Chase Reports

[J West]

I'm with R.D. on this all the way. Apparently the desire by some to micromanage outweighs the desire to use this forum for it's intended use - storm chasing.

When I went out last week, I did not see a tornado...only a couple wall clouds and a clear slot. Judging by some responses to this thread, I didn't have a chase worth while enough to post because there was no tornardo. I'm sorry, but did I miss a name change to the website? Last I saw it was "StormTrack" and we talked about storm chasing here. I chased, I reported what I chased. What's the problem?

Is the plains SDS so bad this year that the population here has started in-fighting and nonsensical b*tching about petty stuff like this? If you don't want to read the tornado-less chase threads, then don't read it...but sitting here saying they are pointless to everyone is a very ignorant statement.

 

[nickgrillo]

Hmmm... Where did ANYBODY say that if you don't see a tornado than it's not a good chase? Very lost here.

I think the only comment even related to that was not posting reports about crap storms one would see way out of the plains region, while chasers were scoring big supercells in central KS. For that matter, I really don't even care about what someone reports... I do, however, simply find it weird why some people choose to write these love-letter-type posts about complete bust chases or short-linear segments with bases 2500-3500m AGL, or about a sheared cumulous cloud they saw in their backyard (now that is a waste of space).

It doesn't matter, really... I just won't read the report(s) if that is the case. Heck, the only reason why I'm even posting to this thread is because I'm bored to hell in a hotel parking lot in eastcentral SD in freaking gross out heat.

 

[Shane Adams]

Well, if this thread has been good for anything, it's indicating that some of you really need a good storm, and soon.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

This would be a first in how chase reports have always seemed to go in the past. As far as I know the point of the report was to share your happenings on your CHASE. But heck, we all know nothing interesting happens outside of storms. We surely never want to hear how others wound up busting. Is it that hard to tolerate something like this that you just don't care for? I can't see there being a whole lot of people even bothering to post non-storm stuff anyway. It must be better to have empty or missing threads when there aren't storms, espeically for those that enjoy reading about the chase day, storms or not.

 

[Robbie Cox]

Guess some people just can't handle it...

I like reading both chase reports and bust reports... there can be a good lesson taught from each. Since it is technically a chase, why can't people report on it? [/b]

Yes agree with Mr. Dewey on this.

Have we not been taught to learn from other's misfortunes ?
What you think is a bust day might of been one heck of a learning experience for another. Not everyone will hit the longball, but that still doesn't make you a bad player. what might be a bust today could well turn into the homerun we all crave for. So why discourage that person from posting anything at all ???

As for Karen's question maybe have in title "Bust", "Crapola",ect.
That way the one's that think they have learned it it all won't read it and surely won't take out their bust day aggression on us still learning.

 

[Robert Dewey]

I do, however, simply find it weird why some people choose to write these love-letter-type posts about complete bust chases or short-linear segments with bases 2500-3500m AGL, or about a sheared cumulous cloud they saw in their backyard (now that is a waste of space).
[/b]

That's the whole point... What's "crap" to one man might be an interesting chase to another. I think it's wrong to try and dictate what equals a good chase. If Mr. T wants to write about chasing a derecho or linear segment, then so be it... If Spock wants to write about how he played the cold core only to see sunny skies, then so be it. I like everything about chasing, not just the tornadoes... I am a storm chaser and enthusiast, not just a tornado chaser (and yes, it's still the ultimate prize) ... Maybe it's because I've lived and chased primarily in the Great Lakes and haven't had the ability to see more than a few tornadoes... Perhaps that has conditioned me to enjoy and respect all forms of severe weather.

I do agree with you, Nick, that if you didn't actually chase and didn't witness much (i.e. a Cb), then you probably shouldn't report. However, I would still be interested in reading things like "I didn't head out today since the storms were slated for my area and I wanted to chase locally... I was in my backyard when I noticed a monster wedge crossing the back 40"... I know, a rare example

 

[Matthew K. Hartman]

...and not only that, there's something to be learned from busts. Why storms didn't form where you thought they would, why you made the forecast decisions you've made. In my logs, I tend to write where I went and why and sometimes try to explain in a concise, yet scientific way, near the end of my accounts why I think things may not have developed the way I thought. It's this human aspect to storm chasing that we can all learn from.

Personally, busts or not, I enjoy reading chase accounts - so I don't think anything needs to change. I sure hope it doesn't...

In general, I guess you can say I take the "Bobby Knight" approach: "you can learn much more from losing than winning..."

 

[Eric Flescher]

Nick and all

Nick-
First where is
"Cornholio, MO " ?


I don't really feel like posting my busts unless it is noteworthy bust (missed something, something that would help others; something in the reports that is "food for thought" for myself or others etc etc).
But if you try and at least see something or don't (based on reports) or miss something someone else saw, I think posting is okay.

I don't feel like writing anything if nothing really happened, I feel like I wasted my time, did not see anything, photograph or video anythiing.
But I guess I will have to put it down on my website but not the blog. But even that I have a hard time writing them as I feel I should be doing something else.

interesting thread thanks

***

Well, I am just shocked by the numerous people that I've seen on here for the past few years that write these 2-3 paragraph long "reports" with such enthusiasm on bust days. I guess when I drive a thousand miles and end up seeing a non-active convective cloud 50 miles to the east which gets sheared apart, and end up dining on candy bars and fanta at Fred's All Night G-69 Gas & More in Cornholio, MO -- I am not particularly pleased with the day and do not care to write such long ass paragraphs about me seeing nothing.

Bizarre...
[/b]

 

[Josh Morgerman]

As someone with a lot less experience than many people here, I enjoy reading the "bust" reports almost as much as the "eventful" ones. They give me a good, "warts-and-all" look at the craft, and I learn from them. I realize when I read these how hard chasing is-- how much work it requires.

And of course there is the simple commiseration factor. I chase hurricanes-- not severe weather-- and like any chaser I've had a couple of frustrating misfires (before joining here) in which I wasted a lot of time and money to see nothing much. I live in California and Europe and have to travel far to chase, so a bad bust for me is a catastrophe-- not just some wasted gas. I definitely would have wanted to post about those busts-- not just to vent, but also to share lessons learned.

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

"As someone with a lot less experience than many people here, I enjoy reading the "bust" reports almost as much as the "eventful" ones. They give me a good, "warts-and-all" look at the craft, and I learn from them. I realize when I read these how hard chasing is-- how much work it requires."

And that, my friend, is reason enough to post a report on a bust day. Besides, how can you not find it educational and humorous to read about Mike H getting pulled over for rolling through a stop sign regardless of the WX content of the chase B) I'd take that over an inflated, jargon-saturated-to-sound-cool attempt at a forecast no matter how accurate it may or may not be, any day of the week............