Preparing for "Nina chasing zones"....

[Keith Wilson]

I cut my teeth spotting, then chasing in W KY, S. IL, SW IN, W TN, and SE MO. Like anywhere else, there are places to avoid if possible and natural obstacles to work around ( the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland rivers to name a few). There is also some great terrain.
Just plan ahead, know where the bridges are, and the best way to get to them fast.

 

[Paul Knightley]

Just because a season occurs during a La Nina/El Nino, etc, phase doesn't mean that chasing will be had in any special area - it will still depend on what the jet happens to be doing during your visit!

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Just because a season occurs during a La Nina/El Nino, etc, phase doesn't mean that chasing will be had in any special area - it will still depend on what the jet happens to be doing during your visit!

That's for sure, but this is not the point: if you have major probability to chase in a determined zone (as during a particular Nina setup), it's correct to figure out which states you could enter, especially if these states are not common chasing zones.

 

[Ryan Pfeifer]

Not to mention we're forecasted to have neutral conditions by June: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html

 

[joel ewing]

From were I live here in south centeral nebraska its flat and very little hills. But if you go east about an hour from around beatrice on east the terrine gets very hilly.

I've chased almost every square inch in Nebraska (my home state but I live in Az.)...I do it every June for about a month. Sure, it's very flat along the Platte River Valley, but you start getting into central and north / northwest Nebraska and it gets hilly. Not all that many trees, but the problem is that the road network gets pretty sketchy. Of course there are farm-to-market roads and county maintained roads, but folks....those are often just worthless once they've been rained on. Lots of clay underneath that gravel, and if you've never experience that while chasing....well...it ain't cool, let's just say that. Don't forget one of the original cardinal rules of chasing: NEVER chase on dirt. Of course, we ALL break that rule, and a lot of us have paid the price....bigtime. Hate to say it, but it's just a matter of time until a chaser loses his/her life by getting stuck on a dirt/clay road with a F-2 or better right on their tail. Knock on wood....but I truly mean it.

 

[L.B. LaForce]

Andrea, this map is very revealing about what areas are chaseable in much of the area you describe:

Ohhh, I like that map. Do you have a higher resolution one of the entire US maybe? Thanks

 

[mikegeukes]

Here is a map of the United States showing the
Proportion of Forest Land that is Timberland: United States
http://fia.fs.fed.us/tools-data/maps/2007/national-100/ytim_land_national_rpa_2007_100.pdf

Note: Most of Texas is being shown as 0 or No Data.
I know there are areas in Texas that have forests that is not showing up on the map.

Mike

 

[Paul Sherman]

Nina Chasing Zones has certainly been firing over the past month, and now the near term looks like the risk zone is moving back further west which is certainly nice to see. April looking pretty decent as well, no chance of the dreaded "Future of the Season Thread" reaering it's ugly head........Just Yet lol

 

[Adam Adkins]

If you are looking for no trees, few obstacles, and wide open skies, eastern CO is the place for you!

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

If you are looking for no trees, few obstacles, and wide open skies, eastern CO is the place for you!

No it's not, no storms to see out here, move along please.......I hear Montana is beautiful this time of year....

 

[Derek Weston]

No it's not, no storms to see out here, move along please.......I hear Montana is beautiful this time of year....

Montana would not be a good area to target for storm chasing this early in the season.

 

[Michael Nicolaou]

Montana would not be a good area to target for storm chasing this early in the season.

I believe you may have missed the sarcasm dripping from that one..... Front Range chasers can be a little territorial about their set ups