Full-day videos showing storm chaser traffic - main thread

[Dan Robinson]

I'm starting this thread for a central place to post links to full-day videos showing chaser traffic conditions. I will crosspost links from here onto my blog post on the topic located here: http://stormhighway.com/blog2015/april2815a.php

I'll start with my 4-way dashcam video from Sunday's event (May 8) in between Medicine Lodge, Kansas and Alva, Oklahoma. This is viewable in 4K (for full HD on all 4 views):

This timelapse covers the trip from Salina, KS through Hutchinson and Pratt to the storm, then ends at Pratt after dark. In the timelapse, the peak chaser traffic period at Capron, OK starts at 10:21 in the video.

I also exported and posted a real-time excerpt covering the time of peak chaser traffic at Capron:

If you have a GoPro, dashcam or any other mounted camera that records video during your entire chase, please post the link here. Every video is helpful, even ones that show heavy chaser traffic. GR/SN screen grabs at the time of your chases would be helpful to post here as well, to show how the Spotter Network density compares to what actually occurs in the field. Thanks in advance!

 

[Matt Tottle]

GR/SN screen grabs at the time of your chases would be helpful to post here as well, to show how the Spotter Network density compares to what actually occurs in the field.

You need to multiply the number of SN beacons by at least 20 in any given area. During the night cells that were coming through Ellis/Russell/Osborne counties on Sunday I was listening to my scanner, and I caught a comment by a deputy about how the population of Paradise had just doubled in the past half hour (I don't remember exactly what time it is so I'll have to sift through the archive audio to find it).. There were only 4 beacons showing in that area at that time..

On 4/14/12 I was caught in two chaser jams on K-4 and I-135, and I was the only one with a beacon on.

 

[James Wilson]

That is me in the Black Tundra on the right ... right after I sliced a tire.

At this point it almost dropped a tornado.

Anyway my dash cam shots 3 minute videos is that cool or do you want FULL chase? I can post 3 minute ones that show clogs and such if I have any.

 

[Dan Robinson]

The idea is to show the whole chase to illustrate with context how infrequently the problems are. I've been just dropping my entire memory card into Premiere and rendering out a 20x-30x timelapse (2000% to 3000%) of all of the files.

 

[Dan Robinson]

OK, here it is - the 4-way view timelapse from the biggest chaser convergence event so far this season during the May 24 Dodge City, Kansas tornado outbreak. Each camera records in 1080p, and the views overlap - providing 360 degrees of coverage. This video is viewable in 4K, so you can watch it in full resolution. This video documents the ENTIRE chase event, so there is a lot of "fluff" - but I did not want to omit even a minute of the chase. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, you can skip to the pertinent times below:

00:45 Shattuck, OK Windmill Museum
05:30 "Chasercon - Plains Edition" chaser pre-storm convergence begins
12:49 Tornado intercept mode begins
15:47 Jam from police roadblock begins
16:43 Peak storm chaser traffic begins
17:44 Brief heavy traffic from second roadblock
18:20 Blocked road from tornado debris
20:00 Anticrepuscular rays begin
21:00 Inquisitive cow
22:11 Sunset mammatus begins

I invite all law enforcement, news media, local residents, officials, worried chasers and any other interested parties to view this video and point out where you see any items of legitimate concern.

Thank you!
Dan

 

[Warren Faidley]

This does not show the overall chase picture, just one location and one storm that many missed. A more accurate way might be to record the signals from the Storm Spotter Network and multiply by 3x or more to account for spotter and chasers not on the network and for local traffic. There were multiple targets that day from Scott City to Liberal, KS and far south, TX so chaser traffic was stretched over a large area. Like most chasers, I have witnessed the long traffic lines many times so there is no question they exist. Maybe posting videos from the worse traffic jam/ lines / events might help illustrate the issue instead of implying it does not exist at all. Just a suggestion.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Most chasers this day were on Highway 283 south of town, which I drove through beginning at 16:43.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Here's the next video from this past week, the May 25 EF4 chase from McPherson - Bennington - Abilene, Kansas:

2:40 First small tornado visible in the distance
4:00 Needle funnel aloft/possible tornado
4:10 Jack Corso & Stephen Sponsler
5:30 Tornadogenesis begins, first close pass
6:50 Chasers at the I-70 exit
7:34 Tornado visible north of I-70
7:50 Second close intercept begins - some chasers here

 

[Dan Robinson]

And the next 4-way full-chase video from this past trip, covering the May 22 Spearman, Texas tornado event. Peak chaser traffic a "4" on the scale.

00:15 Mounting front/side hail guards
09:20 First funnel/RFD occlusion
09:30 Tony Laubach
13:50 RFD surge and first tornadogenesis
14:45 Second tornado and peak chaser traffic begins

I have one more video to post from the 23rd in Texas, it will be uploaded overnight tonight.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Here is a realtime excerpt from the previously posted timelapse of peak chaser traffic on Highway 287 south of Dodge City:

 

[Dan Robinson]

An update about the videos page:

http://stormhighway.com/blog2015/april2815a.php

There are now *48* (forty eight) full-chase timelapses linked on this page. I would think this would be sufficient to show reality (that is, we're not fortuitously missing bad events). Please keep sending me links, it makes a difference!

 

[Dan Robinson]

One more from May 23 from Clarendon to Turkey, TX. With this video and the others, my entire Plains chase season is covered.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Now 60 videos listed, with a new main page covering the issues:

http://stormhighway.com/storm-chaser-traffic.php

If you have a full-day video (either a timelapse or a stream archive) not listed here, please let me know.

 

[Paul Knightley]

Dan/all - in case of interest, please see below for a few full day timelapses, from a single front-pointing GoPro (10 sec interval on pics stitched into a lapse).

May 21st, 2016 -

May 27th, 2015 -

May 20th, 2015 -

May 26th, 2014 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZvLVJF4_ls
June 3rd, 2013 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTY41IghzOI

 

[Dan Robinson]

Just posted - May 16, 2017 Shamrock to Weatherford (McLean, TX tornado day):