How did you get weather data in pre-Internet days?

[Tim Vasquez]

For those of you who are old-timers, how did you get weather data in pre-Internet days, not counting The Weather Channel?

I recall back around 1983 a couple of times I found Flight Service Station or AF weather station numbers and got them to read me SAO reports for specific stations. Around the sixth station they'd ask "who is this", but I had enough to construct some of my first analysis charts.

Around 1984 I got a 300-baud modem and discovered CompuServe, which of course had a ton of data from the FAA 604 feed, so from then on getting hard weather data was not a problem. What was a problem, however, was the expense. Their aviation weather area ran a surcharge of like 15 cents a minute, so you could quickly end up with hefty bills if you weren't careful.

In 1988 an FAA IVRS system came online and you could dial in with a free call and use the touch tone to bring up any station you wanted and do a map that way. The problem here was that not all of the observational elements were included, and of course the upper air data was just a rehash of the AVN reanalysis data, which proved useless for skew T's.

Around 1987 WFAA went digital and Troy Dungan actually gave me their old fax machine. I managed to hook that up to my HF receiver and I was regularly able to bring in a naval weather station in Norfolk and the AFGWC broadcast in Omaha (which was very weak but had DIFAX). I don't recall forecasting from chases because there was NO reception in the morning due to the loss of nocturnal HF propagation, but I usually had the NGM run the night before, which was awesome.

Anyhow things were definitely different back in the old days. Sometime in 1995 I remember signing up with GEnie and doing a gopher:// command into a weather website somewhere, and never looked back, and sometime after that I found out about this new thing called an ISP.

Tim

 

[Mike Smith]

Tim,

Your stuff was "newfangled" compared to us old guys.

When I got into the business, we had to hand-letter our TV weather forecasts with liquid chalk or construct the forecast using a metal drum with words painted on metal strips.

The alphanumeric data came on Service A, Service C, NOAA Weather Wire, and RAWARC which were low speed teletypes. Graphic data came on a wet paper fax called NAFAX then DIFAX. It used a metal blade that had to be changed monthly usually resulting in cut fingers as the blade was very sharp.

Go to chapters 2 and 3 in Warnings and I discuss how we got the data in those days. At the top of page 42 there is a reproduction of the PPA SAO report during the Woodward tornado. It took the publisher a great deal of time to be able to reproduce the "overcast" symbol as it was used before they converted to all letters (OVC).

Mike

 

[David Drummond]

Stopping off at the NWS early was one way to get early information. At least as I got smart enough to know what information I needed.

Radio stations used to have a good station or two in the area that went live when severe weather broke out, that was helpful.

When I got my first scanner, that I could pick up weather radio with, I would listen to the hourly observations and plot them on a map after I became aware of how important moisture was.

Also listened to ham radio a lot to the storm spotters. I wasn't a licensed ham then, but I was fully aware of storm spotters as my cousin was one during the 1979 Wichita Falls tornado (what got me in to wanting to see tornadoes in person)

My first laptop, I remember stopping many times at convenience stores, usually Allsups, and begging the clerk to plug in to their phone line for just a minute so I could download a satellite image, maybe a surface map or two.

But mostly, in the old days, I relied on my eyes and what (little) knowledge I had at the time, and a little bit of instinct from growing up in West Texas. I failed quite a bit. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world, because I fully believe without that lack of information and the failures from it in the old days, I wouldn't be the chaser I am today.

That was a learning experience second to none that I hate so many new chasers will never really experience. Nothing like failure to force you to find ways to get better or quit.

 

[Jesse Risley]

Well, I didn't get into the weather weenie business until the late 1990s, but for my purposes I usually had a scanner, which received NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts (there were fewer stations in central IL pre-2000), and I can recall rigging a vehicle with an old TV and an external antenna to receive TV broadcasts with occasional radar updates from the local networks. Finally, there were the tried and true amateur radio operators who could relay basic information, including radar reports and adjacent observations. I didn't actually get Internet in my vehicle, via a broadband card, until 2007. Before that, you could always stop at a public library or pilfer a Wifi network somewhere along the way.

 

[Todd Thorn]

Back in the 80's when RadioShack came out with the 64K color computers I had shortwave radio that got the WXFAX for the ships. Took the audio out from the radio into this converter than into the computer. I got some good data that way. Had maps & satellite imagery also used the FAA data phone system for weather data.

Todd

 

[Jason Boggs]

Well, I didn't get into the weather weenie business until the late 1990s, but for my purposes I usually had a scanner, which received NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts (there were fewer stations in central IL pre-2000), and I can recall rigging a vehicle with an old TV and an external antenna to receive TV broadcasts with occasional radar updates from the local networks. Finally, there were the tried and true amateur radio operators who could relay basic information, including radar reports and adjacent observations. I didn't actually get Internet in my vehicle, via a broadband card, until 2007. Before that, you could always stop at a public library or pilfer a Wifi network somewhere along the way.

This pretty much sums up my "early" chasing days almost exactly.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Before I met David Hoadley and got my first paper issues of StormTrack, it was strictly chases-of-opportunity for me. Being on the road as a musician and frequently in the Midwest, there were a number of times when a watch went up and I simply went out and observed until I had to get back for the gig. No planning, no forecasting.

StormTrack got me thinking about the NWS offices, so on my more organized chases I began to stop and ask questions. My approach was to simply tell them how ignorant I was of proper meteorological terms and concepts; as a result, I got some great explanations and opinions on setups that were very educational. I never did meet anyone in those offices who was unkind or too busy--of course, I never stopped in when a weather event was underway.

These days I'm practically back to square one with opportunities, but having just purchased a Droid phone, I may learn to tether my laptop and get my GRL3 into the van.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Mid to late 1980's.... There use to be a show on PBS stations in the early morning, around 6 AM called "AM Weather." It was designed for pilots and was actually an excellent briefing with jet stream maps and outlined areas of suspected SVR. I remember always checking with motels before I checked in to ask if they received PBS. Of course it was a pain to get up at 6 AM! We also stopped at NWS offices. The offices were a major meeting place for chasers, especially with the very limited number back then. I first met David Hoadley in the Wichita Office. Back then.... they were very happy to see chasers and we always supplied them with pictures and spotting data.

For data on the road, we used acoustic couplers, a device that strapped onto pay phones and received data via a portable fax printer. This system had about a 50/50 chance of working and took forever to download one map. We would often pack a set of telephone repairman tools and take apart the phone (including motel phone jacks) and try to hard-wire the connection. The large "brick" cell phones would work, but the coverage was extremely limited. TV and radio reports were also helpful.

I still marvel at today's technology like on-board radar. It's amazing that we (the post on-board data chasers), survived, considering the storms we simply drove through while chasing and returning at night.

Warren

 

[Jason McKittrick]

For those of us in the 5 state are we had WNAX 570 and their 5 state weather at 15 and 45 past the hour.

 

[Jason Foster]

LOL...When I saw Faidley coming out of the NWS office (AMA each time) as I was going in....I figured I was near to the right spot . NWS offices back in the day were open and welcomed chasers. Of course I can only vouch for the late 90s as that is when I got started. Of course you had to go in and do your own forecast from the printed sheets on the wall. Some of the forecasters were nice, and helped you to read and understand various products....there were no Vasquez books yet.

TWC in hotel lobbies, NOAA weather radio were two common ones for me. Ham radio provided a few details when I heard folks chatting about the weather they were seeing. Finally, weather stations on the chase vehicle provided critical data for such things like finding the dryline when it wasn't always obvious (although kinda are to miss a distinctive line of cu). Never did it...but seriously was going to get a WeatherFax via HF ham direct sat feed. I still don't remember much about that though.

But again, this was the late 90s...so the net was around...just not easily accessible. I didn't have long till I could get internet. In fact my second year while very limited I did use a 9600 baud modem to my "bag phone" to get vis sat and radar updates (took ~5 min. to download)...which ended with a $1700 phone bill...OUCH. Ah the (not so) old days. I'm far from being an 'old timer' though...still not handicapped like those well before me.

I see some similarities with others already posted. I guess we all read many of the same issues of Stormtrack magazine....LOL.

 

[Adam Lucio]

I probably shouldn't post here but one thing I did before I got mobile internet was I would stop at rest stations along the interstates, here in IL they usually had a live radar on a TV there. Those were the only radar updates I would get, and I tried as best I could to time where the storms would be, what route would get there and then go visually, yea I failed allot back then [9-22-06 being the biggest bust] but at least I tried.

 

[Steve Miller]

My early chasing was solely using Amateur Radio direct to/from SKYWARN net control and also NOAA weather radio for updates. Larger cities had television simulcasts on AM/FM stations of breaking weather but that was only after severe wx had been underway for a while. This was in the early 1990's.
I was always told you could hear lightning on the lower end of the AM band from hundreds of miles away. I tried this method several times early on but never heard anything more than 20 miles out...

When satellite television became compact we used to chase with a Primestar satellite dish attached to a receiver hitch on the chase ride. Of course this was JUST to get TWC as at that time there were no local stations beamed down like there are today. I remember this set-up (with tube television) requiring quite an AC pull so we would generally mooch off convenience stores or anything else with an outside outlet. No inverter that we could afford as college kids would run the whole set-up and no one had a generator.

Not sure my success rate has changed that much since back then, honestly.

 

[Bill Hark]

I started chasing on my own in 1998. Although there was internet available, I generally had no way to access it. I made some visits to the NWS offices and bummed data when they were open. I often brought some Cokes for the staff. I also used a portable weather radio and would stop in a hotel to look at The Weather Channel. Later, I would access the internet at a public library or university. In those days, getting on was easy since most computers were not password protected. The biggest problem was libraries being closed on Memorial Day weekend or having to wait to use the one computer. I did have a small LCD television but it was usless except near larger towns.

As Warren mentioned, I fondly remember A.M. weather. At the time, I was not chasing but enjoyed the in depth weather coverage.

Bill Hark

 

[Kevin Walters]

I was lucky enough to have a friend (Craig Johnson) who was chief meteorologist at the NBC affiliate in Waterloo, Iowa. This was back in the days when the model runs were spit out by fax machines on big sheets of paper. Craig allowed me access to all of his data and helped me learn how to plot and hand draw surface maps. Then it was off to chase storms, armed with a NOAA weather radio and AM radio in the car. In the mid 80's there were obviously no cell phones or lap tops. No chaser convergence either....sigh.

 

[David Yoho]

AM Weather on PBS and a weather radio. I miss those days.