Scott Nelson
EF2
Technically, wouldn't chasing "old school" really be without even a car? Horse and Buggy maybe? Realistically, on foot would be the way to do it. 
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Chasing "Old School"
- Thread starter Connor McCrorey
- Start date
Chris Lott
EF4
The old form of chasing was a lot of hand drawn maps and visual clues to guide them to the storms. Nowadays all a person has to do is buy a laptop and GRL 3, or use spotter network to "guide" them to the storms. I think a lot of people today aren't chasing, but following, thus the large "chaser" convergences.
Greg Blumberg
EF4
I haven't been chasing long, but I've had some similar experiences to the "Old School" style chasing.
Back last year in April two friends and I intercepted a storm using nothing but our eyes, a map, and my NOAA weather radio. On other chases my friends and I find hotels and libraries to get Internet. I remember one time I printed out surface data and satellite imagery off the Internet from one hotel for use on the road. It's not exactly old school, but it's close.
One chase day back in late April of '08 I went out to West Texas (Aspermont) for the potential for supercells. We were pretty much the only chasers out there. It was a fantastic and beautiful event. It felt like I was one with nature.
Back last year in April two friends and I intercepted a storm using nothing but our eyes, a map, and my NOAA weather radio. On other chases my friends and I find hotels and libraries to get Internet. I remember one time I printed out surface data and satellite imagery off the Internet from one hotel for use on the road. It's not exactly old school, but it's close.
One chase day back in late April of '08 I went out to West Texas (Aspermont) for the potential for supercells. We were pretty much the only chasers out there. It was a fantastic and beautiful event. It felt like I was one with nature.
Jason Boggs
Technically, wouldn't chasing "old school" really be without even a car? Horse and Buggy maybe? Realistically, on foot would be the way to do it.
I agree with you. It doesn't get much more old school than this.
REALLY OLD SCHOOL CHASING
Greg McLaughlin
EF5
I began chasing in 1997 at the end of the "pre-data" era. I began chasing with nothing more than a cheap 35mm camera, a voice recorder, road map and weather radio. I had a lot of beginners luck with several tornado intercepts my first few years. It wasn't until 2002 before we began using laptops with cell phone modems for internet. A single radar image would take nearly 5 minutes to download.
Last year Justin and I began streaming live video, and this year we are introducing interactive video streams.
In recent years chaser convergence has become an expected occurrence during peak chasing months.
On May 24th I experienced a new kind of convergence that left me quite frustrated.....idiot yahoo convergence. With the media coverage of the tornadoes in north-central OK on May 24th, many local residents decided to get out and take a look for themselves. Well, almost all of them have absolutely no idea what they are looking at or what they are doing, and they clog up the roads and make life more difficult for us chasers and even emergency crews. I am sure I am not the only chaser to see 100+ yahoos on the road trying to get a look at the storms.
I don't consider the chasers on this forum to be the yahoo idiot chasers; even those who are new to chasing and don't have much knowledge. When I began I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing, but I had a desire.....a desire to see tornadoes and learn about meteorology.
Last year Justin and I began streaming live video, and this year we are introducing interactive video streams.
In recent years chaser convergence has become an expected occurrence during peak chasing months.
On May 24th I experienced a new kind of convergence that left me quite frustrated.....idiot yahoo convergence. With the media coverage of the tornadoes in north-central OK on May 24th, many local residents decided to get out and take a look for themselves. Well, almost all of them have absolutely no idea what they are looking at or what they are doing, and they clog up the roads and make life more difficult for us chasers and even emergency crews. I am sure I am not the only chaser to see 100+ yahoos on the road trying to get a look at the storms.
I don't consider the chasers on this forum to be the yahoo idiot chasers; even those who are new to chasing and don't have much knowledge. When I began I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing, but I had a desire.....a desire to see tornadoes and learn about meteorology.
terra seright
I voted "yes and I liked it" ........but I like my gadgets too. I had no internet last year, and, well, if doing it commando by choice, sure. But last year, when gas prices were nearly $5.00 per gallon......I really missed the net!
I was too young to chase back in "the day", before technology improved dramatically, but I don't have a laptop or wireless internet with me when I chase as it is anyway. Once last summer I chased in SW IA, ended up being chased by a line of tornado warned elements of a big line, but made the decision where to go based on a radar image I saw at a rest stop on I-80 between Lincoln and Omaha.
If I had a reliable driver, would I navigate and watch the laptop? Hells yeah I would, but I'm not that fortunate.
One point of view I have is--the more data/discussion there is, the more likely I am to talk myself out of chasing. May 22 and 23, 2008--If I had known the storm motions the day of were predicted to be 40+ MPH, I might have not taken a 1000 mi. roundtrip. But as it was, I embraced the ambiguity and had a great time.
Like some hockey player said--"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!"
One point of view I have is--the more data/discussion there is, the more likely I am to talk myself out of chasing. May 22 and 23, 2008--If I had known the storm motions the day of were predicted to be 40+ MPH, I might have not taken a 1000 mi. roundtrip. But as it was, I embraced the ambiguity and had a great time.
Like some hockey player said--"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!"
Jason Young
EF2
Well up to this year all I used was a NOAA radio , and my 2 meter . But for the rest of the year I will run GRlevel 3 in my truck . Since most of my chases this year have been at night , I feel it will be more safe .
Terry Kern
EF0
Started chasing back in the mid-80s with just the old Radio Shack weather radio and a beat up handheld scanner and pretty much chased that way up until a few years ago. You were pretty much on your own during the earlier years, so it was really on-the-job training, learning to read the morning info, reading the sky and developing a feel and instinct for severe storm situations. Today I'm armed with a cell phone and laptop and it's great getting the up to the minute info, but I think it was more fun back then since you were mainly relying on what your eyes and instincts were telling you.
Terry Tyler
EF5
I started out having to borrow cars, or pay a freind to drive for me. Back in those days that was one of the hardest parts of the 'chase'. I just couldent count on anyone to cancel a days work, or risk their vehicle for my hobbies. On the days i did manage to get a vehicle, the only way i had to recieve weather information was going to public libraries and listining to FM radio. Thats just how it was back then. I was broke and i didnt care, just as long as i saw a storm. This kind of behavior wasnt practical at all and probably left a %0.1 chance of getting something but its amazing what youll talk yourself into when your looking at the possibility of storms.
Today, things have changed dramatically. I own alot of high-tech equipment and a vehicle so i dont ever have to use someone elses ride or a public internet source. Would i go back? Nope, never in a 100 years.
Today, things have changed dramatically. I own alot of high-tech equipment and a vehicle so i dont ever have to use someone elses ride or a public internet source. Would i go back? Nope, never in a 100 years.
cdcollura
EF5
Good day all,
LOL ... I chased a show-moving thunderstorm back in 1985 in Florida with my bike (rode through it) - Does that count?
Technically, wouldn't chasing "old school" really be without even a car? Horse and Buggy maybe? Realistically, on foot would be the way to do it.
LOL ... I chased a show-moving thunderstorm back in 1985 in Florida with my bike (rode through it) - Does that count?
Mikey Gribble
EF5
There's no well defined line between chasing "old school" and chasing with some equipment IMO. Like most people I chased with only a weather radio when I started and I have absolutely no desire to go back and try that again. I'll take every bit of equipment I can get my hands on. I'm not out there to prove something to myself or someone else. I'm out there to see tornadoes and I'll utilize whatever equipment I can if it will help me reach that end.
I don't think some people's idea of "old school" is really that old. If you sit at home and poor over data on the computer, but happen to stop when you walk out the door to chase, that's not a big deal to me. I can go do that too and be just as successful as the next guy. What is really old school IMO is somebody that chased without all the fancy models, high definition satellite and detailed surface maps where stations update every hour that we take for granted now. I'll be the first to admit I'd be in some serious trouble without that. If you can take surface charts, soundings, upper air charts, etc (all the things that have been around for a while) and find a tornadic storm going off that alone, then I think that's something to be proud of. If you threw in some decent satellite images I think I could pull it off and be successful every so often chasing that way, but I don't want to try it. Why would I be rubbing two sticks together when I have a zippo in my pocket?
I'm no tech geek for sure. I have a terribly hard time getting the equipment I have to function properly, but I still love the equipment side of chasing. I really enjoy setting up all my equipment and getting to play around with it in the car. It makes chasing much easier and gives you more time to enjoy the storm. I used to chase with a regular map too and my head was burried in that thing half the day. Now that I have street atlas with gps I can actually watch the storm and not worry about keeping track of where I'm at. Why in the hell would I ever want to go back to that lol.
I don't think some people's idea of "old school" is really that old. If you sit at home and poor over data on the computer, but happen to stop when you walk out the door to chase, that's not a big deal to me. I can go do that too and be just as successful as the next guy. What is really old school IMO is somebody that chased without all the fancy models, high definition satellite and detailed surface maps where stations update every hour that we take for granted now. I'll be the first to admit I'd be in some serious trouble without that. If you can take surface charts, soundings, upper air charts, etc (all the things that have been around for a while) and find a tornadic storm going off that alone, then I think that's something to be proud of. If you threw in some decent satellite images I think I could pull it off and be successful every so often chasing that way, but I don't want to try it. Why would I be rubbing two sticks together when I have a zippo in my pocket?
I'm no tech geek for sure. I have a terribly hard time getting the equipment I have to function properly, but I still love the equipment side of chasing. I really enjoy setting up all my equipment and getting to play around with it in the car. It makes chasing much easier and gives you more time to enjoy the storm. I used to chase with a regular map too and my head was burried in that thing half the day. Now that I have street atlas with gps I can actually watch the storm and not worry about keeping track of where I'm at. Why in the hell would I ever want to go back to that lol.
Jay McCoy
EF5
I think the boundary between "old school" and people who chase now even with limited equipment was back then we didnt have the choice to make. We had no internet, cell phones, good models, hourly surface and upper air data, mesonets, GPS, etc...
Even now people who chase bare bones usually have gone over a ton of data at home on the internet before they leave so they have a good idea of the particulars just not the real time radar or mesoscale changes that happen the last few hrs before initiation. Back in the 80s we had only the morning model runs and to see those you had to either go to the NWS office or like me go to my dads tv station and borrow his maps. A few station plots and the currect surface and upper air maps and then a hand analysis and of you go into the black hole of data with a paper map and a noaa and AM radio.
I learned a ton back then about forecasting and reading storms but I do enjoy having live radar and internet in the truck. Only thing I actually miss is the empty roads Oh and maybe stopping by the local NWS to shoot the bull and get some live radar before you busted out the door like wildmen. Now you cant get in without a security clearance and a stack of pizza's. Ofcourse it cost a stack of pizzas or box of donuts even back then...lol
Even now people who chase bare bones usually have gone over a ton of data at home on the internet before they leave so they have a good idea of the particulars just not the real time radar or mesoscale changes that happen the last few hrs before initiation. Back in the 80s we had only the morning model runs and to see those you had to either go to the NWS office or like me go to my dads tv station and borrow his maps. A few station plots and the currect surface and upper air maps and then a hand analysis and of you go into the black hole of data with a paper map and a noaa and AM radio.
I learned a ton back then about forecasting and reading storms but I do enjoy having live radar and internet in the truck. Only thing I actually miss is the empty roads
Oh and maybe stopping by the local NWS to shoot the bull and get some live radar before you busted out the door like wildmen. Now you cant get in without a security clearance and a stack of pizza's. Ofcourse it cost a stack of pizzas or box of donuts even back then...lol
Dave Gallaher
EF5
I agree with Jay--the data available for a chase now is so different from the old days, when data meant stopping at a friendly NWS office somewhere and asking questions. It was easy because they were usually amazed to see anyone that was that interested in weather.
