School me on HP chase strategies

[Andrew Stoller]

On Thursday and Friday in Kansas last week, with data being gobbled up by the hoards (never could get a connection it seemed until I was right in a town), very HP type supercells, at least when they went through their first cycles, I simply positioned myself so I'd be on the east end of the rear flank as they passed by. Was pretty hard to pick out tornadoes since everything was rain wrapped, but on a day like that, with 60 mph storm speeds and possible violent tornadoes and baseball sized hail, I just didn't want to risk trying to get into inflow notches to get good visibility, especially near sunset. Positioning east of the bear also allowed me to witness several meso cycles and one tornado that a lot of people missed. Being able to watch several occlusion cycles was fascinating and very educational.

One thing that really scares me about storm chasing is, if and when you do put yourself northeast of a large tornado in the bear's cage/inflow notch of an HP monster, what the heck do you do if your car dies??? Or you get stuck in the mud. Not worth the risk IMO.

If you chase long enough, you'll get a good lower precip/classic structured day where you can safely view tornadoes a bit closer.

 

[Kem Poyner]

Hp chasing

I had the opportunity to chase many HP cells this last week. I used the NorthEast approach with good luck.(when the roads would allow). Another warning on this method (that I learned the hard way), while watching the tornado occlude just south of Quinten, the second tornado formed almost on top of me. And it happened very quick and was moving due East briefly. Had to go change my shorts!

 

[Shane Adams]

Ironically, yesterday I didn't take my own advice....we stuck mainly to the due east side of the HP beast that tracked from Greensburg/Pratt. Fortunately, we lucked out on one of the several rainy attempted TG cycles we witnessed, and got a brief tornado in the clear before the rain came back around and blocked the view. I guess the main reason I wanted to stay east yesterday was the clear-air inflow coming from the southeast; it lent a pretty clear view into the middle portion of the storm, so the northeast section actually became the "HP" area, with almost constant rain obscuring the rotations...you had to be in it to see anything, and that's just not my thing. Staying due east cost us a view of the first two tornadoes near Pratt, but the way our road worked out yesterday, it was much easier (and safer) to stay directly out in front.

We were able to stop at one point well ahead of the storm and get an incredible structure shot. That's right, I said structure. Once the storm gave me a tornado, I was more than happy to appreciate it in all its entire splendor

 

[Warren Faidley]

I avoid HP's. Chase area terminated. (Except for the early stages when you can actually see something).

However, I've often found that on many HP days, the storms forming further west or south, outside the HP flow pattern will exhibit more classic structures, but not always.

Then again, I'm picky now days and blow off a lot more than I use to.

W.