*New Users. Meet and Greet Area*

[Brenna R]

Hey all! I'm Brenna from Ohio. I have been a couch storm tracker since I was a kid, although I decided to become a librarian. I've decided I want to get into the field. It seems like severe storms are pushing further east so I don't have to travel to OK or KS to chase (though I'd love to someday). I am a trained storm spotter and currently working on my getting my ham radio license too. I hope to learn a lot on here!

 

[Drew Terril]

Welcome Mason and Brenna!

 

[Renee L]

Hey there everyone, glad I found this group! I'm from western Wisconsin, have always been a bit of a weather enthusiast (enjoy weather photography, tracking storms, learning whatever I can). A defining moment for me was July 15, 1980 (aging myself a bit here, ha). also known as the Western Wisconsin Derecho or The July 15th Storm (several tornadoes were also reported). I was at work, across town, when it hit that evening. I'll never forget it, when we all came out of the building after the storm passed, the sky, the wind in all directions, the damage for miles and miles (our building was OK, as was my home, minus some trees, we were lucky). It was like something out of a science fiction movie, I was both horrified and fascinated. It was a very interesting storm and left a wide swath of damage from MN to WI (there is a Wikipedia page about it, we made National News the next day). After that experience, and trying to get home through the damage, I had a new respect for storms, and a new interest.

 

[Roberto Gaianigo]

Hi everyone, I'm writing with automatic translation. I normally do storm chasing in the Veneto region of Italy. When luck and timing allow me, I often use timelapse not only because they are "beautiful" to look at but also because they allow us to better understand the dynamics of storms. In the past I edited reports on a site, today I only keep my YouTube channel and write on Italian forums, I'm not on Facebook. Every now and then I like to do research and investigate at a theoretical level on atmospheric phenomena and on physics and astronomy in general. Roberto Gaianigo.

 

[Laney Cole]

Hello Stormtrack,

My Interest in weather started young, growing up in South Florida, one cannot help but look to the skies from an early age. Hurricanes and surfing conditions were my original exposure to weather and forecasting. I originally wanted to be a forensic psychologist- but life is funny and I've worked as a photographer since 2007.

Tornadoes have always fascinated me. However, the Moore and El Reno tornadoes of 2013 were the beginning of my love affair with severe weather.
Not only was I shocked and astonished at the power of these beasts, but from a psychology standpoint I wanted to understand the mind of storm chasers, and of storms themselves.

I studied El Reno 2013 for just over a year, searching for understanding- and from there my love and admiration for chasers and tornadic storms continued to grow.

I began to appreciate the beauty in the formation of the perfect supercell and found myself wanting to know more each day.

4/1 the "cap" was removed, when four strong EF-2 tornadoes impacted my county. The lack of knowledge and basic awareness of those around me shocked and worried me, and I knew I had to do something. I hated the helplessness I felt at that moment- and it was then I decided to sign up for SKYWARN, join Spotter Network, and have been an active member of the WX community since.

Alas, now I am here and hope to continue to learn, grow, and contribute. Thank you for having me, Stormtrack.

 

[Ryan Walsh]

Hey Stormtrack! I'm Ryan from Boston, MA. I'm a simple weather enthusiast and getting more interested in the storm tracking/chasing community. The environment and how it's always changing fascinates me and I feel it's important for the future of humanity and the planet to be informed.

 

[Brandi L Katt]

Hello!

I'm glad to meet you all!
I am from Southern Wisconsin and I am a new (amateur) storm chaser! I've dreamed of becoming one since I was a child and I finally have the ability to do it, so here I am!

Just 2 things from me...
1. Any Fellow chasers who chase within 100 miles of Monroe Wi... If you're looking for a chase partner... Im asking for those with a home base near here, I am willing to travel farther for a good chase! But I am hoping to connect with some other local chasers (For experience and partnership, as a lot of the guides do say not to chase alone!)
2. Tell me what you personally use for chasing! I'm talking gear, guides (Apps/weather maps), even down to the vehicle you choose and why!
I have a Kia Soul currently, but am planning on 'downgrading' to a different (not my daily driver) vehicle over this summer. I just got myself a nice little 4k camcorder (Rawiemy HD 4K 48MP) and dash mount and am prepping my "go bag" for when I need to hop in the car and chase down a storm I plan to keep a first aid kit, one change of clothes, a neon sweatshirt (for visibility), and probably some spare camera gear (tripods, extra batteries and the like!) I've also been using RadarOmega & RadarScope along side Accuweather for radars

I'm doing as much research as I can so when the next set of storms pops up in the area, I am ready!!!

Thanks for reading, and extra thanks for any replies!
-Brandi

 

[Dan Ross]

Hello!

I'm glad to meet you all!
I am from Southern Wisconsin and I am a new (amateur) storm chaser! I've dreamed of becoming one since I was a child and I finally have the ability to do it, so here I am!

Just 2 things from me...
1. Any Fellow chasers who chase within 100 miles of Monroe Wi... If you're looking for a chase partner... Im asking for those with a home base near here, I am willing to travel farther for a good chase! But I am hoping to connect with some other local chasers (For experience and partnership, as a lot of the guides do say not to chase alone!)
2. Tell me what you personally use for chasing! I'm talking gear, guides (Apps/weather maps), even down to the vehicle you choose and why!
I have a Kia Soul currently, but am planning on 'downgrading' to a different (not my daily driver) vehicle over this summer. I just got myself a nice little 4k camcorder (Rawiemy HD 4K 48MP) and dash mount and am prepping my "go bag" for when I need to hop in the car and chase down a storm I plan to keep a first aid kit, one change of clothes, a neon sweatshirt (for visibility), and probably some spare camera gear (tripods, extra batteries and the like!) I've also been using RadarOmega & RadarScope along side Accuweather for radars

I'm doing as much research as I can so when the next set of storms pops up in the area, I am ready!!!

Thanks for reading, and extra thanks for any replies!
-Brandi

Hi Brandi!

I live over in Machesney Park, IL and have been chasing for over a decade now. Sometimes I have a friend or my brother join me, but often they're busy and the passenger seat is empty. I learned mostly on my own through a lot of trial and error, which as you mentioned is not the best way, but I'd consider myself to be a proficient enough storm chaser to advise someone starting out. I'm open to chatting about storms/forecasts, answering questions as best I can, and even having you along for a chase sometime if it works out.

I'm pretty simple when it comes to gear. Just my Canon Rebel t5i camera + tripod, a Gopro mounted on the windshield, smart phone, sometimes a laptop. Also RainX is great for the windshield - barely need wipers after a fresh coat of that stuff. I drive a Hyundai Elantra with a hatchback so I can car camp on vacations. A lot of folks assume you need 4 wheel drive and super high clearance to chase effectively, but as long as you stick to pavement and well-maintained gravel roads, that's quite unnecessary.

Here are some resources I use:

The University of Illinois has some great online resources for learning the basics about thunderstorm types/structure. It's a bit aged, but the info on there is still good.:
Severe Storms: online meteorology guide

For the latest severe weather forecasts from the Storm Prediction Center (SPC):
Storm Prediction Center Convective Outlooks

If you want to look at forecast models (the same stuff meteorologists and SPC forecasters use) you can view them here:
Models: GFS — Pivotal Weather (Caution: If you're just starting out these may be overwhelming and confusing as hell )

For monitoring current conditions/trends check out the SPC Mesoscale Analysis page:
SPC Hourly Mesoscale Analysis

And finally for current satellite images I like the College of DuPage website:
COD NEXLAB: Satellite and Radar

 

[Levi Mol]

Greetings! im a 16 year old die-hard enthusiast from the west Michigan region. i am most well known for owning a large social club (kind of like stormtrack) on the XBOX club community, and have a large presence in the MANY storm chasing "games" on the Roblox game website platform. i am planning to dip my feet into deeper waters soon and do some IRL chasing, but im still learning and relatively new to the more complex side of chasing. i am using this website to learn and connect with like-minded peeps, see you on the site!

Hello were are you in West Michigan I also live in West Michigan near Holland, Mi and also a teenager.