How chasing has changed

[Rich Thompson]

Why did the SPC move from KC to OKC?

It was an attempt to get research (NSSL) and operations (SELS/SPC) back together. SPC is much less isolated from the research community now compared to the KC days.

 

[Leah Robertson]

Oh, wow! Does that ever bring back memories of my childhood. I still remember watching Tornado for the first time on NOVA back in 1985 when I was a elementary school. After watching this on PBS, I became even more fascinated with the multiple aspects of weather, particularly severe weather. I had to get my hands on every piece of literature back in the 80's and in fact, I was able to locate a couple articles from that decade this evening.

First scan: Taken from Discover magazine back in June, 1989 of Dr. Howie Bluestein: Clicky

Second scan: Taken from National Geographic in June, 1987 of TOTO being deployed: Clicky

 

[Shane Adams]

It's a mixed bag for me between "old school" and "techno" chasing. I've never run the techno rig myself, but have chased with friends who do over the past four years. It's obviously nice to have the extra info, and once in a while it is directly responsible for our success on a given day. Most times however, the mobile data is just a pass time while we sit and wait for initiation, because the target is chosen before we leave. Sure, it's much easier to make adjustments if you have live radar in the vehicle, but most times even our adjustments (contingencies) are made by previously-planned Plans B, C, etc etc. I'll never personally choose to take a laptop with me in the field (for real-time info), but I'll never argue if someone else in the car wants to bring one. It really won't change my plan of attack. I've enjoyed all my tornado intercepts, but the ones I love the most are the ones where all you see is the bare dash of the car, and all you hear is NOAA radio. Nothing beats running into a huge convergence full of $30,000 techno chasemobile masterpieces, and then looking at the POS I'm sitting in, observing the same tornadoes

I guess I look at it differently than most; the slim chance of success is the draw for me. Tornadoes are incredible because they are rare to begin with, even in great chase years. Knowing I could be on every tornadic storm, with anyone who's sitting in front of a computer knowing my every move, and having my trophy online before I even get home, that just kills the mystery of chasing for me. I don't need to see a tornado every other chase to feel like I'm justifying the expense. I don't need a 50% success ratio "guarantee" to keep me interested. I don't believe stats are what defines a chaser. That's why I'm a tornado chaser and not a storm chaser; anybody can be 30 miles away, it's much more of a challenge to get a great view of a tornado and_not_become_a_part_of_it.

But for all my "old school" style chest-pounding, there's nobody today who could hang with the veterans of the pre-internet age. Because nobody who started after 1996 ever had to chase without a home computer data analysis. I'd probably still be out there from my first chase in 1991 trying to find a storm. I know a lot of newer chasers get tired of hearing about "how hard it was" back in the day. But it was, and those guys are the best chasers on earth because they had to learn how to chase, period. There were no free passes to overnight success like there are today. It's not about their numbers, it's about how they got those numbers. In fact, I'd go so far as to say some of them are occasionally hurt by excessive data in the field...I really think the "Bloodhound Gang" generation excelled by using visual methods.

 

[Greg Campbell]

Thanks for the link, Chris. Listening to these 'old guys' talk is a refreshing change of pace from the modern chaser documentary, where everyone screams and hollers all the time.
The entire show is available. Use your favorite U-tube download tweak to grab them all. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ColonelAngus75&view=videos&query=1985

-Greg

 

[J West]

Second scan: Taken from National Geographic in June, 1987 of TOTO being deployed: Clicky

I bought an almost-mint copy of the 6/87 NG on eBay a couple years ago. I wore out the copy my high school library way back when, along with each month of Weatherwise I could get my hands on at the public library.

The good 'ol days

I look forward to watching the video at home later...

 

[mikedeason]

Another way chasing has changed is how chasers measure time.

You see, in reality I started chasing in 1993. Since that time, however, I have noticed that with each new crop of chasers which emerge out of the woodwork each spring the years they have been chasing seem to stretch back into the 1980's and even 1970's in some cases. I think it's apparent that chasing years is now on the level of equivalence with what most of us know as "dog years", that is, one human year is equal to seven years in the life of a dog.

So from this day forward, let it be known that I started chasing three generations before I was born, in 1904.

 

[Jay McCoy]

Another way chasing has changed is how chasers measure time.

You see, in reality I started chasing in 1993. Since that time, however, I have noticed that with each new crop of chasers which emerge out of the woodwork each spring the years they have been chasing seem to stretch back into the 1980's and even 1970's in some cases. I think it's apparent that chasing years is now on the level of equivalence with what most of us know as "dog years", that is, one human year is equal to seven years in the life of a dog.

So from this day forward, let it be known that I started chasing three generations before I was born, in 1904.

You noticed that too???? For so many people to have chased back in the 80's I dont remember running into many of them. I guess most of them never came to the panhandle or west oklahoma.

I rememeber talking to this one guy online who told me he had been chasing since 87 even though once I found out his age from somebody else much later he would have been 8 yrs old... I guess sitting at home watching a storm from the porch counts..

Best way to tell is do they have any pics/video from then (their own).

I guess people feel that unless they chased back then they arent worthy of chasing and are looked down on. I could care less when people started. we all had our rookie years. Nothing to be ashamed about. Mine was 1985 and I sucked. I didnt catch my 1st tornado until 86 and only scored a few the entire 80's. It was a tough learning curve and no internet, chase reports, or ST online to garner information. Thats the big difference is the knowledge and information available to new chasers let alone the technology out in the field.

 

[Jason Foster]

You noticed that too???? For so many people to have chased back in the 80's I dont remember running into many of them. I guess most of them never came to the panhandle or west oklahoma.

Best way to tell is do they have any pics/video from then (their own).

Do I really have to post video of my first years.....I was only 19 (in 1997)....drove a POS '83 S-10 Blazer and my voice was way too eager....still cracking a little.

Actually, I don't really feel I need to post pictures, and most of the people that were truly around in the early/mid days usually knew who the others were, because other than proof on websites (which I actually don't have), trading stories about storms and such from back then is usually proof enough....but why anyone feels the need to prove themselves with years (as previously said) doesn't seem to make sense. If someone feels the need to 'prove' themselves....just post more pictures of tornadoes. There are a lot of newer chasers that chase better and with more respect than some of the so-called older ones.

 

[cdcollura]

Good day all,

That was one of my favorite shows ever!

Got many sound clips from that show on my "archives" such as "The divergence in that storm is getting real strong..." and such!

Good stuff, especially for what we had back then.

Interesting to see todays long-time veteran chasers out there too ;-)

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Another way chasing has changed is how chasers measure time.

You see, in reality I started chasing in 1993. Since that time, however, I have noticed that with each new crop of chasers which emerge out of the woodwork each spring the years they have been chasing seem to stretch back into the 1980's and even 1970's in some cases. I think it's apparent that chasing years is now on the level of equivalence with what most of us know as "dog years", that is, one human year is equal to seven years in the life of a dog.
.

Though I am probably the worst forecaster on this board, at least I have documentation in the oldest paper Stormtracks to prove I was on the scene in the early 80s. Thank you, David Hoadley.

And speaking of David, does anyone know what kind of gear he chases with these days? I assume he's added a computer at least...

 

[Wes Carter]

I started chasing way back in 2006 before wireless broadband was inexpensive enough for me to use. I had an old Itronix notebook with an ancient Pentium 3 and 512MB RAM. I didn't even have a HAM radio, just a lousy Radio Shack scanner.

My camera was an old 2.7 megapixel Nikon D1 and my video camera was an old JC Penny MCS VHS that you couldn't find batteries for.

Those were the days.

Seriously, I don't know what qualifies losing chasing virginity, but I'll bet many of the people on here were heading out to look at storms way before we had any idea of what we were doing. I was doing that with no success for as long as I have been driving. I was stationed in Orlando back in 1987-88 and on weekends I'd go to the Gulf Coast beaches. Later in the day when the storms would brew I'd try to chase them just to see something. I never saw a tornado but I did enjoy it.

But it wasn't until 2006 that I got anal about it. I finally saw a tornado when I was trying to in my county (Warren County, TN). Two hours later when I was at home my wife ran upstairs to tell me the NOAA radio said a tornado was on the ground in our area. We ran downstairs and looked out the window. They were right. It was close enough that we had debris falling around our house and the wind was blowing it back towards the tornado. We still have bits of pink insulation in our trees.

So I'd been chasing for 19 years before I saw my first tornado. April 7, 2006 was a day I'll never forget. That was the day I got serious about chasing and a month later I made my first chase trip into the Plains.

So when did I officially start chasing? I'd say 2006. But I could stretch it by 19 years if I wanted to.

 

[David Drummond]

I'll be the first to admit I didn't really know what I was doing for a long time. Resources were not readily available in the 80s, and StormTrack Magazine (printed) was probably about as good as it got outside the scientific circles to learn from other chasers.

I picked up stuff here and there and got lucky some, but I missed a lot of stuff as well.

You people that have come along since, oh about the middle to late 90s have it very lucky in the unbelievable wealth of weather and chasing knowledge you can draw on from the internet, both from regular chasers and more official sources. Sometimes I think you guys just don't know how blessed you really are when it comes to that.

If I had to give any single piece of advise it would have to be a single word... PERSISTENCE!

 

[Jay McCoy]

Do I really have to post video of my first years.....I was only 19 (in 1997)....drove a POS '83 S-10 Blazer and my voice was way too eager....still cracking a little.

Actually, I don't really feel I need to post pictures, and most of the people that were truly around in the early/mid days usually knew who the others were, because other than proof on websites (which I actually don't have), trading stories about storms and such from back then is usually proof enough....but why anyone feels the need to prove themselves with years (as previously said) doesn't seem to make sense. If someone feels the need to 'prove' themselves....just post more pictures of tornadoes. There are a lot of newer chasers that chase better and with more respect than some of the so-called older ones.

I am talking more about people who say they chased back in the 70's and 80's. By 97 there were already thousands of chasers. Most due to the Twister craze but some actually had always been wx weenies like many of us.

I could care less when somebody started. Whether it be 1987 orf 2007. we all anjoy it. my chase partner Kanani didnt start until 2003. I just dont like people embelishing their resume by saying they chased "back when" when they didnt. To me those people feel a need to impress or explain themselves. As for newer chasers who chase better than older ones. I would love to see some of the young guns try and do it the old way.. no internet.. no hourly RUC's, no laptops.. no PC's at all..no cell phones...Just a few paper air maps and a hand drawn forecast then out on the road with a noaa radio and an AM radio and a paper map. Ofcourse NOAA radio has a much wider coverage than back in the 80's also.

As for being nice or respectful. I have met my share of nice and rude alike of all ages and experiences. Some of the old guys can be jerks but so can some of the new folks. That comes down to everybody being different. I consider myself a very nice guy who enjoys talking to pretty well anybody in the field as long as they dont mess up my shot. I have also run across folks I would prefer to not ever see again...

I would love to be young again and just starting out with all this technology. My 1st 5-10 yrs was an exercise in frustration, patience, and only a little success. But it was the best teacher I could have doing it without all the toys. David is right. Most newer chasers have no clue how good they have it. Even the late 90's was a world apart from the mid 80's but to be honest its impossible to have people understand what it was like unless they were there. You can compare your experience back in the 90's to how it is now and see the difference in just 10 years. A chaser who is starting now wont understand the limits you had in 97 either. That was the beginning of the technology revolution in chasing. The past 10-12 years has been incredible. I cant imagine the toys we will have 10 years from now. Models that actually work!!!!

 

[Jim Zandonai]

Well I started chasing I think in the mid 80s. I started spotting just before that. All I had to go on then was a portable weather radio and my sight. The radar reports were every hour or half hour. Thats it. Basically you had to really estimate where the storm was and its movement based on the radar report and intercept it. Of course today things are much easier. Radar in a car..scanner and all the other toys we wish we had then. While still somewhat challenging its sure much easier to find a storm and a heck of alot easier to position yourself.
If only the forecasters in the 70s and 80s had not only the resources we do today but even our spotter network..

 

[Jesse Risley]

I started spotting post-Twister in the late 1990s, which gradually evolved into chasing storms over longer distances, yet still in the C. Illinois region. However, in the beginning I never cared to carry a camera and didn't have much money to invest in anything decent at the time.

The only tools I had early on were a scanner, CB radio and a ham radio; some might recall that this was prior to that rapid NWR expansion around 2000-2001. I used to rely on radar reports from ham base stations for spotting/local chasing locations. I had no data until 2006, when I purchased the Garmin GPS w/XM weather data. The one advantage to this, as others have stated, is it forces you to utilize your forecasting knowledge and atmospheric observations to a greater degree.

Besides the growth of technology, only other major change I have noticed is the amount of people who are out chasing. This has gradually increased, even in Illinois, over the past 8-10 years.