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Storm chasing is broadly defined as the pursuit of any severe weather condition, regardless of motive. A person who chases storms is known as a storm chaser, or simply a chaser. While witnessing a tornado is the biggest objective for many chasers, many chase thunderstorms and delight in seeing cumulonimbus structure, watching a barrage of hail and lightning, and seeing what skyscapes unfold. There are also a smaller number of storm chasers who chase hurricanes. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...
NSSL vehicles on Project Vortex. ...
NSSL vehicles on Project Vortex. ...
The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) is a weather research laboratory based in Norman, Oklahoma. ...
Vortex created by the passage of an aircraft wing, revealed by coloured smoke A vortex (pl. ...
This article is about the weather phenomenon. ...
A rolling thundercloud over Enschede, The Netherlands. ...
Cumulonimbus (Cb) is a type of cloud that is tall, dense, and involved in thunderstorms and other intense weather. ...
This article is about the precipitation. ...
Not to be confused with lighting. ...
A cloudscape by Jacob Isaakszoon van Ruysdael. ...
This article is about weather phenomena. ...
Storm chasing is chiefly a recreational endeavor, with motives usually given toward photographing the storm for personal reasons. Though scientific work is sometimes cited as a goal, such work is almost always impractical except for those participating in a university or government project.[1] Many chasers also are storm spotters, reporting their observations of hazardous weather to the authorities. Storm chasers are not paid to chase, with the exception of television media crews in certain television markets, video stringers and photographers, and a handful of graduate meteorologists and professors. A few entrepreneurs, however, manage to sell storm video and pictures or operate "chase tour" services. Financial returns are relatively meager given the expenses with most chasers spending more than they take in. No degree or certification is required to be a storm chaser. The NWS (National Weather Service) puts on severe weather workshops and storm spotter training. A storm spotter is any individual who actively maintains a visual watch of the development and progression of specific weather events while actively relaying important information to the local weather agency in a timely manner. ...
Meteorology is the scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ...
The National Weather Service (NWS) is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. ...
The term "storm chaser" is also loosely applied to any of the support personnel (insurance staff, contractors, etc.) brought in to clean up after large storms.
History The very first storm chaser is generally agreed to be Roger Jensen (1933–2001), a Fargo, North Dakota native who pursued western Minnesota storms from Lake Park around 1953 ([1] [2]). David Hoadley (1938– ) began chasing North Dakota storms in 1956, systematically using data from area weather offices. Bringing research chasing to the forefront was Neil Ward (1913–1972) who in the 1950s and 1960s enlisted the help of Oklahoma state police to study storms. His work pioneered modern storm spotting and made institutional chasing a reality. Roger Jensen (b. ...
Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...
“Fargo†redirects here. ...
Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area Ranked 12th - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 400 miles (645 km) - % water 8. ...
Lake Park is a city located in Becker County, Minnesota. ...
January 7 - President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. ...
Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area Ranked 19th - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 340 miles (545 km) - % water 2. ...
A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Neil Burgher Ward (b. ...
Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ...
The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ...
For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ...
In 1972 the University of Oklahoma in cooperation with the National Severe Storms Laboratory began the Tornado Intercept Project. This was the first large-scale chase activity sponsored by an institution. It culminated in a brilliant success in 1973, with the Union City, Oklahoma tornado providing a foundation for tornado morphology.[2] The project produced the first legion of veteran storm chasers, with Hoadley's Storm Track magazine bringing the community together in 1977. Storm chasing then reached popular culture in three major spurts: in 1978 with the broadcast of a segment on the television program In Search Of; in 1985 with a documentary on the PBS series Nova; and in May 1996 with the theatrical release of Twister which provided an action-packed but comically distorted glimpse at the hobby. Further early exposure to storm chasing encouraging some in the weather community resulted from several articles beginning in the late 1970s in Weatherwise magazine. Various television programs, increased coverage of severe weather by the media, and the Internet have also contributed to a significant growth of storm chasing since the mid-late 1990s. A sharp increase in the general public impulsively wandering in their local area searching for tornadoes is likewise largely attributable to these factors. Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a coeducational public research university located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. ...
The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) is a weather research laboratory based in Norman, Oklahoma. ...
For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ...
Union City is a town in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. ...
Storm Track was the first magazine for and about storm chasing. ...
Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...
Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...
In Search Of was a syndicated television series narrated by Leonard Nimoy that aired from 1976 to 1982. ...
This article is about the year. ...
Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ...
Nova is a popular science television series produced by the Public Broadcasting Service. ...
Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...
Twister is a 1996 disaster movie starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as storm chasers researching tornadoes. ...
The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...
Weatherwise (ISSN 0043-1672) is a magazine by Heldref Publications on weather and climate for weather enthusiasts as well as meteorologists and climatologists. ...
For the band, see 1990s (band). ...
Typical Storm Chase Chasing often involves driving thousands of miles in order to witness the relatively short window of time of active severe thunderstorms. It is not uncommon for a storm chaser to end up empty handed on any particular day. Storm chasers' degrees of involvement, philosophies, and techniques vary widely, but many chasers spend a significant amount of time forecasting both before going on the road as well as during the chase using a variety of sources for weather data. Most storm chasers are not meteorologists, and many chasers expend significant time and effort in learning meteorology and the intricacies of severe convective storm prediction through both study and experience.
Dangers There are inherent dangers involved in storm chasing. They range from lightning, tornadoes, large hail, flooding, hazardous road conditions (rain or hail-covered roadways), animals on the roadway, reduced visibility from heavy rain (often wind blown), and hail fog. Most directly weather-related hazards such as from a tornado are minimal, if the storm chaser is knowledgeable and cautious. Lightning, however, is an unavoidable hazard. The most significant hazard actually is driving, which, in itself, is a statistically dangerous activity that is exacerbated by the severe weather. Adding still more to this hazard are the copious distractions that can be vying for a chasers' attention: driving, communicating to chase partners and to others with a phone or radio, navigating, watching the sky, checking weather data, and shooting photos or video. Again here, caution is paramount in minimizing the risk. Chasers try to prevent the driver from multi-tasking either with chase partners covering the other aspects or the driver pulling over to do these other things if he/she is chasing alone. Many people also think that anybody can chase tornadoes, and copy the movie Twister, so they should remember that the dangers of chasing are real, and not go chasing unless experienced, or with experienced chasers. NOAA scientists observe severe weather using a mobile doppler radar and a helicopter (in the distance) Severe weather phenomena are weather conditions that are hazardous. ...
Seasonal activity Storm chasers are most active in May and June across the Great Plains of the United States (and Canada), with perhaps a couple hundred individuals active on any given day. Some organized chasing efforts have also begun in southeast Australia, with the biggest successes in November and December. A handful of individuals are also known to be chasing in other countries, including Israel, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand; though many people trek to the Great Plains of North America from these and other countries around the world (especially the United Kingdom). For other uses, see Great Plains (disambiguation). ...
North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...
Equipment Most storm chasers will vary with regards to the amount of equipment used, some prefer a minimalist approach where only basic photographic equipment is taken on a chase while others use everything from satellite based tracking systems and live data feeds to vehicle mounted weather stations.
Historical
 Top of a NSSL chase vehicle showing A/C unit, compass, and Global Positioning System. Historically, storm chasing relied on either in field analysis or now-casts from trained observers. The first in-field technology consisted of radio gear for communication. Much of this equipment could also be adapted to receive radiofax data which was useful for receiving basic observational and analysis data. The primary users of such technology were university research groups who often had larger budgets than individual chasers. Radio scanners were also heavily used to listen in on emergency services and storm spotters so as to determine where the most active or dangerous weather was located. It was not until the end of the 1980s that the evolution of the laptop computer would revolutionize storm chasing. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 523 pixelsFull resolution (1836 × 1200 pixel, file size: 1. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 523 pixelsFull resolution (1836 × 1200 pixel, file size: 1. ...
The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) is a weather research laboratory based in Norman, Oklahoma. ...
A weather map received via radiofax, from the Bureau of Meteorology, 5100 kHz, WMC (Charleville). ...
Emergency services are services that deal with emergencies and other aspects of Public Safety. ...
Laptop with touchpad. ...
With the development of the mobile computers the first in computer mapping software was made available, at about the same time the VHS camcorder began to grow in popularity rapidly. Prior to the late 1980s most motion picture equipment consisted of 8mm film cameras. While the quality of the first VHS consumer cameras was quite poor when compared to traditional film formats the amount of video which could be shot with a minimal amount of resources was much greater than any film format at the time.
The 1990s marked the first technological leaps and bounds. With the quick development of solid state technology, television sets for example could be installed in most vehicles with ease allowing storm chasers to actively view local TV stations. Mobile phones became popular making group coordination easier when traditional radio communications methods were not adequate. The development of the public internet in 1993 allowed FTP access to some of the first university weather sites. The mid 1990's marked the development of smaller more efficient marine radars. While such marine radars are illegal if used in land-mobile situations many chasers were quick to adopt them in an effort to have mobile radar.[3] The first personal lightning detection and mapping devices also became available[4] and the first online radar data was also offered by private corporations often with a delay for free services. A major turning point was the advent of civilian GPS in 1996, at first GPS units were very costly and only offered basic functions but that would soon change. Towards the late 1990s the internet was awash in weather data and free weather software, the first true cellular internet modems for consumer use also emerged providing chasers access to data in the field without having to rely on a nowcaster. The NWS also released the first free, up to date Nexrad Level 3 radar data. In conjunction with all this, GPS units now had the ability to connect with computers, allowing greater ease when navigating. The abbreviation FTP can refer to: The File Transfer Protocol used on the Internet. ...
2001 marked the next great technological leap for storm chasers as the first wi-fi units began to emerge offering wireless broadband service in many cases for free. In 2002, the first windows-based package to combine GPS positioning and Doppler Radar appeared called SWIFT WX[5]. SWIFT WX allowed storm chasers to accurately position themselves relative to tornadic storms while mobile. In 2004 two more storm chaser tools emerged. The first was a new XM satellite radio based system utilizing a special receiver and Baron Weather software.[6] Unlike pre-existing cellular based services there was no risk of dead spots and that meant even in the most remote areas storm chasers still had a live data feed. The second tool was a new piece of software called Grlevel3.[7] Grlevel3 utilized both free and subscripted based raw weather radar files displaying the data in a true vector format.
Current The most common chaser communications device is the cellular phone. Storm chasers often travel in small groups of cars, and use Citizen Band radios (declining in use) and inexpensiveGMRS/FRS hand-held transceivers (increasing in popularity) for inter-car communication. Many chasers are also amateur radio operators and sometimes use the 2 meter VHF and 70cm UHF bands to communicate between vehicles or with SKYWARN spotter networks. Scanners are often used to monitor spotter and sometimes public safety communications. Citizen Band were a New Zealand band formed by the brothers Geoff and Mike Chunn, both of whom had previously been members of Split Enz. ...
The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a land-mobile radio service in the United States available for short-distance two-way communications to facilitate the activities of an adult individual and his or her immediate family members, including a spouse, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and in...
The Family Radio Service is an improved walkie talkie system authorized in the United States. ...
Amateur radio station with modern solid-state transceiver featuring LCD and DSP capabilities Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a hobby and a service that uses various types of radio communications equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training. ...
SKYWARN is a program of the United States National Weather Service (NWS). ...
Many storm chasers have also adapted the use of laptops in conjunction with GPS receivers and laptop desks for travel directions and data collection. Laptop with touchpad. ...
Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ...
A increasingly common storm chaser practice is to borrow 2.4 GHz WIFI which may emanate from a commercial provider, public source or private source. Storm chasers also use high-speed internet access available in any library, even in the smallest towns in the US. Other means of live data acquisition include the use of Baron WeatherWorx ThreatNet System via XM radio's satellite (coupled with a GPS unit), or by the use of cellular internet service where one's cell phone may act as a network interface when connected to a computer system. Wi-Fi (or Wi-fi, WiFi, Wifi, wifi), short for Wireless Fidelity, is a set of standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) currently based on the IEEE 802. ...
Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ...
In-field environmental data is still popular among some storm chasers, especially temperature, humidity and wind speed data. Many have chosen to mount weather stations made by Davis Instruments Corp atop their vehicles.
See also Satellite view of a supercell A supercell is a severe thunderstorm with a deep rotating updraft (a mesocyclone) [1]. Supercell thunderstorms are the largest, most severe class of single-cell thunderstorms. ...
References The Geographical Review is an academic journal of the American Geographical Society. ...
The American Geographical Society (AGS) was founded in 1851 in New York City, New York as a non-profit organization with the goal of increasing worldwide knowledge of geography. ...
Weather and Forecasting is a publication of the American Meteorological Society. ...
The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. ...
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