Looking to go on my first chase in May

[Devin Pitts]

So I'm finally beginning to plan out my first chase this May, eyeballing the week of the 22nd right now as I'll get a free day with memorial day being a paid holiday for my company. Track record for that particular week seems decent enough, any opinions or advice for that week from the veteran chasers?

As of right now I'll be flying solo, but if I'm able to find a chase partner or two I'd much prefer to do that as I'm inexperienced and it'd be a lot cheaper.

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[Todd Lemery]

I recommend finding at least one experienced chaser to chase with and preferably two. There is lot to keep track of and things you can learn from an experienced chaser that could make a huge difference in the quality and success of your chase.
Even having anybody else with you, regardless of experience, will help. An extra set of eyes or having a driver makes a huge difference.


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[Jason Boggs]

Anytime around the Memorial day weekend is usually a pretty good bet.. Yes, if you've never chased before, I'd highly recommend going with someone that's experienced. As Todd said, an extra pair of eyes along with an experienced chaser can go a long way. Good luck!

 

[Devin Pitts]

Yeah I was giving the chase partner thread a look over(that I completely missed somehow) and saw some good options. Coming from so far outside of Tornado Alley is making this one hell of a trip to try to plan.

 

[Derek Smith]

Hey Devin, if you are interested in pitching in for say %20 of gas, I'd be happy to have you in my car.

 

[JamesCaruso]

So I'm finally beginning to plan out my first chase this May, eyeballing the week of the 22nd right now as I'll get a free day with memorial day being a paid holiday for my company. Track record for that particular week seems decent enough, any opinions or advice for that week from the veteran chasers?

As of right now I'll be flying solo, but if I'm able to find a chase partner or two I'd much prefer to do that as I'm inexperienced and it'd be a lot cheaper.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Stormtrack mobile app

Devin if by the "week of (May) 22nd" you mean the week *beginning* that date, i.e. the last week of May, personally I think that is the ideal week to choose if you only have one week available. I usually have two weeks available for a chase vacation, and I always include that week; I usually chase the last two weeks of May, or the last week of May and first week of June - but that last week of May is climatologically at the center of peak season and I always want to be out there then. Even if the synoptic pattern doesn't cooperate, at that point in the season there is typically more moisture and instability around for mesoscale events. Of course, that week could turn out to be a total disappointment, but you can never predict that. I think you maximize your statistical chances by chasing that week.

 

[Tim Walsh]

I too am going on my first real chase in May. I took off form the 4th to the 17th in hopes of getting 3-4 good chase days in there. I don't have any formal forecasting or chasing education, just the willingness to do it and have been wanting to for over 40 years. I know just enough to get in trouble
So far I am going solo (my local chasing buddies cant go) and I will be renting a car and driving out from Savannah GA to wherever the target area is.
Is this a bad idea? I'm doing it either way, just asking.

 

[ScottCurry]

Devin, Tim, you guys will have a great time chasing, even solo. My first chase was last year. I was solo, and I loved every minute of it.

The biggest mistake I made was not having forecasting education. Tim, I know your chase is only 2 weeks away. I would recommend spending as much time learning basic short-term meso forecasting as possible. You can get area forecasts from the NWS easily, but knowing how to perform local forecasting can make the difference between spotting a tornado and being 2 hours away from a tornado. Since you are renting a vehicle, I would also recommend paying for their insurance and make sure it covers hail damage.

The smartest thing I did last year was having an emergency kit in my car. During one chase, I skidded off the road in a hail storm and was able to use my tow rope to get back on the road without having to wait forever and pay for a tow truck. I would recommend putting together an emergency kit for situations like this.

Final advice from my first chase ... don't expect to see a tornado. Enjoy the drive, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the weather, enjoy the chase. If you happen to see a tornado, all the better. But you should come back fully satisfied even if you do not spot a tornado. Keep a daily log of your adventures and take lots of photos and videos. When you get to your hotel room, or after your trip, log on and let us know how it went!

 

[Tim Walsh]

Devin, Tim, you guys will have a great time chasing, even solo. My first chase was last year. I was solo, and I loved every minute of it.

The biggest mistake I made was not having forecasting education. Tim, I know your chase is only 2 weeks away. I would recommend spending as much time learning basic short-term meso forecasting as possible. You can get area forecasts from the NWS easily, but knowing how to perform local forecasting can make the difference between spotting a tornado and being 2 hours away from a tornado. Since you are renting a vehicle, I would also recommend paying for their insurance and make sure it covers hail damage.

The smartest thing I did last year was having an emergency kit in my car. During one chase, I skidded off the road in a hail storm and was able to use my tow rope to get back on the road without having to wait forever and pay for a tow truck. I would recommend putting together an emergency kit for situations like this.

Final advice from my first chase ... don't expect to see a tornado. Enjoy the drive, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the weather, enjoy the chase. If you happen to see a tornado, all the better. But you should come back fully satisfied even if you do not spot a tornado. Keep a daily log of your adventures and take lots of photos and videos. When you get to your hotel room, or after your trip, log on and let us know how it went!

Thanks Scott! The emergency kit and insurance are both great advice.

I will read up as much as I can to get some meso forecasting and learn as much as I can.

I am taking the attitude that I will not see a tornado and I am just looking forward to the experience. If I see a tornado...bonus. I think doing this solo will be very soulful and exciting at the same time.

I will absolutely log in and keep everyone posted and such.

For now I'm just hoping this line of storms headed at me holds together for a little teaser

 

[Todd Lemery]

Seeing that you are looking at a 16 hour drive to Oklaholma City from Savannah, I would highly recommend finding a cheap flight out West from your location. You'll be spending a zillion hours on the road chasing once you get there and really want to arrive as fresh as possible. The long days and short nights will wear you out after a while and flying out will keep you fresher longer. It will probably be cheaper than what you think after renting a car for two extra days plus fuel.


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[Tim Walsh]

I have considered that for sure Todd and I am a little confused as to what way to go because with driving I have the flexibility to head out when it looks like there will be storms ( I took 14 days off). I can also choose where. And on top of that the chase may take me far away from the city I flew in on.

I like the idea of flying because I could fly in to a city and go chase that day. I also know how the driving will kick your ass because I drove home to New England to visit.
The other issue with flying would be money. I have a small budget (about $1000) to make this work.

I donno, There are positives and negatives to both.

I would love to hear more comments on this and how people make it work. Meanwhile I will look into flights from Savannah to Oklahoma City to see how much they are.

Thank you!

 

[ScottCurry]

Tim, I hate to say this, but I think you're going to run out of money after 4-5 days. Look at some of the other threads that talk about how much you'll spend per day, and you'll find it's between $200 - $250 per day. I've heard of chasers spending as little at $50 - $100 per day by sleeping in their car. Add $50 per day for car rental and you might get away with only spending $100 - $150 per day. Even then, sleeping in your car, you won't make it 14 days. My suggestion would be to find someone that can split the costs with you.

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[Tim Walsh]

Sorry Scott maybe I wasn't clear.

I took 14 days off from work but only plan on a 5 day trip. 1 day out, 3 days chase and 1 day back.

With having that amount of days off I get some flexibility to go when it looks like there will be storms firing.

 

[Michael Towers]

I too am going on my first real chase in May. I took off form the 4th to the 17th in hopes of getting 3-4 good chase days in there. I don't have any formal forecasting or chasing education, just the willingness to do it and have been wanting to for over 40 years. I know just enough to get in trouble
So far I am going solo (my local chasing buddies cant go) and I will be renting a car and driving out from Savannah GA to wherever the target area is.
Is this a bad idea? I'm doing it either way, just asking.

No, it’s not necessarily a bad idea but the fatigue factor could be a concern, you’d be chasing day one on the heels of a 1,000+ mile drive and that can both increase the danger and reduce your enjoyment so keep that in mind. As mentioned above you may have a hard time staying within your budget, even on a 5 day trip. You may want to allow yourself a few hundred more in order to make it an enjoyable trip and not be restricted in fuel costs for chasing and/or money for hotel accommodations.

If you want to get the most out of your trip my best advice would be to prioritize learning about storm structure and behavior as much as possible and not worry as much about forecasting. Learning about forecasting will benefit you in the long run but if all you have is a few weeks and you’re starting from scratch let the SPC be your guide on where to chase and make an effort to understand as much as possible about the storms you hopefully do see. Doing so will not only help keep you out of danger but it will also help make your trip much more rewarding, regardless whether or not you see a tornado.

You will likely discover that the heat of an actual chase is something you weren’t fully prepared for so give yourself more time and space to help you stay out of trouble. If you’re not sure what to do don’t be lured into following others, make your own decisions and let your own judgment be your guide. Above all be safe and if in doubt always err on the side of caution.

Good luck, hope you have a safe and successful trip!

 

[Tim Walsh]

Thanks Michael. I do have a few hundred for reserve funds just in case so Im not overly worried about that. Im more concerned with fatigue like you stated. My plan will be to leave around 4AM so I can reach my target area in time to get a room and a full nights rest. One bonus is being a firefighter I am used to broken sleeping patterns.

Can you suggest a good resource for storm structure and behavior info?