Chasing Lots (without a lot to show for it)

[Mike Peregrine]

This year is making me revisit some of the thinking I've had in previous years. I am not and have never been in the position of being able to chase everything. There are good (and sometimes great) days that I regularly miss. I also don't hit the high plains as much as a lot of folks do. But in recent years, the philosophy has been more along the lines of just chasing the sure bets, and staying local for the marginal setups. I've done this knowing good and well that there will be scads of hidden gems on days when I'm not out ... and that a lot of the younger or more eager chasers are going to come up with much more than me when it's over simply because they are out there more. But doing this really lets me just chase the days that I am relatively certain of success and reduces the time I'm out there spending time and gas on things that don't have the best results. I also would rather see great storm structure than a whisp of a tornado that lasts five seconds and cannot be photographed - just because I know what a rare and incredible thing that the Glen Elder or the Attica-type events are.

By doing this I still come up with at least a few great memories from the great days. And by staying local on marginal setups, I can still manage to come up with a few sleepers and surprises too. Never fails. This year when I really made the effort to throw heart and soul into the chase vacation, it really hasn't truthfully left me with much more than doing it the other way, when I think about it.

And even for those of you with all the great photos and catches this year, you just can't tell me that you didn't have to work for it, because I won't buy it. It's just the nature of the season -

 

[Darrin Rasberry]

One thing I can say about 2008, if I were a structure chaser or a photog, this would've been my best year bar-none. I've seen more amazing and delicious supercells, of all varieties, in 2008 than any other year since I started, including one from April 23 that is in my top-five all-time best-structured storms...so impressive in fact, that I'm including it on my next video.

Shane, I think you have me sold so I can weep. Such is the curse here in wet, "sloppy-seconds" MCS Capital of the World Iowa, where our only tornadoes come from chained or embedded sups, or else a gigantic one out of left field. Too bad I missed that long-track standalone supe here last week

Thinking about it, there were some moments on May 22nd and May 24th that stand out as well ... but still, March 30th is something that would probably be hard to top within any given year.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

but still, March 30th is something that would probably be hard to top within any given year.

Perhaps I am not recalling all that went down that day, but I don't recall what was so great about March 30th, unless your out for huge hail and ok structure it was a marginal day at best for me, and if I recall right for most....

 

[Bill Hark]

Although this was my best year since 1997(May 23 tornadoes, May 29 structure), I do agree that it ihas been a difficult year with fast moving HP storms and quick to linear transitions. I am speaking in general and looking at the chasers as a group. There has also been an usually large number of chase days in May though not productive in classic high contrast easily chaseable tubes.

One common theme I have seen on a number of the May chase days was veered or southerly 850 mb winds. Am I just looking at one parameter or do storms that form under those conditions not produce as many nice, from a chaser's view, tornadoes.

Bill Hark

 

[Darrin Rasberry]

Perhaps I am not recalling all that went down that day, but I don't recall what was so great about March 30th, unless your out for huge hail and ok structure it was a marginal day at best for me, and if I recall right for most....

I guess it was my first real return for chasing. The hail was amazing and the structure (I thought at least) was pretty wicked. It looked almost exactly like your avatar at the very beginning of its lifecycle. We followed that storm until 2, 3 AM. Figure it's like seeing a first child grow up or whatever, or maybe I'm just easy to please?

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

I guess it was my first real return for chasing.

Well than no doubt it will be hard for you to top the day, everyones first good chase day is priceless and will never be forgotten!!

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

This has been a very difficult year for me. This has been my first full chase season since 2003. May 23 gave me my first two tornadoes, however bad road options kept me from getting close enough to get any quality video.

May 24 was the only quality day (career day for me) as I was fortunate enough to be in OK that day. The second tornado the storm produced was frontlit offering incredible video oportunities.

After such a sureal experience with an incredible storm, Memorial Day brought me back to earth. After a long, difficult chase (including a cracked windshield from hail) our storm finally decided to produce a tornado just east of Pratt, KS. We were on a great intercept path....but what would you know....we had to cross a railroad and there just happened to be a slow-moving train beginning to cross the tracks as we got to the crossing. To make matters worse, we could see the tornado dropping about two miles to our southeast, and got the video camera on it. Our video was short because that stupid train had to deliver the ultimate "cock block" and invade our only view of the tornado. If it wasn't for May 24th I would call this the most difficult and least rewarding years to date.

 

[Verne Carlson]

May 22, 23 and 29 where definately the highlights of the season for us for tornadoes. The June 11th supercell that formed at the tail end of the line and hit Salina and Manhattan, KS had by far the best structure - even better dare I say than the May 29th Beloit, KS supercell. Hard fought tornadoes and storms - I have to definately agree with that. I can't remember a year where we could hardly ever get out of the car either because we were driving to keep up or getting pounded by wind driven rain.

One thing I have to say is that I would trade my entire 2008 season to have been on the Windsor, CO wedge tornado that formed less than an hour from where we left from that morning. A tornado that large and that far west near the mountains moving northwest is something I doubt we will ever see in our lifetimes!

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Greg, I thought I remembered you from the old boards. You used to be an ST member several years ago, didn't you?

The direction of this thread totally reminds me, by the way - I had a dream last night that I ended up living on this island somewhere. A supercell with tornado suddenly came over the island I knew I would only have a second to get my camera on it ... and I remember thinking "this is never going to happen again, so it's the only chance I've got." Of course the tornado was gone just as my camera was coming on. I have these dreams constantly ... the tornado is there and I can see it but I can't get the photo for some reason.

Verne brings up another good point ... the rain and lightning have kept me in the car way more than usual this year. Been really hard to roll the window down even to get a decent shot because I don't want to ruin a camera -

 

[Adam Lucio]

The funny thing about amazing structure this year....is I spent 4 days in Kansas and 2 in Nebraska...come home and get my best structure in my own back yard here in Chicago.

This is just not something I ever expected to see around here.

Sadly this is a video still as I did not have time to stop and get pics because I was in a race to catch this:

Which is currently my number 1 tornado for the year [out of the 4 total Ive seen.] The toughest part about this year as Im sure we will all agree on....GAS PRICES. I budget a good chunk of cash each year for chasing...but I more than maxed out and like Mike H...I'm frightened to look at my credit card bill.

All that being said...Im not worn out physically and I am ALWAYS ready and willing to chase...but given the time off work Ive already used Im afraid Im confined now to only those Friday - Monday setups. So my season is winding down based on that alone. Unless we stay active here in the Midwest but I will not bet on that. I do have 3 days reserved for a trip to the Dakotas should something set up there...other than that...local chases it is for me.

I also think its how you take your shots, you can always turn nothing into something...we busted in Nebraska on May 24th like many but in the end I still came home with some awesome shots I really like..

I hope the same picture size rules don't apply here...MODs if they do I apologize.

STAFF EDIT: Image size rules only apply to the REPORTS threads currently!

 

[Shane Adams]

2008 has been the best year (statistically) of my chasing career...

CHASES: 23
MILES: 11,538
AVERAGE CHASE DISTANCE: 502 miles
TORNADO DAYS: 8
TORNADOES: 26*
SUCCESS RATIO: 1 in 2.8
STATES CHASED: AR/KS/OK/TX

*Career Best

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

The June 11th supercell that formed at the tail end of the line and hit Salina and Manhattan, KS had by far the best structure - even better dare I say than the May 29th Beloit, KS supercell.

I can't wait for the comparison shot that makes it look better than the May 29th Beloit sup. Somehow I doubt it will quite get it done.

Mike, lol on the dream thing. Reminds me of the dream I had last night. I was about fall over tired when I went to sleep last night. Seems like it has been just go go go. For whatever reason I dreamed about the TIVs. I don't remember much now. All I remember is it was in some kind of war. There were tanks there and other strange big machines. Then come the TIVs. They were smashing into tanks and being smashed by other strange big machines. I think I've seen them too many times this year or something. Just saw them again on the 11th heading north out of Council Bluffs as I headed south. I've noticed it seems many dreams I have are related to sights I had not the day before that night, but the day before that. Tonight's dream should be related to some lousy chase in KS.

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

I've actually had one of, if not my best year this year as well. Funny thing is that up until May 22nd I was complaining to everyone around here about how it was my worst year yet, and that it was sad that the best thing I had seen all year through mid May was the January 7th supercell. Since then things have been pretty non-stop.

The craziest thing to me is that aside from May 22nd in Kansas, the best stuff I've seen all year has been right here in Illinois. I don't want the hoards over here, but I'm another spring like 2006 will come along and we'll see the parade return to the midwest but for now I'll enjoy having these sculpted supercells all to myself and the few other local chasers who I know I can trust and respect. I never really got, but kind of understand comments like Lucio's about "not expecting to see something" in a certain place. The environment that created that supercell is no different just because it's 500 miles away from the plains. There just are not 100 chasers on any given rain shaft in those locations so you don't see a 5 page thread of photos from each one.

Most of my favorite shots this year are from within 2 hours of home here in Illinois...

Also helps when you're getting stuff like this to happen 80 miles from home...

I knew this state would finally wake up.

I'm in the same boat on not wanting to open my credit card statement. I guess it's all in who got luckier and picked the right storms at the right time. So many times this year I've seen storms cycle between bad and good so quickly. That Chicago storm went from a piece of crap to producing back to back to back wedges mode in a mere half an hour. I've been on and let go of several storms this year right before they went on to produce their best tornado.

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

Mike....I am probably who you are thinking of. I used to frequent the old message board before I moved to Arkansas in 2004. I have been reading posts on here for a few years and finally decided to join this spring. Like most everyone else this year most of my tornadoes have been seen from the vehicle due to either rain/fast storm motions.

 

[Brian Stertz]

I think it is a bad year when my night-time tornado count is almost up there with my daytime count. The year has been frustrating from my end...alot to do with being positioned wrong...or getting out of work on a half day....the list goes on. The tornadic supercells this spring dumped a bunch of tornadoes....but fast moving ones...or the elusive rain-wrapped character as Mike describes was a good way for many to miss out on some reliable viewing. As soon as this chase season ends...which should be very soon for me...I'll do a synopsis of my chases with the highs and lows...a few selected photos...and the major frustrations at times.