What do you count as a chase day?

[Tony Laubach]

This is a fun question... I've kinda gone with this is my stats for years. Basically, I have divided up my logs into a couple categories.

SPOTTER LOG vs CHASE LOG (WORK LOG was added when I got my job here in KS)

SPOTTER to me was always a day where I had no intention to see tornadoes. Basically, my excuse was to collect video for freelance or go out and shoot lightning or something along those lines. There was no real distance restriction to this as sometimes I'd go out before a chase day and that would cover a lengthy drive and enroute, I may play with a storm just cause I was there. A spotter log could turn to a chase log if a storm started rotating, or just flat out produced a tornado. But typically, this was a log that included any venture to which I was out for freelance work (i.e. a nearby hailer, urban flooding, lower end severe), lightning photography trips, playing with storms near me just cause I was there, or a travel day in which I played with weather along the way. The biggest common line was a day to which there was no legit target when I headed out, or just going out because. These logs don't factor into my tornado average unless I saw a tornado or came close to seeing one.

CHASE were legit storm chases, where the goal of seeing a tornado was a primary motivating factor. If I left base the morning of with the intention to storm chase where the potential for tornadoes was a hope. This would also include legit supercells or events that required a lengthy bit of driving. Basically any day to which there was a pre-determined target with the hope of seeing significant severe weather or tornadoes. If I started the day with that motivation, I would leave it a CHASE log regardless of the day's outcome. These logs I factored into my tornado-average.

WORK was added when I got a job chasing here in Kansas. These are the days where I am just going out to satisfy a work day. These are actually pretty rare since they can basically be SPOTTER logs for me, but these get into the stat book if the station sends me out or I am just wanting to kill a work day in the field as opposed to in the studio. Often times these are super close to home and are very low-end events. These, too, can turn into a CHASE log if tornadic activity occurs. But this is basically a job day where i went out and played in weather at the direction of my job or strictly for my job.

 

[Dave C]

As others have stated, if I physically relocate myself to observe weather (could be severe, winter, or otherwise) I consider it a chase activity, and any day I dedicate primarily or significantly to the activity is a 'chase day'. The relocation can and has been on foot, car, and by boat. Have never used a plane to get in better viewing position.

I should add that any day I am chased (hail shows up at work) is also a chase day, just not mine?

 

[JamesCaruso]

This is a very interesting thread. It’s fascinating how things that may seem like simple binary definitions really are not. I wonder if the personality attribute that makes us love weather is also what makes us enjoy debating categorizations, definitions and taxonomy? Imagine if we could agree on standard definitions of chase day, bust, success, etc., we would actually have an objective way to score and rank chasers. Not that that’s important, and I would be last anyway, but it’s an interesting thought.

Anyway, I think a chase day is when you purposefully go out of your way to chase a storm, or to out yourself in a place specifically because you expect/hope storms will occur. I don’t understand saying it is NOT a chase day just because there is a cap bust; that’s like saying I didn’t really go fishing just because the fish weren’t biting that day and I didn’t catch anything. Whether it’s a chase day should be based on intention, not outcome.

I do sometimes have trouble categorizing days where I don’t really expect anything to happen, and don’t pick a specific target, but decide to take a chance on passing through an area “just in case,” when the real goal is just to reposition for the next day, or head to a city/town that’s more interesting to hang out in for some upcoming downtime.

 

[Shane Adams]

There are two basic elements that must be present for me to consider a day an official "chase."

(1) There must be a pre-determined target via personal forecast, and I get in my car and drive there.
(2) If it's a sit-on-your-hands-and-wait local-type deal, we have to actually intercept and observe a tornado. A 30-mile drive down the street for a garbage storm with zero forecasting involved is "deleted" from my personal stats.

 

[Paul Knightley]

As someone who specifically travels to the USA from abroad for a 'chasecation', perhaps the plane journey in the first place is a form of a 'chase'!

Overall, though, I agree with many above: If a journey is made on a day to see (or attempt to see) storms that day, it's a chase day/'chase' - otherwise it's not.

A total bust is no storm activity at all. However, this is not a discussion on 'what makes a bust' - but I think if what I hoped would happen (and chased on the basis of happening) doesn't, or I don't get to it (wrong target) then I'd consider it a bust.

 

[Adam Reagan]

If I have to leave my apartment to pursue a storm even if it's 10-20 miles away, I consider that a chase day bust or not.

 

[Drew Terril]

I'm with Warren and Devin on this.