WxWatcher007

Loved the wx today. Looking forward to next week. Can’t believe May is right around the corner.

1 hour ago, Damage In Tolland said:

Please please happen in all our hoods this summer. Please 

https://x.com/weathernut27/status/1782555611139313928?s=46&t=dhcbvkjmRcyBVQtDxJ3lRg

Can you imagine how this place would be hopping with a mod risk derecho or hurricane strike? Pages and pages of unbridled excitement and extreme concern.  

21 minutes ago, Torch Tiger said:

Won't be long until we're tracking slight risks! Maybe even a few moderate!

Just give me one enhanced day here and one lightning storm of yore. It’s hard to have expectations around here. 

Definitely something to watch. We’ll see what happens. In the meantime, I wonder if we’ll pick back up in the preseason TC genesis department this year. 

20 minutes ago, kdxken said:

Mighty slow thread. Who doesn't like scintillating temperature talk?

Hell of a lot better than talking about “latitude” events and why perfect track winter coastals are dumping 4” of rain imby. 

7 hours ago, NorthArlington101 said:

Anyone done proper Midwest storm chasing? My family vacation plans for May got disrupted but I’m still debating taking the time I had scheduled off for myself… I’m gonna be over my PTO allotment if I don’t use it soon.

Trying to get a sense of the cost of existing as a storm chaser for a week - hotels, gas, rental car (with insurance, lmao). No idea if it’s worth the struggle but it strikes me as the kind of vacation that could work solo if I had to take a solo trip.

6 hours ago, nj2va said:

@WxWatcher007 is a pro!

Haha far from a pro but I’ve done it a few times! I’ve never done solo but it may be possible. 

I think if I were to do solo I’d only have a predetermined zone I’d be willing to drive in—say staying in the front range of Colorado through central Kansas and bouncing around the zone depending on the severe wx outlook. During my trips I had at least one other person willing to drive, and we literally traveled thousands of miles each trip over the course of 7-10 days. One time we went from San Antonio to Corpus Christi to Amarillo in one day. That’s a lot to ask of one person. 

Expect to spend between $100-150 each night for a decent hotel. Gas isn’t terrible if you have an efficient car. Rental car with insurance (and always get the full insurance in case of getting totaled by hail lol) isn’t awful as well but check around to get the cheapest price. Don’t forget to factor in food. Each of my trips cost at least $1k. Being in multiple cities alone is worth the cost IMO. 

That’s all doable. The biggest challenge with a solo trip imo is the logistics when you’re actually in chase mode. Driving and tracking a supercell that could split, spawn a tornado, or throw out big hail far from the “center” sounds dicey.

If you did do it, I’d recommend keeping even greater distance and ALWAYS being prepared to move to a safer location. If you question in the slightest whether you’re safe, move immediately. 

Other than that, hell of a thrill and amazing to travel the country. I’d try chasing again this year, but I think the tropics will have me busy this summer/fall.  

I’m solidly on the hyperactive train for this season, but we’ll need to see what happens in the eastern Atlantic with stability. I doubt SAL is a big inhibitor this season but we’ll see. A number of the big dog seasons have meaningful activity in spite of the SAL peak mid-summer. 

Just a couple basic OHC comps. Remember, this is mid-April. This is exceptional warmth.

OHC—look at the depth and expanse of the warmth in the Caribbean and east of the Antilles.

2020

2024

26° C Depth

2020

2024

Current SSTs

Of course, we know that temps aren’t the only driving factor for activity. One of the key inhibitors of active seasons especially recently has been instability, or lack thereof. This is something to watch closely as we get into the early season period.

14 hours ago, Torch Tiger said:

Hopefully a wet, wild summer.  Grand-finale ending with a few bomb EC canes that power through FL/MA/?NE.

8 hours ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

It’s going to be a boring summer with bursts of AN heat and humidity.  Hopefully less rain than last summer.

Personally, I’m wishing for warm and BN dry.

Indications continue to suggest hyperactive tropics are favored. 

I think we’re pretty hot here this summer but hopefully we do get some long dry stretches so it’s enjoyable. 

19 hours ago, NorthArlington101 said:

Sucks knowing we just had our best severe wx day of the year in April

It’s been a banner couple of years. Continuing the hot streak?

1 minute ago, Damage In Tolland said:

Even with n the high hills 32 is long gone and has been. Early May looks hot 

I’ll take this warmth for now, and then let’s do heat and dews through the summer with a WAR in August/September to give us tropical chances. 

My kind of wx. Approaching 70 here. 

12 minutes ago, weatherwiz said:

I am itching to start a thread for strong thunderstorm potential later next week. Someone pinch me

There’s nothing like a celestial event. Last year when we were able to catch a faint glimpse of the lights it was incredible, and when I saw the Milky Way for the first time it was one of the most profound moments of my life—no hyperbole. 

Simply incredible. 

Spectacular day. 

5 hours ago, MaineJayhawk said:

Not so random - I know a guy who went there!   Craig Shaknis.  tbh, I don't even know where it is .. lol!

I was telling a coworker that maybe it’s the chase experience that benefited me—I was in and out with ease. I figured that being in Houlton would’ve risked more travel difficulty leaving. 
 

2 hours ago, powderfreak said:

We've been talking about it a lot today (obviously) but for me it was this cool vibe that nothing else in the world seemed to matter yesterday.  Politics, money, worries, how much you hate your neighbor, etc... the entire lead up throughout the day was this universal knowledge that something wild was about to happen and the anticipation of it.

Then when it happened, to have every single person and humanity as a larger collective just get their mind-blown, led to this feeling of togetherness that we don't often get these days.  Everyone is so divided on every topic but this was one thing that humanity agreed upon for a day.

I said it yesterday and I'll say it again, I really did not understand the profound awesomeness of it.

Yep. It’s almost indescribable. Now imagine seeing it a thousand years ago.  

11 hours ago, dmb8021 said:

This is a composite I took in Northern VA:

Awesome. I’ve always wondered how to do that. 

1 hour ago, MaineJayhawk said:

I went to the shore of Mooselookmeguntic Lake and got cooked .. haha!   It was a great time obviously with a smaller crowd than the usual places.  One shot of the diamond ring and the other a wide angle which I haven't edited yet.   Might add the various phases of the eclipse to it.  Epic traffic on the way home - took me about 4.5 hours for a normally 2.5 hour drive

Awesome stuff. I decided on Island Falls (random I know lol) and we were on the road very shortly after totality. There was some congestion but I got to Portland with very few delays. 

It’s a truly awesome experience. Congrats to everyone able to see the eclipse today.

Truly spectacular day. There’s really nothing like it.

28 minutes ago, MaineJayhawk said:

My spies tell me the Katahdin Overlook is plowed and open, fwiw

Thanks. Still deciding where to setup. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.  

Heh, now I have to consider Maine. It may be a bit longer, but I may go to a place in eastern Maine off 95 just to avoid the backroads. The Katahdin scenic outlook is closed?

Rangely seems good on paper but the road network doesn’t seem ideal to me.