and photogenic quality of storms and tornadoes - not just the ones you successfuly intercepted yourself. If you think another year other than the ones listed should get the distinction, vote 'other'.

1995 was a legendary chase year in my book and it was difficult to choose between it and 2004, but I had to go with 2004.

 

[Danny Neal]

i would say the first 10 days of may 2003 have proved to be the best years, when i think bout may 10th and the numerous photos ive seen from IL n MO and may 4th around the KC area and Girard Ks, Platte City, and last but not least around the OKC area on may 8th and 9th i think those 10 days could have made chasers years

although 2004 did have a lot of good moments but i would choose 03 over 04 but they were both real close, i know your not asking for personal chases but 04 was my personal best, but i think i would choose 03 just by sheer magnitude of the season

 

[Tarmo Tanilsoo]

2001 from me. I still remember 16 July severe weather outbreak in my area.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

I choose 2004. One of the reason I think 2004 was the best for chasing is the span in the dates of the events, it seems like there were events through out the entire summer not only May and June as both July and August produced numerous tornadoes which when you reside in the heart of tornado alley allows for an exciting year.

 

[MatthewCarman]

2004 and not because I live in Iowa and watched the may 22 outbreak that produced 36 tornadoes across Iowa unfold or the outbreak before that in Iowa just 1-2 days earlier but I picked 2004 because of the record days we had over 80 tornadoes or close to that and for the record year I think in most tornadoes ever seen. Plus we had outbreaks start from spring into fall. Also several towns were wiped out including Bradgate Iowa and I think a few in Nebraska and Mo. Mabey Halem NE? Cant remeber. 2003 would be the next on my list.

I was suprised you have only earlier dates as I am sure there was some great chase years before 1991. Not sure how good the 80's was for chasing storms?

 

[PeteMcConnell]

I didn't chase all of the years that were listed but out of the years mentioned that I did chase I would go with 2004.

 

[Brian Stertz]

My best year as a chaser was hands down 1999, but I would have to give 1995 a vote...May & June of that year was incredible and I wished I could have chased more events that year. June 8 was an awesome day I wish I could revisit.

 

[Danny Neal]

haha wow now that mike hollingshead named all those days i tried to do the same for 03 but have come up empty i even forgot about the IL days and i actually chased those days grrrr well cant change my vote but reconsidering my previous thoughts

 

[Tony Laubach]

2004 hands down. Pick your day that season! I missed a few, but nailed a few!

 

[Susan Strom]

Desert monsoon: 1999 first; 2006 close second, both were so great.
Plains: 1998, but 2004 was the most fun because I drove across country as well.

 

[Dan Robinson]

From the chase accounts I've read from some longtime veterans (Moore, Doswell, etc), the 80s had their days, but nothing like the 90s and 00s. Of course, most of that was due to the small number of chasers and the smaller territory covered. I guess you could look at climatology to see if there were good events in places like Colorado or the Dakotas, areas that are routinely chased today that may not have been as much back then. Other than by knowing storm motions, it would be hard to tell how photogenic and truly 'chaseable' those events would have been just by looking at the raw numbers.

From the chase reports I've read, the late 70s seemed to have some banner seasons which may be comparable to recent big years. I was hoping a few chase vets could give us some insight on how today's 'dream seasons' stack up to those.

 

[Danny Neal]

2003 was active too obviously, but should come up short I'd think.

I'll try some from 2003.

May 3 had some long-lived cycling supercells in western to central NE and there was a beast in TX as well
May 4 KS/MO outbreak
May 8 about a carbon copy of May 4(I was at the stupid sfc lows seeing jack both days)
May 9 okc night tornado after the Moore tornado the day before.
May 10 big outbreak MO, IL
May 15 TX Panhandle area tornadoes
then it was dead as hell till May 31
May 31 NE panhandle had one tonrado and a long lived supercell
then nothing stands out to me till June 9
June 9 2 big tornadic supercells in nc-c Nebraska as well as a couple in SD
June 22 2 big tornadic supercells in sc NE(deshler and Aurora record hailstone producer)
June 23 at least one(deadly) tornado in ne NE
June 24 record tornado outbreak in se SD(Manchester, etc)

yeah i could only add
may 30th - tornado outbreak in northern and central illinois

 

[Brian Stertz]

1982 was a pretty intense year of chasing...looking back at things in the good 'ole days...it figures my first semester at OU was in the fall of that year !!

 

[Rich Thompson]

Being a so-called "veteran", I would go with '91 or '95. I guess it depends on where you begin your chases and how important you rate tornado quality versus miles driven.

The '91 season was fantastic in KS/OK because there were significant tornado days about every 1-2 weeks from 21 March through 26 May, then it just shut down. In other words, not an excessive number of days to chase, but no long down periods and a high % of quality tornadic storms. '95 had a larger number of storms, including the incredible week in early June.

Keep in mind that there were fewer chasers in the early-mid 90s, and there was no such thing as mobile internet access or ThreatNet. I would guess that 2004 leads because more chasers on this forum were comfortable chasing in 2004 compared to 1991

 

[Rob Satkus]

I would have to go with 1991, mainly for the reasons Rich gave...very chaseable, photogenic storms. 1998 was also a good one for me, as was 1999...the 00's have been a down time for me, mainly because my chase range is much more limited, but 2003 was a decent year...

Rob