*New Users. Meet and Greet Area*

[Travis Cruz]

Hi my name is Travis Cruz. I'm currently a Meteorology Undergrad at Virginia Tech, but I have been obsessed with severe weather all my life. I have been chasing local hurricanes since the mid 2000s, and have recently ventured out into super cells and tornadic storms in the spring of 2013. I had always wanted to chase in the past, but in 2013, I got a chance to go with a Virginia Tech based storm chase, for credit hours. I was hooked. I had always had thoughts about building a storm chasing vehicle, but after this trip, there was no doubt. We were in El Reno 3 hours before the tornado, but decided to make a hard call and ditch south because of the dangers involved with chasing in the area. The tragic death of Tim Samaras and crew, and footage from Mike Bettes and Brandon Sullivan helped me to revise the blueprints for my vehicle. I have since created my own company, StormCruzzer LLC, that will focus on private forecasting, student outreach, and storm chase research (still not sure which specific area I'd like to focus on, RFD maybe?). We have a facebook page at www.facebook.com/StormCruzzer, and website, at www.StormCruzzer.com.

Travis

 

[calvinkaskey]

That's good you are in school for meteorology. I showed a video of a well formed funnel cloud without a tornado warning to the local NWS and they told me they didn't see anything. Next year 2 people died not too far from the same area, again without a tornado warning.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Hi everyone! My name is Marc, and first off, I'd like to thank you all to the amazing wealth of information you've all provided here. I've learned a ton just from lurking and searching.

Thanks a million to Skip for helping me get my registration thru...I first tried registering a couple years ago, but have been as patient as possible, understanding that there have been some general forum issues causing delays. No worries there.

I've been chasing weather for about 7 years...first in a futile effort to catch lightning with a basic konica milolta camera...then my wife got tired of my bitching and told me to buy a DSLR...that night I caught my first bolt and was hooked. Since then I've had to buy two portable hard drives to store photos...

Just for the last three years or so I started daytime chasing...learning how to forecast and how to read the weather. This forum has proved an incredibe resource, teaching me how to see the weather and how to do rudimentary hand analysis, that has thus far led me to successful amateur chases. Not so many tornados, but a few landspouts, and many a photogenic storm here in Colorado.

So thanks for the information, and I hope I can be a useful contributor in the future.

-Marc

 

[Brian G]

I guess I should introduce myself as well. I just registered a couple of months ago, but I've been lurking for years. My name is Brian and I'm from St. Louis. I have an insatiable appetite for learning about all sciences, but the atmospheric sciences are at the top of my list. My primary goal of chasing is to broaden my knowledge of supercell and tornado formation. I have learned a lot from forums like these over the years and I can see that there are a lot of sharp people here as well that I can sponge off of. That's the whole appeal of weather...the learning never ends!

 

[Rodney Nonamaker]

Hey all. My name is Rodney Nonamaker I registered on this forum long ago...and have since forgotten about it. I was recently reintroduced here again. I haven't had a chance to delve deep into the depths of these pages as of yet, but look forward to all I will be able to learn the more n more I read. I am out of Hays, KS as of now; in the process of moving soon. I already know lots of you on here and look forward to acquainting myself with the rest of y'all.

P.S.
Can I change my username somewhere to show my actual name?

 

[Caleb Grunzke]

Hello everyone. My name is Caleb Grunzke and I discovered this forum back in August. I, at first, only checked it periodically but now have begun to be on it regularly every day. (Some of you may have talked to me in the chat room.)

I am a Masters Graduate Student in the Atmospheric Science department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I received my Bachelors degree from St. Cloud State University and am originally from central Minnesota. My job is being a Teaching Assistant for the undergraduate Synoptic Meteorology classes. My Masters thesis is on the topic of doing ensemble numerical modeling to determine forecast predictability of the May 8, 2009 Superderecho. After I obtain my Masters, I plan to persue my Doctorate degree and hope to go into the academia/research field afterwards.

My storm chasing experience is minimal. I've only done a couple of chases and have not been very successful thus far. I really enjoy watching storms and documenting them but living in Minnesota, the number of opportunities to see decent storms/supercells are relatively low (especially over the last few years...). I plan to do more storm chasing this Spring and Summer, however.

 

[Jonathan Beeson]

Hey guys! My name is Jonathan and I'm from Harvest, Alabama a few miles northwest of Huntsville. I'm currently a junior in High School and once I finish here I'm definitely looking at a possible major in Meteorology once I graduate. Studying at the University of Oklahoma is on my bucket list because of their reputation as one of the best severe weather research institutes out there, and the simple vastness of the plains, even on calm, sunny days, has always had an appeal to me.

As for my interest in weather, it started when I was a little kid. I'd always been fascinated by clouds and terrified to death whenever there was a clap of thunder during storms. After the events of April 27, 2011 (I think we all know what happened that day), my casual interest turned into a full blown hobby and something that I began reading about whenever I had free time. I read about some of the basic mechanisms needed to create severe weather (instability, lift, shear, etc.) but I want to expand upon simply having a vocabulary and knowing the difference between a supercell and a squall line.

The extent of my chasing experience is standing on my porch watching the storms roll through, with a few bad photos from my phone to prove that I saw a cloud and took a picture of it. I definitely intend on chasing one day, starting around here but expanding my reach if I maintain my interest in severe weather through college. I'd love to be a field or research meteorologist one day down the road, but frankly that's nothing more than a dream at this stage in my life.

 

[Jason Boggs]

I guess since I kind of rejuvenated my account, I better introduce myself to those that don't know me. I've been here at ST off and on since about 2005. I was a moderator in 2008, but that only lasted a year or so. I haven't participated much until recently, and finally ST looks to be making a comeback with the new ownership!

I'm 44 years old and have been a correctional officer at a max facility for 16 years. I've lived in the TX Panhandle since 1979, so severe weather is nothing out of the ordinary for me. Started chasing locally in 1997 and failed miserably. I started reading on the internet, and learned about storms and forecasting, and eventually it clicked. I began chasing for a tv station in Amarillo (KAMR) in 2001, and I still chase for them to this day. Also while out in the field, back in the 03-04 timeframe, I ran across Warren Faidley, and we became friends. I now chase with him usually in the month of May, and I always have a great time.

For me, chasing isn't just about the storms. It's about the open road, new places, good friends, and great memories!

 

[Shane Adams]

Welcome to the Asylum, all of you recent posters. Glad to have you all aboard.

 

[Billy Faletti]

Hello everybody! I'm Billy Faletti. I've been reading Stormtrack forums casually for a good 3 years now, and have been really doing some reading within the past few months. A few of you may know me from Twitter, as I've been very active on there for almost a year now.

I'm basically a 15 year old weather nut. That's pretty much it. I love all aspects of weather from snowstorms to, you guessed it, tornadoes. I live in Granville, a tiny town in North Central Illinois. My fascination with tornadoes began with an F3 tornado that heavily damaged the towns of Granville and Utica on April 20, 2004. If there was any doubt in my mind that my passion for storms would disappear, several more damaging tornadoes ravaged locations nearby on June 5th, 2010. I'm definitely a novice, but I do have quite the knowledge base on weather and especially supercells/tornadoes.

I do chase very locally, generally within 50 miles of my house (with my dad driving, since I'm 15 and don't have a license). So of course, the number of opportunities I get to see a tornado is low. Even so, I managed to put us in a good position to witness the dissipating stages of the Washington, IL EF4 tornado along with its satellite tornado on November 17th, 2013, making my official tornado count 2. Despite that being my only tornado day, I feel accomplished in the fact that I saw those tornadoes, as it was a difficult chase with fast storm motions and many HP structures. Other than tornadoes, I really will go after anything that looks promising severe weather or structure-wise.

I've learned a great deal from this site so far, and hope to learn much more as I plan to dive deeper into chasing over the next few years! And thank you to longtime and experienced members for the encouragement!

 

[Kevin Rimcoski]

What's up everyone? My name is kevin, new to the site, not new to forums (on a couple wrx forums and the skywarn forum), and will be new to chasing this year. I've "chased" smaller storms that were local to my town a handful of times. Coming from Connecticut, our severe weather isn't usually anything significant other than winter weather. I recently moved to Tucson, Arizona again this past August to go to school.
When I was in high school I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life so I took the easy way out and joined the Air Force. I've been very interested in weather since I was about six years old after watching twister (I know)
But I will be refocusing my life to going to college and getting my degree in meteorology
I'm definitely looking forward to learning a lot from this community and honing skills and learning new ones. Almost feels like the big leagues here as there's quite a few names I recognize from elsewhere
Also if anyone plans on chasing the monsoon season here in AZ I'd love to meet up and be a chase partner if wanted

 

[Paxtonmobile]

Hello everyone, I'm Justin, a 23-year old weather nut. Been into weather and many areas of science since I was a little kid, grew up watching Cosmos and Twister, haha. I've done quite a few chases in my life, haven't seen an actual tornado in person before, though. Been out of the game for a while, so I'm catching up on new technologies, safety procedures, and how to conduct myself while chasing. I lived pretty close, ~15 miles or so, from where the Hallam, NE tornado went through in 2004. That was an intense day.

My username is derived from a project I'm working on- which will be shown in a topic for it, coming soon.

I work on the railroad, at Burling Northern Santa Fe. It's an amazing job, amazing pay, benefits, retirement, etcetc. I was going to pursue a career in meteorology, but moving around, my dad landing a job at BNSF, and meteorology being a hard career to break into, I joined BNSF as well. Choochoos are my second passion in life. I think. I have quite a few.

 

[Seth Price]

Travis,

VT Grad here as well. Chased with them from 2003-2006, met up with them several other years. Glad to hear the program is doing well.

 

[Jeremy Bower]

Call this somewhat of a re-introduction as I first joined the asylum back in 2005....

My name is Jeremy Bower and I'm the owner of JRBStorm Photography. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Atmospheric Sciences/Meteorology from Ohio State University in June of 2005. I was a Driver/Forecaster for Storm Chasing Adventure Tours from 2002 through 2006. From 2006 to 2009, I was a meteorology intern with the Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency in Lincoln, NE, where I provided severe weather briefings for the staff. I was the lead forecaster for the Nebraska Vortex Intercept Team from 2006 to 2009.

I have two great passions in life: severe weather and photography. My fascination with severe weather dates back to growing up in New Philadelphia, OH. I began to search for any available materials about severe weather - including storm chase videos and numerous meteorology publications. I enjoy all elements of photography -- from researching new gear to finding that right moment to capture at an event. I'm always looking to progress my skills and I am excited for new challenges.

If you're interested, check out my photography on social media:
http://www.facebook.com/jrbstormphoto and http://www.flickr.com/jrbstorm

 

[Tommy Scanlan]

Just joined tonight.

Hello. My name is Tommy Scanlan. Some of you know me from other places, but I am new to Stormtrack. My passion for severe weather began at the ripe age of four when a tornado tore through Brooklyn Park, MN on July 18, 1986. One of our local TV stations did a special about it since it was one of the first ever tornadoes videoed from the air. Ever since then, I've had an obsession for all types of weather. I began chasing in 2010 after the June 17th outbreak in Minnesota and the Dakotas. In 2012 I took my Spotter Network and Skywarn training. I have been pretty regional since I started, but would love to venture out further in the near future. Photography is a hobby of mine, and weather is my favorite type. Winter storms, storm structure, tornadoes, lightning, etc.

Looking forward to chatting with everyone here!