Scott Weberpal
EF5
I'm not arguing climatology or frequency of storms, I'm arguing chaseability of the terrain/roads.
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Favored Chase Areas Map
- Thread starter Verne Carlson
- Start date
I'm not arguing climatology or frequency of storms, I'm arguing chaseability of the terrain/roads.
Jason Foster
So many variables
There is so many variables that go into making a personal choice as to where to chase. With many different areas to chase, it has to be evaluated carefully to chase in one area versus another.
Looking into total numbers may not tell the whole story. What is the peak frequency of tornadoes each year? What is the variable each year? How much predictability in each of the chase zones per year is there? What type of storms are tornadoes associates with? Is tornadoes your only focus? Where do the strongest tornadoes occur? Where is it easiest to photograph or video tornadoes and supercells? What about the typical speed of the storms? What is the predictability of the storms path? What time of day is typical for these storms and tornadoes? What about day-to-day travel....are you driving just a few hundred miles to each target each day, or is it more like 500+?
Additionally, chasers have to evaluate: costs involved with chasing a larger chase area. How about the time available if taking vacation time? How far from home? Are you chasing with others, and what do those others want to see? Do you like hail? Do you like structure? Do you like being out in the Plains versus Midwest, or vice versa.
Again, there are so many variables that go into making a chase map, and deciding where you will and will not chase. But having discussions such as this are great because it may just open up other ideas of chasing, especially to the newer crowds that didn't get the "tutorial"...lol.
There is so many variables that go into making a personal choice as to where to chase. With many different areas to chase, it has to be evaluated carefully to chase in one area versus another.
Looking into total numbers may not tell the whole story. What is the peak frequency of tornadoes each year? What is the variable each year? How much predictability in each of the chase zones per year is there? What type of storms are tornadoes associates with? Is tornadoes your only focus? Where do the strongest tornadoes occur? Where is it easiest to photograph or video tornadoes and supercells? What about the typical speed of the storms? What is the predictability of the storms path? What time of day is typical for these storms and tornadoes? What about day-to-day travel....are you driving just a few hundred miles to each target each day, or is it more like 500+?
Additionally, chasers have to evaluate: costs involved with chasing a larger chase area. How about the time available if taking vacation time? How far from home? Are you chasing with others, and what do those others want to see? Do you like hail? Do you like structure? Do you like being out in the Plains versus Midwest, or vice versa.
Again, there are so many variables that go into making a chase map, and deciding where you will and will not chase. But having discussions such as this are great because it may just open up other ideas of chasing, especially to the newer crowds that didn't get the "tutorial"...lol.
