Do you chase at night?

[Angie Norris]

I voted no, but it depends. I quit night chasing for a while because of driving into some flash flooding, but I'm beginning to get back into it a bit.
As long as I'm sure I'm not dealing with a tornadic storm, I'll venture out now to enjoy a nice lightning show.

 

[Susan Strom]

During summer months, highly electrified thunderstorms occur nightly on the ocean horizon, where a lonely lighthouse beacon is the only manmade light out there.

That shot is worth an all night wait! Can you get to the lighthouse? I photographed lighthouses in California. The north Lost Coast lighthouses are beautiful, but isolated and there is no lightning and out on those headlands it is so freezing cold with high winds that hit you in the face. The huge foamy waves though were big reasons to go there (if you don't get sucked into the sea by one of them like I did once...which was really stupid). Lightning plus a lighthouse would be a dream shot. I don't blame you for camping out on the shore until dawn for that.

This enhances your perception and the way you concentrate on the subject (thunderstorm, lightning, tornado, etc.)...

That's right, perception of the storm is enhanced at night because everything else (manmade) around is relatively quiet so the storm is all you see.

 

[Doug Mitchell]

I have and had good success (June 3rd, 2005 and February 28th, 2007). But on the Colony, KS tornado earlier this year, I almost drove over some downed lines because of the dark. Gotsa be careful, ya know.

 

[John Farley]

I voted "no" though once in a blue moon I will - if the storm is discrete and slow-moving in a flat, open area. But in general, no. It is dangerous enough driving home after the active phase of the chase, as was discussed in another thread - once on the same night returning from a chase I hit water over the road that I could not see before I was in it, and drove within a couple miles of a tornado that, as I recall, was not warned for (the storm was SVR-warned, though) but turned out to have a 15-mile track when a damage survey was done.

 

[Bill Tabor]

Yes, I left out the hazards of objects that aren't illuminated on the road, - good point. I've come across things like that at night, and it can be tough and surprising. I remember Chris Novy talking about a bad experience he had chasing at night during a flash flood that was very risky. I've run into water like that at night but the time I recall there was law enforcement barricading the road and making folks turn around. I've come across downed powerpoles from tornadoes at night across the road. When a tornado hits it kills all power to an area so there is no illumination. I've hit deer at night on chases - not good. I'm sure cows and other livestock would be worse. This is definitely something to be aware of.

However as I mentioned often there is no choice when chasing tornadic storms that you follow until sunset. Often a shortwave will hit that will light up the area around you, or storms will build down a line cutting off your retreat. I've had that happen numerous times. A couple I'm thinking of off the top of my head were in Louisiana where I was cut off, and other time in Kansas. Both of these were very tornadic / severe storms. The one in Kansas was back when I was chasing with paper maps, and a NOAA radio with no computer or any data, or Nowcaster. If you chase strong dynamic and unstable systems during the day you often have no choice but to "chase" at night; although granted sometimes you are simply running - .

 

[Susan Strom]

That is a good point to bring up. I too hit a flash flood once when I did not see it. There was a floating log in there. Flash floods are to be avoided, out here in the desert they contain up to 40% solids...sand, cactus, mesquite, spiney plants like ocotillo, snakes, scorpions and barbed wire ranch fence...coming into the road with milkshake consistency. Plus the pavement could be gone underneath.

 

[cdcollura]

Good day all,

Chasing is OK at night but as long as SAFETY is taken into utmost account!

This is not only knowing WHERE tou are RELATIVE to a dangerous part of the storm (such as tornadoes, wall clouds, hail shafts, etc) but also consider that some other aspects can catch you by suprise (such as flash floods)!

I do not recommend it, but chasing at night can be done in a relatively safe manner, but id more "difficult" than day chasing. The storm is harder to see ... Now I see some fantastic shots of tornadoes / structure illuminated by lightning, but sometimes lightning is not so frequent, or may not "light up" the part of the storm you are interested in. This makes photography difficult and even frustrating.

My best suggestion for night chasing is to always keep a larger "buffer" distance between you and a supercell, and consider your "escape routes" more carefully in case things get "dicey". Always try to use equipment to help you see the environment around you better, such as data, live radar (WX Works), and ofcourse, GPS.

You also have the option of some great lightning photography / video at night even far from an electrically active storm, and you will be out of it's "harmful" reach too.

I have done night chases, some with great results, some with nothing, others which scared the living ---- out of me!

Some pictures from great night chases below...

Lightning flash = WOW!

Results of that same beautiful storm = OOps!!

 

[Bill Tabor]

Always try to use equipment to help you see the environment around you better

Hmmm....this made me think of night vision goggles like the military uses. I wonder if we could get hold of a set of these, and I wonder how well they would work for observing clouds / storm structure at night? Any of you military people worn these before and happened to glance up at clouds? I'd say obviously a moon / full moon helps, and lightning would make the effect better as well. I had one night chase back in '99 or so where near Thedford / Valentine NE where there were night tornadoes and strobe lightning. I switched my camcorder to 'Night Shot' mode which is a monotone green look and it did pull in the video of clouds and tornadoes better than normal mode. It is infrared based. It was still reliant pretty much on lightning flashes though. Anyone know if the military goggles are better / more sensitive in what they can display at night?

 

[Bob Schafer]

Anyone know if the military goggles are better / more sensitive in what they can display at night?

While I was with the Red Cross in LA helping administer a shelter during Rita, we had a few military guys from WA (Army, I think) there for security. Late one night, I noticed one of the guys had night goggles, so I asked to check them out.

They are flat-out AMAZING. They turn nearly pitch-black conditions into the equivalent of about moderately overcast daylight.

 

[Chris Wilburn]

I personally like chasing at night, however I will only do so if I have radar or an experienced person to guide me. There is just something about being on the open road when it is dark and having the sky illuminated with lightning. I have never had much luck chasing tornadic supercells at night, but one of my goals is to actually film a tornado at dark that is illuminated by lightning. Like I said before only if I have radar as otherwise it can get really really dangerous.

 

[Terry Tyler]

i had a chase in MS go into the overnight hours, which ended me up right next to the leflore county tornado on 2/24/07...

since i dont use any equipment, yes any...theres not even an FM radio in the car...it got pretty scary...just the landscape alone gets me scared when i see low clouds above the treeline moving at 50mph and i cant see anything to the left or the right...that was one of the first times i was "scared" chasing storms, and i dont think i want to do it again...

 

[Jason Boggs]

since i dont use any equipment, yes any...

Hopefully you at least have maps. Lots of equipment is not that necessary to chase, but you are absolutely crazy if you chase without detailed road maps.

 

[Shane Adams]

I forgot to mention this in my original reply, but lately I've been reminded of it...

The further I go into a season without seeing jack, the more likely I am to chase at night LOL. As of now, if this coming weekend comes and goes and I still have nothing, I'm gonna purchase a miner's helmet and install fog lights on my car.

 

[Matt Chatelain]

In my second year of chasing we have started chasing at night. Last year we didn't do any but now we have internet onboard and feel more comfortable chasing at night. Especially after February 28 where we had amazing success. It has also been fun chasing "book-end vortexes" at night on March 23 and the other day east of Dallas. Punching the line of storms and looking north! If we didn't have internet it would be much more interesting trying to figure out where to look.