What are your basic coverage areas when you're chasing?

[Josh B]

let me start by saying im fairly new here so if this post is in the wrong location or already been covered. sorry. and thanks in advance for the correction and being pointed in the right direction


I am wondering what everyone's basic location(s) that they like to chase are?
I think it could be a great opportunity to make connections with those of us close to each other and maybe even work together in the field!?
Groups not only make it more fun but also safer by having that potential contact with others your familiar with out in the field

 

[Matt Salo]

My chase areas are:

 

[Ethan Schisler]

I will chase anywhere there is a reasonable meteorological chance that I will see a tornado or come home with something (photo/video-wise) worthwhile. With that said, I probably wouldn't chase the Appalachian mountains, but I will chase AR/MS/AL if there is a reasonable shot of me being able to catch something. I know not everyone is the same way, or feels the same way though that is just my preference.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Right after I moved to the STL metro, I made this map in 2010 for a blog post about "home chase areas". Green is "backyard" (out and back on the same day). Blue is "extended home" (out and back on the same day, but with a marathon drive, or a one-night hotel stay). Outside of that is "chase vacation" range, meaning if I'm on an extended chase trip, all of these areas are in play if the setup warrants.

6 years later, the categories are the same, but my actual ranges have shrunk considerably. I have a much more serious "home target bias" now. My backyard chase area now in actuality is about half the size of what I drew on this map originally. The reason is that during most setups, there is almost always *something* in my backyard range to play with. I would rather play a secondary target close to home if there is a decent supercell environment here, instead of driving all day to get to the best environment. Living in the Midwest taught me that missing tornadoes close to home hurts more than missing them far away.

I don't really do extended chase vacations any more - only multi-day Plains trips when the conditions warrant. Prior to 2006, I would sometimes pick a week and chase anything that happened, even if it meant Tennessee, Ohio or Alabama. I'd still do that if I had unlimited chase funds.

 

[Marcus Hicks]

I will chase just about anywhere with the exception of WI. No a big fan of Dixie alley but now that I'm living closer I'll willing to spend s bit more time there.


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[Brian R]

I primarily chase Illinois, Wisconsin, iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. however I will chase anywhere time and potential existing

 

[Todd Rector]

I am from central Iowa. I will chase anywhere in the plains from North Dakota to Texas as long as the forecast target area is in decent terrain. I won't chase in the Ozarks or Northern Minnesota, for example. I would like to see good potential for a multi-day event in order for me to drive more than about 500 miles one way (Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming) but I will still go for a single day event if the setup is good enough.

 

[Bob Schafer]

I live in extreme southeastern CO.

I have chased from the Rio Grande in S TX to Montana to Indianapolis, but I won't chase any of those 3 particular targets any more, for different reasons. I will still chase from about I-10 in TX to the Canadian border, and I very rarely venture east of I-35. Illinois has some fabulous chasing terrain.

Of course, every situation is different from every other, but closer to home is almost always preferred. I do love to chase the Dakotas, but I won't commit to that drive unless there is a minimum of two days of exceptional parameters, or unless I'm already in Nebraska or something.

 

[Todd Lemery]

Being from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, real local chase opportunities are relatively rare. That said, it's easier to say where I won't chase than where I will. I won't make the effort to chase the Eastern third of the states. If I want to look at miles and miles of trees, I can do that right here at home. I can deal with a crappy road network as long as I have decent visibility. I know there's been some very impressive Dixie outbreaks, but they'll all have to continue happening without me.


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[Ben Holcomb]

I-20 to I-70 and a Midland/Lubbock/AMA/ Goodland line east to I-35. That's where I like to chase.

I've been found everywhere from way south of Fort Stockton TX to the ND/Canada border and right along the mountains east to almost the Appalachians. Central IL has great terrain, but a lot of people and false hopes.

Southern Indiana, the Ozarks and SW Wisconsin are out.

 

[Drew Terril]

Right now other factors in life pretty much have me limited to OK, KS and TX; but I hope to start expanding that range in the coming years. Before moved back home I wasn't able to venture out of Dixie much since I was never able to take vacation during the spring.

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[Marc R. O'Leary]

I'm pretty much a homer and chase Colorado, but have no problem scooting into Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming. I tend to go after lightning primarily anyhow, but a good setup will pull me a couple hundred miles in any direction.

Hoping to get a little farther out this season to test the waters, but need to sharpen my forecasting skills first. Luckily I work 4 10 hour days, so for weekend setups, I have a spare day.

 

[chrisbray]

Central IL has great terrain, but a lot of people and false hopes.

lol. as a resident, I concur

 

[Matt Tottle]

I'm pretty much a home chaser. Being smack in the middle of Kansas a lot of opportunities come right through my back yard in the spring, but I've gone to (and busted in lol) Nebraska and Oklahoma. Since it's a hobby for me not a profession I didn't really have the money to venture out farther due to the price of gas over the past few years. Considering its going to be less this year I might go farther, have to see.

 

[calvinkaskey]

let me start by saying im fairly new here so if this post is in the wrong location or already been covered. sorry. and thanks in advance for the correction and being pointed in the right direction


I am wondering what everyone's basic location(s) that they like to chase are?
I think it could be a great opportunity to make connections with those of us close to each other and maybe even work together in the field!?
Groups not only make it more fun but also safer by having that potential contact with others your familiar with out in the field

Iowa is a nice location to be based in. You can chase all the way to Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky east to North Carolina and south to Florida and north through Minnesota and west to Wyoming and Colorado and south through Texas. Occasionally you might find some good activity into Montana and New Mexico too. With that said there are mts, hills and trees to deal with along with congestion in populated areas. Probably a lot of trees will be found in Missouri and Arkansas and southeast into Kentucky and Tennessee. But if you have 50 tornadoes in a day in Arkansas that makes up for the trees, hills and occasional mountain. Most tornadoes don't occur east of Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama or north or west of South Dakota. Most people seem to like to chase the high plains where there are less trees and population in Western areas of Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and into the plains of Colorado.

I'm based in New York so I really don't get too many good opportunities and only good tornado producing locations are all the way down in North Carolina and west generally west of Ohio and around 10 hours or more of straight driving.