How were you all able to chase?

[Tony Laubach]

I'm sitting here laughing at the people 'feeling sick' because they couldn't chase. My goodness, it's only March. Can't chase every big day every time.

'Class screwed me,' 'work screwed me,'....aren't these things just a bit more important than chasing? Last I checked, there's less than a half dozen people who make a living off chasing/weather. Heck, I feel very fortunate to be going to school and have a good job at the same time I'll take what I can get when the semester ends.

I'll laugh at myself as time passes... most of us do. I've watched many a chases come and go and simply said "Damn, I wish I were there for that" and that's all she wrote. So I certainly haven't chased every big day every time, nor do I worry about doing so.

Not as easy to swallow when its a few hours from home... easier to deal with when its half a country away. It does sting, and for a few of us who don't make a living off this and work year around to get out when they can and pay for it out of our own pockets, its sometimes hard to watch something so close to home realizing you're missing out because you're stuck in a two hour class listening to a man talk about forcing. Trust me, I wouldn't be batting an eye if this happened up in Wisconsin.

I'll get over it, we all will. But in the meantime, it sucks! I'll exercise my right to bitch and moan just like any other human being is entitled, then I'll pick myself up, dust myself off, and go at it again on the next run. You bitching 'bout me bitching just makes us both bitchy! You're right, its only March, and that's the reason why I didn't jump last night! LOL

 

[Joel Wright]

I couldn't chase due to work obligations. Although I'm not one to call in sick, I'm sort of kicking myself for not doing so now.

Congrats to everyone who captured tornadoes yesterday! The pictures look outstanding.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

My goodness, it's only March.

Those of us sitting under what may be the southeastern version of the Death Ridge might have reason to wonder. Since our big events of March 1st, there has been little convection in the Southeast to speak of, and March/April are normally our busiest storm times in spring.

With the advent of significant March supercell events in New Mexico, Texas and other traditional May alley targets, this may turn out to be a season where storm time is advancing more quickly through traditional regions. We may all be joining you in Wisconsin in May.

Hopefully I'll be eating these words soon.

 

[Tim Samaras]

Age does amazing things to one's outlook.

Although I would have enjoyed being out there last night, I don't feel any remorse about sticking to my obligations and responsibilities at work yesterday.

I wasn't out there either.

Tony, my hat is off to you for being responsible, and sticking with your class responsibilities as opposed to chasing 'the big one'. Don't ever feel bad about missing the 'big one'. I will absolutely guarantee that there will be another bigger, better show for you in the future. You clearly did the right thing. I admire people who stick to their responsibilities of life as opposed to giving in on their temtations (everyone yell 'Amen!") that would put them in trouble.

This is probably one of the toughest things to learn for over-eager chasers. For some, chasing is a wild crazy passion-they have to fill it regardless of the consequences (marriage, job, money, etc..).

Man...but at what cost?

For me...the 'crazy passion' has to wait until May and June. I work very hard to keep my slate clean for these time periods.

IF I have a lull in my work in March/April..I go.

Congrats to everyone who saw GREAT storms yesterday.

Tim

 

[Scott Weberpal]

Looking back at my previous post, it seems a bit more harsh than I wanted it to be, LOL. Point taken about geographical location Tony, forgot you were so close to the action.

To echo what Tim said, I was at one time an "over-eager" chasers. I look back at the time when I'd drive from Wisconsin to Texas and back in a weekend for a single chase. Specfically April 7, 2002 I did that...and missed the Throckmorton tornado by 15 minutes, now that burned. I couldn't get myself to not chase...but at a big cost. Now I, as with Tim, simply enjoy when I can take in May/June.

Yes, Tony...if this were to have happened in WI/IL and I wasn't there I'd probably be going nuts

 

[Tony Laubach]

Thanks for the kind words, Tim! Hopefully my choice won't haunt me too long! LOL

And no worries, dude (Scott dude)... we've all been in the boat at some point or another; missed big events by minutes or just never made it out at all. I'm sure every single person on this board has their story, and many like me, probably have multiple versions! In the end, we're all chasers and want the same thing! If karma holds truth, I'll be rewarded very well for my choice of responsibility. Ask me again about yesterday when I get to my place of rest at the end of that day!

And yes, I AM an over-eager chaser... no denials about that. And for what its worth, I do quite well for someone in my position... sometimes that aids to spoil you when you do want to get out and can't...

See you under the next one...

Looking back at my previous post, it seems a bit more harsh than I wanted it to be, LOL. Point taken about geographical location Tony, forgot you were so close to the action.

To echo what Tim said, I was at one time an "over-eager" chasers. I look back at the time when I'd drive from Wisconsin to Texas and back in a weekend for a single chase. Specfically April 7, 2002 I did that...and missed the Throckmorton tornado by 15 minutes, now that burned. I couldn't get myself to not chase...but at a big cost. Now I, as with Tim, simply enjoy when I can take in May/June.

Yes, Tony...if this were to have happened in WI/IL and I wasn't there I'd probably be going nuts

 

[afischer]

Count me as one of the ones who had obligations. (Had to work in Kansas City at 11pm Wed). I drove as far as Gove county on I-70 and watched cells percolate over far northwest KS... then drove back home at 530pm when my "time was up," not ever even seeing any deep convection let alone supercells or tornadoes. Was in perfect position, really, for either the DDC to Ness City monster (south)... or the Goodland-Bird city storm (west)... or the weirdo Decatur co. storm (north)... had everything panned out a couple hours earlier or if Kansas City was a little farther "west." I was fully aware of my "bust" potential upon leaving the house, though. The reason it stung is that this was a rather significant & chaseable event... I mean, you really coulda been out yesterday anywhere along a line from LBF and LBB, had your head up your a$$ the entire afternoon & evening, and still see a long-lived and/or large tornado(es). In fact, it took me the majority of the trip home to realize that I hadn't screwed up a chase day or something; I just had prior commitments. That said, there has got to be a life balance between "chasing" and "everything else"... and over time I'm getting better at appreciating when I can chase, and sitting quietly on the sidelines when I can't chase without getting too bummed.

 

[John MacKay]

Moving out to Arizona last June after living in KS all of my life until then, I've come to grips with missing events. If I was working in KS (Wichita or KC), I wouldn't have made it yesterday because it would have been too far after a day at work, but would have tried to get the day off if I could. The only way I could chase now is a vacation or a Friday and/or Saturday event in the same areas hit yesterday.

I missed all of the May 4th, 2003 event, and it was due to my procrastination to study for this test the next day until back in Manhattan (I went home that weekend). I even made it to Manhattan more than 2 hours before storms erupted in eastern KS. Ever since then, I've learned there are limits as to what I'm satisfied to drive to. I know other opportunities will come, I just hope the death ridges can learn May isn't the time arrive (that's for July )

 

[Matthew Crowther]

I told the boss I was going one way or the other. And yes there were a freaking herd of chaser yesterday on the most southern cell. For a second there I thought it was May and I was in Oklahoma. I guarantee 75% who were chasing were college students (not griping about it, just making an observation). I kind of wish I would have went to the northern cells due to the lack of chaser convergence they had on them, but then again we had some great footage.

Mick

This really worries me. Every year the hordes increase and increase and increase. If a mid-week storm in March was a zoo, I shudder to think what it will be like in late May in OK on a weekend. I think that the increased exposure of stormchasing through the internet on sites like ST, media frenzy over every outbreak, and the explosion of in-vehicle technologies to find the correct storm are threatening to ruin this hobby I love so much.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Big surprise, a ton of chasers on a concentrated target on a big day in the eastern TX panhandle. I'm sure this isn't a very new trend. Just because it is not May and vacation time, doesn't mean there aren't a crapload of people in that area that can either leave a bit early, are students, or get off at normal time and still see things. That close to DFW, OKC, LBB and AMA....I'm not sure what big day of the year outside of "vacation time" won't be crowded. I'm sure those that chase often down there can come up with plenty of crowded days outside of May and June.

I saw a whopping ONE chaser in sw NE Wednesday.

If the trend was all that bad you'd think my worst horde day would be recently...it is not. My worst hoarde day was May 26, 2001 and guess where.....east of LBB. It was a crappy day which I'm guessing a lot of folks not on vacation but able to chase didn't bother with.

If there's been a trend it's been a lack of big days in that area over the last few years. How many big days have there been down there since 2000 outside of the normal vacation times? I'm sure there were a few and I'm betting they were crowded as well.

 

[Wesley Luginbyhl]

If I keep skipping so many classes to chase, I wont be able to skip later in the year for the late semester chases in April and May. I have been a bit spoiled up to the chase wednesday. My previous 2 chases being March 23 in NM and Feb 28 in KS. In KS i saw maybe 1 or 2 chasers over a 2 hour period. In NM I saw maybe 10 other chasers at various times over a 4 hour period, spent most of it with no other chasers in view. That made Wednesday in the Eastern Panhandle feel like it was late May already.

Last time I was in the Caprock Canyons region was May 12, 2005, in which i made the wrong turn and followed a caravan of what seemed like 50 vehicles going 10 mph into Quitaque and I got overrun with baseball size hail. Wednesday made up for that last one, because I atleast got to see a tornado before getting hit with baseballs this time.

 

[Chris Nuttall]

I didn't go because I would have to go by myself, drive 6 hours round trip (minus actual chase time), and work all day the next day. A sympathetic friend offered my a ride. All I had to do was navigate and watch the skies. And I didn't go. I am a gigantic idiot.

I really haven't chased since 2005. I guess since I always have to work and never get to go, when an opportunity does come up, I'll all gung ho about it, but then hesitate and talk myself out of it. I don't know why, but my hesitating is bugging the crap out of me. I can't figure out why I'm not more decisive about going. Maybe I've lost the feeling of what it's like to chase, and I just don't have that hunger anymore.

 

[Scott Bell]

I was able to take the day off to chase, although I probably wouldn't have chased if it hadn't been the only opportunity for my girlfriend to chase this year. She had been curious about storm chasing for quite a while and the setup was too good to not give it a shot. At this point she pretty much thinks we're nuts

My work schedule happens to be very light on MWF so I could duck out very easily with little to no problems.

 

[Bryce Stone]

I was off work on Wednesday. My work is fairly flexible, though. Strangely, I didn't see many chasers on the Booker/Beaver storm. I saw a few chasers south of Shamrock, but hardly any up north. Guess you guys were all down south. I'm surprised there was any convergence at all with the large number of storms available and the fact that they were spread out so much.

 

[Glenn Dixon]

Strange, the only time I was able to chase for an extended period was 1999, after being laid off and receiving a severance package. I booked a lot of miles and tornados that year. But my actual vacations are spoken for with the wife. This year it's an Alaskan cruise. Maybe some day I'll have extra time to burn on a chasecation, or maybe the wife will want to accompany me, but I typically just burn sick days or personal days/comp time, etc. for chasing. Unfortunately I was otherwise obligated on Wednesday, which was the first time in a long time it hurt to not be able to chase. But I'll be out there the next time and I'm sure I'll get some nice face-time with Mr. Twisty somewhere this year. I think the pain of giving up on the cell that produced the Brady, NE tornado several years ago has faded now. Or I'm just mellowing with age....?