I am considering chasing Tuesday...

[kmreid]

Is there any advice that any of you can give me about chasing in Arkansas on the 29th? I live in central AR and I am considering chasing anything that pops up on Tuesday. My problem is that well, it's Arkansas. Trees, hills, trees, more trees...not fun times. I have yet to see a tornado and last year was my first year to chase, although it was very limited. I have been a spotter for three years, but I would still say that I am running off of little experience. I want to make sure that I don't get myself into a heap of trouble!

 

[John goelz]

I would stay home and wait until spring to try the plains with someone who has experience. I am just as eager as anyone to get in the field this year, but my gut tells me that Tuesday is not the day to start unless something changes or i take my chances with less than perfect conditions to get into better terrain. This is just my 2 cents worth, but the stress of the hills, trees, and bad road network make chasing more stressful than it needs to be.

 

[kmreid]

I appreciate your honesty. I am starting to think that you are right though. I would have to go solo and I am not sure that I could manage driving, watching radar AND radioing in reports. It's incredibly frustrating to live in Arkansas sometimes.

 

[John goelz]

i feel your pain. Its tough, but wise to sit out some of the events for safety. Makes for more enjoyable chasing in general when you arent worried about an HP squall line or qlcs type event. Driving to the plains is definately worth the trip and makes for a much more enjoyable chase.

 

[STexan]

I haven't looked recently at the latest forecasts, but last I checked, if anything (tornadic activity) does develop in the central AR area per say, it will be after dark and that reason alone should keep you home. Perhaps you can drive down to around Texarkana and get lucky before dark, then follow the system back home getting some nice night-time lightning pics tuesday evening.

Edit: After looking at latest forecast I may have been wrong about the central AR timing as it may develop that area sooner than I originally imagined. I might head to Paris and follow ahead of the front along US 82 and see what happens but will decide Tue morning but regardless I'm not too optimistic about this setup but it's close enough to venture out and observe and learn.

 

[Jim Parsons]

Biggest problem with chasing this time of year is storm motion....You're trying to catch storms that are moving 50-60+kts and in terrain like AR, that's a challange.

 

[Shane Adams]

I agree with Robert's original assessment: probably gonna be dark before anything severe happens in C AR. If you want some chase experience, my advice is to leave early, drive southwest down I-30, and set up shop somewhere between Texarkana and Greenville. The best storms should fire somewhere west and/or southwest of that area and move quickly northeast. This would give you a good position to see anything interesting that might happen during the day. You can just let it roll by you, then chase after it towards home. If these things move as fast as forecast, they should gradually out run you (you'll have stops/yields/curves/etc etc) and the drive back home should be relatively uneventful. Good luck.

 

[kmreid]

Well, coincidence decided for me. I woke up sick this morning. I think I caught a cold, although my husband had flu. I'll be sitting this one out.

Thanks for the advice everyone! Between being sick, timing and speed, I suppose it is for the best.

 

[STexan]

Come on out late this afternoon! Things are coming together quite nicely where you may not need to venture very far from Little Rock. And may well have some activity before sunset. Regardless, put away the plastic pools and fold down the umbrella stands.

 

[Skip Talbot]

If I were going to chase this setup (and I'm not), I'd probably wait for the after dark show. A lot of chasers don't mess around with stuff after dark, but in this instance I think it's the best (or maybe your only) chance at seeing anything. I'd probably setup in Forrest City, AR, or Marianna, AR, and then wait for the line or any prefrontal activity to arrive. My reasoning being that conditions are going to be become more favorable as the night wears on. The low deepens, strengthening the low level flow and moisture advection. By midnight the 65 degree dewpoint line is pushing through mid Arkansas. Combined with the howling low level jet and very impressive low level shear, anything cellular could be rotating. Your best viewing is going to be where it's flat and treeless on the Mississippi flood plain in eastern AR. I'd pick a spot where I can see for miles and scan the entire line of storms, hoping to catch something backlit by lightning. I think the earlier storms, while perhaps more discrete, will be moving too fast, through bad terrain, and poor visibility due to low LCL's and haze may preclude any chance of catching something photogenic during the daytime. Be careful at night and make sure you have data though, since at some point you'll have to punch through the line or let it pass overhead, and you'll want to pick a weak spot in the line so powerlines and trees aren't coming down on you, and then be extremely cautious about flooded roadways. Good luck to anyone going. It's possible to score a tornado today, but I think there will be much better setups this year.