Who's itching for spring season already?

[Gerrit Gulden]

As I reached the office today after braving the ~-30F temps I looked out the window to see an overshooting top! Er... overshooting top from the smokestack of a local food processing plant over the temperature inversion.

Ya... I'm ready for spring!

lol, I can relate big time. This winter has been long enough and I cant wait for spring. Just went out this last weekend to buy some extra Rechargeable batteries for my digital camera (spring preparation). It did warm up today and the first sign of melting was everywhere.

Typically for my area spring doesnt spark any thunderstorms till early april according to the last few years. Most of all I am looking forward to warm temperatures and bbq'ing and also grabbing out the 4 wheelers and going riding by the river.

Crossing my fingers that the groundhog was right about spring coming early. =)

-gerrit

 

[Brandon Lawson]

I'm definitely ready. I just hope Oklahoma sees storms in a more generous mood than the teaser storms we had last year. It would be nice to have dewpoints above 70 too.

 

[Hans Schroeder]

I'm in a good place this year. No fever, itching, etc here, just a calm anticipation. I'll be able to chase more, and am working much closer to home, so life is good. I think any year after a year like last, can't be considered anything but good. Happy chasing to all this year.

 

[Jason McKittrick]

My SDS is getting unbearable, I wondered on to Youtube last night and watched storm video clips for about 3 hours. I feeling a little giddy. Equipment is ready to go despite being in Omaha where our first chase day is at least a month away.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Well I reached a peak last night before bed. I decided to put in the Columbus NE June 23, 1998 crazy farmer tornado video. Man that makes me want to chase more than anything. For those that haven't seen it it is among the best tornado clips out there(take away the autofocus issue and it'd probably be the best).

So what do I dream about? Of course, I'm chasing that thing in my sleep. Before the crazy farmer footage there is some other video of it from the west....sweet all by itself. Well that is what I was chasing in my dream. It was as if I knew exactly how everything was going to happen and I was lucky to get to chase it knowing all that. I'm about to get close and get the dream shots when I realize I didn't have my laptop on yet and the gps going(I needed it to keep up with it and know where I was). So first I had to boot that up and get it to lock, all while being super close to the thing from the west. I soon woke up from total frustration, not getting any video because I was trying to get things booted and locked. I have so many equipment nightmare chases.

 

[Marko Korosec]

Well I reached a peak last night before bed. I decided to put in the Columbus NE June 23, 1998 crazy farmer tornado video. Man that makes me want to chase more than anything. For those that haven't seen it it is among the best tornado clips out there(take away the autofocus issue and it'd probably be the best).

You probably meant this video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzL5GG34X4I. That is just insane video and definatelly one of the most impressive videos I've ever seen, just look for those few seconds part that starts at 1:35!

My SDS got a slgt improvement again, I guess it would be better not to watch such videos, lol.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

You probably meant this video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzL5GG34X4I. That is just insane video and definatelly one of the most impressive videos I've ever seen, just look for those few seconds part that starts at 1:35!

My SDS got a slgt improvement again, I guess it would be better not to watch such videos, lol.

Yeah that is it, but I have the 20+ minute uncut version .

 

[Brian Stertz]

That Andy Olmer/farmer Nebraska tornado is my favorite tornado video of all time. That was beyond the limits of extreme tornado footage. I never grow tired of watching it. To get back on topic..as far as the itch...I am deep in the poison ivy patch !!

 

[Karen Politte]

I'm itching for sPring about as much as I'm itching for someone to correct the title of this thread.

It's pretty funny when you get to this time of year and you glance at the models for literally the first time in almost half a year. Personally, I find I have to recall everything I know about forecasting for severe in about mid-February. I wouldn't go so far as to say I have to re-learn it, but definitely re-call it. It's not so much about researching the finer points of meteorology......but it's about getting into the "swing of things" again. Forecasting for severe is a bit like riding a bike - you never forget how to, but after a long winter spent indoors there's certainly some shaky points to iron out in your technique.

I find this - along with watching the earth awaken from it's long dormancy sleep - very satisfying. Smelling the faint hints of green life growing somewhere unseen carried on the gentle practicing winds of early March return flow is what really gets my blood going for the first chase of the season.

KL

 

[David Drummond]

I'm itching for sPring about as much as I'm itching for someone to correct the title of this thread.

KL

Surely you jest Karen, the title looks find to me.

I am so sick of this extended cold and gray we have been having in West Texas I could scream. It has me depressed so much I don't even want to do anything. It's not typical to have this type of weather in west Texas for extended periods of time. We got a good teaser in the upper 70s the other day, which felt like Mid August after it being so cold, but then back in the deep freeze we went.

The good news is it's looking to warm up staring tomorrow finally and we might even have a shot at some thunder next week! Yeah, I've been ready for Spring for a LONG time.

 

[Joel Wright]

...We got a good teaser in the upper 70s the other day, which felt like Mid August after it being so cold, but then back in the deep freeze we went...

Oh man, I'd kill for a day in the upper 70s! We haven't had a moment above freezing since Jan 26th. Spring seems a long way away at this point. Even though it really isn't.

Man, I can't wait!

 

[Joel Wright]

You probably meant this video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzL5GG34X4I. That is just insane video and definatelly one of the most impressive videos I've ever seen, just look for those few seconds part that starts at 1:35!

My SDS got a slgt improvement again, I guess it would be better not to watch such videos, lol.

That was impressive footage, but I'm guessing the unedited version must be much better.

All the trees on that hill are there in one part of the vid clip, and gone in the next. Does the unedited version show those trees getting destroyed? If so that would be pretty intense.

 

[Jeremy Ludin]

You probably meant this video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzL5GG34X4I. That is just insane video and definatelly one of the most impressive videos I've ever seen, just look for those few seconds part that starts at 1:35!

My SDS got a slgt improvement again, I guess it would be better not to watch such videos, lol.

Wow, I saw that video quite a while ago and have been searching for it ever since! That's awesome to finally see it again. However, the version I saw years ago showed much more footage and, if I can recall, baseballs obliterated the truck's windshield. Hopefully this is the same video. I'm 99.9% sure it is though. That is some good stuff! That guy has some cajones.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Wow, I saw that video quite a while ago and have been searching for it ever since! That's awesome to finally see it again. However, the version I saw years ago showed much more footage and, if I can recall, baseballs obliterated the truck's windshield. Hopefully this is the same video. I'm 99.9% sure it is though. That is some good stuff! That guy has some cajones.

I don't have any truck's windsheild getting smashed on the version I have. It is a lot cooler to watch the whole thing as it slowly marches towards them. Last night I noted it moved right of the one tree a bit. I was watching to see if it looked like it was coming right at them or not, even though I knew how it ended. Just as soon as you can see it is moving right of the tree you can see it growing out towards the tree and then heading alost straight at it, so you could then tell it was coming right at them. The only thing that saved them was it roping as it was in their front yard. The vortex at the cloud base is pretty much right on top of them as the rope goes around the side. The motion at cloud base around the rope is sweet by itself.

There is another segment from some spotters very close to it from the west side. I think their segment was just before the farmer's. It was a pretty violent wedge with this crazy white meso from hell surrounding it. Even the back side of the meso showed this amazing bowl shape right into the tornado. Towards the end of this part that white meso is almost on the ground. It is just sick.

It probably has the best quote on a tornado video ever as well. "Susan, get my pants".....after he's been recording for 10 minutes.

 

[Jeremy Ludin]

I don't have any truck's windsheild getting smashed on the version I have.

Hmm...I wonder if I am getting two videos confused. Whatever the case, I do remember this one and I HAVE been looking for it for a long time. I do know though that the one I saw did show much more footage. I would love to have the entire video. I googled the date and location several times but came up with nothing.