Magic numbers in chasing

[Andrea Griffa]

Hi all
This is not scientific but it's just a feeling, so take this topic as a joke.
Anyway there are some days that I feel more nervous and I know that it is more probable to have a big stormchasing day.
In my experience there are three magic numbers: may 12,may 22,may 29. When I live this days during may, if synoptic condition is quite good I'm always quite sure that it's gonna be a good chasing days, and so far, this feeling never misleaded me.
And you guys, wich are your magic numbers?

 

[Tim Vasquez]

It seemed that back in the 1990s there was always something interesting going on April 25. I guess if I was playing chase craps I'd be laying money on May 8 and June 5.

Tim

 

[Chris Wilburn]

I have only been chasing for about 5 years now, but June 12th and May 22nd are magic numbers for me. I saw my first tornado ever June 12, 2004 (Mulvane) and saw several tornadoes on June 12, 2005 (Jayton). In 2007 I saw the Hill City tornado and this year saw several tornadoes in NW KS on May 22nd. I guess these two stick out because I saw tornadoes the same two days two years in a row. Of course May 29th seems to always have something going on as well. May 4th seems to be active as well (Greensburg and the big outbreak in 2003).

 

[Jim Cross]

I would go with May 1-4. There has been some pretty big tornado days during that time frame over the last 10 years.

 

[Marko Korosec]

May 22 says it all

Got 1 tube in 2007 and 7 tubes in 2008, no further comments needed.

 

[David Draun]

I will go with May 22nd also. I saw my first ever tornado on that sculpted wedding cake supercell near Hill City, KS on May 22, 2007. It's true, there always happens to be a severe weather and/or tornado event on or around that day. I missed May 22nd this year though, I just didn't leave yet.

 

[MatthewCarman]

May 21-22 for Iowa is a big date because in 2004 Iowa saw it's most tornadoes ever for a single day (according to CH13 at the time) on May 22, when we had 36 tornadoes reported. Also a 106 MPH wind gust and Baseball to Tennisball sized hail occured that day. A DOT truck was blown completely off the road from 100 MPH winds. May 21, of 2004 Bradgate IA which sits in a valley was hit by a F2 tornado. Almost every single building in town was damaged or destroyed. The sherrif I believed was injured from debree trying to make it to the sirens.

April, May and June = the best months to see tornadoes. July, Spetember and October can also be good some years.

Ps. I am typing this from a school computer with spell check so I apologize for any spelling errors.

 

[Angie Norris]

May 22 has been a good day for me. May 22, 2004 was my first Plains tornado...not Hallam, but a brief dusty spinup earlier that afternoon, then a sweet LP with some nice hail near Coldwater, KS this past May. May 29, 2004...all those tornadoes in southern KS...awesome day!!
Even though the date changes, Memorial Day seems to have something magical going for it, so I always take it off...just in case

 

[Aric Cylkowski]

June 8 is a special day for me as a Michigan chaser. It is the anniversary of the 1953 Beecher F5 tornado, as well as the day I intercepted my first tornado (2003) and the last derecho to pay SE MI a visit (2008). Overall, not a bad run for that day, especially for Michigan.

 

[Patrick Martin]

I have only been chasing for about 5 years now, but June 12th and May 22nd are magic numbers for me.

Ditto. 6/12/05 was my first successful chase, and 5/22/08 was the first time I witnessed 2 tors, (a main tor with a satellite tor next to it) together on ground at the same time.

 

[Shane Adams]

I've seen tornadoes on the following dates in three different years...

April 21 (1999,2005,2007)
May 4 (2001,2003,2007)
May 22 (2004,2007,2008)
May 24 (2002,2004,2008)
May 29 (1997,2001,2004)

I've seen tornadoes on the following dates in two different years...

March 30 (2006,2008)
April 15 (1998,2006)
May 3 (1999,2003)
May 5 (2002,2007)
May 12 (2004,2005)
May 23 (2007,2008)
June 1 (1999,2007)
June 11 (1997,2005)

On the flipside, two dates I've yet to even chase on in 12 years are May 10 and May 28.

 

[Paul Austin]

I'll just echo several other:

May 1-4 (take your pick)
May 12
May 22
May 24
May 29
June 12

 

[Stephen Levine]

When I lived in the Boston MA area, it seemed that on most years July 3 and July 5 brought consistent opportunities to chase robust thunderstorms-far more so than any other days.

Here in the Prairies, May 24 has proved fruitful as has the first 4 days in June.

 

[Adam Lucio]

I dont have a repeat tornado sighting date yet, but the closest would be

june 6th 2007 [south dakota]
june 7th 2008 [chicago burbs]

on a different note...october 2nd 2005 and 2006 had severe events here in the city, the one in 2006 being significant....last year it stormed but not severe....so naturally im looking forward to the date this year.

 

[Tony Laubach]

May 29..

2004: 15 tubes

2008: 17 tubes

I love 5/29... falls around Memorial Day which in itself is a good time for chasing.