chasing NOT so HOT spots

[Danny Neal]

well about a month ago i started the chasing hot spots thread, now lets turn it around and talk about where a storm always seems to go nuts in the worst possible area or where the best conditions are and your like no way!!!! I think my number one choice would the Mc Alester Oklahoma area especially chasing east into Northern Arkansas

 

[Susan Strom]

I agree about Northern Arkansas. Too many hills, lush vegetation and trees, humid too.

I would have to say my least favorite place to chase in the Plains is the southern Permian Basin of Texas. Those towns like Pecos, Fort Stockton, there is just not much out there. It has a real isolated no-man's land feeling. There's no rhyme or reason for my choice weather-wise, just the feel of the place.

In the desert, my choice of not-so-hot spots is easy...anything in the borderlands. I have my run of millions of square miles of good chase land throughout AZ and New Mex...there is no reason to run after lightning in the borderlands. Until things cool off down there (smuggling, drugs, illegal entry), the entire length of the US/Mexico border is off my list. I'd hate to get in the way of anybody doing their job down there either, after all, they don't know what my little SUV is doing running around the desert at night. I'll have to look through my photo album of past trips to the borderlands and call it good for the time being, maybe someday I'll be able to feel free about chasing storms there again. There are so many other incredibly beautiful places to chase here though, staying away from the borderlands is not really a problem.

 

[Rob Satkus]

well about a month ago i started the chasing hot spots thread, now lets turn it around and talk about where a storm always seems to go nuts in the worst possible area or where the best conditions are and your like no way!!!! I think my number one choice would the Mc Alester Oklahoma area especially chasing east into Northern Arkansas
[/b]

One mans trash is another mans treasure, I guess...my most favorite chase ever was May 11, 1992...Terry Kern and I saw a couple of large tornadoes near McAlester, including an F4 that passed just north of Kiowa, south of McAlester. Also had good luck on May 20, 2001 near Enterprise and May 26, 1997 near Okmulgee, another not so favorable eastern area filled with trees and hills.
One of my "worst" areas is Wichita Falls...for as many times as I have been down there, hardly have much to show for it after 20+ years other than a distant small rope in 1994...not really even any good structure comes to mind down there, other than that day in 1994 (May 29th).

Rob

 

[Danny Neal]

One mans trash is another mans treasure, I guess...my most favorite chase ever was May 11, 1992...Terry Kern and I saw a couple of large tornadoes near McAlester, including an F4 that passed just north of Kiowa, south of McAlester. Also had good luck on May 20, 2001 near Enterprise and May 26, 1997 near Okmulgee, another not so favorable eastern area filled with trees and hills.
One of my "worst" areas is Wichita Falls...for as many times as I have been down there, hardly have much to show for it after 20+ years other than a distant small rope in 1994...not really even any good structure comes to mind down there, other than that day in 1994 (May 29th).

Rob
[/b]

ive chased down there once, it was april 22nd 2000 im not sure the exact date, it was the day shreveport LA got hit by tornadoes, but we chased supercells into the mountains just past wilburton and lost visibility, the roads became flooded the red oak fire dept was screaming about a tornado goin thru town just as we entered it it was a hairy situation and i have absolutely no aspirations in going back to that area

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

Any large metroplex. I recall chasing a storm from initation-> tornado warning... directly into rush hour OKC traffic. Not cool! Luckily, the storm did not produce.

Aaron

 

[Shane Adams]

I've missed tornadoes near Throckmorton, TX by minutes three different times. I hate that town.

 

[Karen Politte]

Strangely enough - Wellington, Kansas.

Busted there in 2005 on upwards of five occasions. There's not much to do around there when you're not on a storm - believe me. And then there's the small matter of the drive back. Ugh.

KL

 

[Andrew Booth]

Anywhere near me .

I can't seem to EVER get into the correct position, or manage to get to the storm. Perhaps more forecasting and judgement errors than an actual cold spot. Either way, I can't ever seem to catch anything.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Kentucky, though I love the state and its scenery, by far has not been too kind to me weather wise, compared to every other state I've chased in. Due to blue-sky busts and dying storms, I have yet to get any decent storm photo or video during chases in Bluegrass country. Kentucky gets its fair share of good stuff, true, but I just haven't been able to see any of it yet.

 

[Jeff Lawson]

I've had nothing but horrible luck in Northeast Kansas. Not "blue sky bust" sort of bad luck... more "missed the tornado by a few minutes" bad luck. The closer I am to Kansas City, the worse it gets.

 

[Brian Stertz]

Not much luck for me chasing in Mississippi...I like the looks of the Delta area for chasing ops but have yet to strike a Mississippi tornado on the board yet. Close but no cigars !!

 

[Paul Austin]

One of my "worst" areas is Wichita Falls...for as many times as I have been down there, hardly have much to show for it after 20+ years[/b]

I second Witchita Falls. In all the trips through this small Texas town, I have one unimpressive outflow feature to show for it. And it seems that I get turned around at least once every visit I make. Of course none of those visits came after my GPS usage, but you'd think a small town would be pretty easy to navigate. I know...I know...it really says more about the navigator :unsure: , but I just always seem to miss the appropriate signs in Witchita Falls.

 

[Eric Flescher]

Regarding

I've had nothing but horrible luck in Northeast Kansas. Not "blue sky bust" sort of bad luck... more "missed the tornado by a few minutes" bad luck. The closer I am to Kansas City, the worse it gets.
[/b]

I hear you loud and clear Jeff and I live in the KC area!

During the day of the F4 Wyandotte tornado (4:26p.m.-2003), I got out earlier that day and was everywhere before and after all the tornadoes. I missed the F4 Wyanodotte , Parkville and Liberty etc etc
I did catch a tiny tornado up near the airport off of I-29 and missed the F4 (arggghhh). I did not see on the NOAA reports of this tornado however which was listed in the KC Star newspaper
http://www.tornadoproject.com/past/pastts03.htm
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/eax/events/may042003/tor-reports.php

Many times I have a difficult time whether to go I-35 or I-435 when and where to intercept. Every coin toss I usually lose.

Then the Lawrence tornado , I saw in Eudora, KS outside Lawrence instead of going in and missed it altogether while my son saw it on the KU campus. (I should have called him earlier and let him know I was coming to Lawrence and he might have telephoned me .......)

Still the roads are accessible and easy to navigate here and I have been somewhat successful here. It is just frustrating sometime which happens to most of us.

 

[Jason Branz]

One word: IOWA. My best chase there was in 1999, and it was a clear-sky bust.

My most unlucky spot used to be the Medicine Lodge, KS area...but 2004 changed all that.

JB

 

[Danny Neal]

One word: IOWA. My best chase there was in 1999, and it was a clear-sky bust.

My most unlucky spot used to be the Medicine Lodge, KS area...but 2004 changed all that.

JB
[/b]

i second the iowa one, i will never ever chase in iowa again, ive chased there 4 times i am 0-4 without as much as a rain cloud, i think the worst was taking 3 days off of school to go out there for 3 consecutive severe weather days and coming back without a cloud in the sky and no car since some old guy thought it would be a good idea to pull out in front of my car at 45 mph on a highway!!!! :angry: grrrr theres something about iowa that HATES me haha