Ellinwood Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 With some excellent looking wind profiles and some instability in NC this Saturday, I wanted to come down and try to get my chase on. I was wondering if there's some favored areas, and what areas I should avoid. I'm planning on staying east of the Apps for obvious reasons... depending on the timing of the storms, I'd probably stay east of Raleigh/Fayetteville or if I have to get west I'll hit up the Winston-Salem area (SW of the city). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downeastnc Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 With some excellent looking wind profiles and some instability in NC this Saturday, I wanted to come down and try to get my chase on. I was wondering if there's some favored areas, and what areas I should avoid. I'm planning on staying east of the Apps for obvious reasons... depending on the timing of the storms, I'd probably stay east of Raleigh/Fayetteville or if I have to get west I'll hit up the Winston-Salem area (SW of the city). Chasing here is hard, lots of trees etc. However there are also lots of open farmland, to bad I have to work or I would meet up with you. The country roads are twisty and oftan prone to standing water etc, and you can get in trouble and not have a lot of "outs" if things turn scary. a good atlas or gps is a must. Try to get out in front of the cell and find a open area then hope it comes to you. There are several rivers in the east that have limited crossings and that has cost me a few good storms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinwood Posted April 13, 2011 Author Share Posted April 13, 2011 Chasing here is hard, lots of trees etc. However there are also lots of open farmland, to bad I have to work or I would meet up with you. The country roads are twisty and oftan prone to standing water etc, and you can get in trouble and not have a lot of "outs" if things turn scary. a good atlas or gps is a must. Try to get out in front of the cell and find a open area then hope it comes to you. There are several rivers in the east that have limited crossings and that has cost me a few good storms. Yeah, I was looking for the more developed/farmland areas with perhaps some less hilly terrain. Having traversed a good deal of VA/WV/PA, I've gotten used to having to get in the right areas to chase/intercept. Jason Foster will hopefully be with me as well, and we'll have full chase gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WXinCanton Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Eyewall where are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyewall Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 There are good spots in moore and hoke county with the Ft. Bragg reservation drop zones (wide open land) and farms. The coastal plain has a good amount of farmland also. Avoid areas north of raleigh as it is nothing but jungle up there as I have found on two occasions. When I chased by Waxhaw (CLT area) there were some clearings south of town but if you go too far south right by the SC border it is jungle. If you end up in Raleigh itself the fairgrounds and the airport provide good vantage points. Outside of that I haven't been everywhere yet so it is just looking at satellite photos fo areas of open terrain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyewall Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Let me know if you are coming down for sure and perhaps we can meet up to chase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinwood Posted April 13, 2011 Author Share Posted April 13, 2011 Let me know if you are coming down for sure and perhaps we can meet up to chase. Good deal, and thanks for the advice! I'll be monitoring the instability and upper-level evolution as the day gets closer... going more towards the NAM at the moment since the GFS seems to be phasing the UL energy and shifting it to the northern stream too early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyewall Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Good deal, and thanks for the advice! I'll be monitoring the instability and upper-level evolution as the day gets closer... going more towards the NAM at the moment since the GFS seems to be phasing the UL energy and shifting it to the northern stream too early. That makes sense and we have to wait and see if the timing will work out this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downeastnc Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 That makes sense and we have to wait and see if the timing will work out this time. It wont though, unless the models call for it to hit between 10pm to 4am then of course its right, if the models call for a peak heating hit wait a run or two and the models will realize how stupid they were being and change the timing to 10pm to 4am and thus be correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I like chasing around the northern part of Pitt county. Mostly because highway 11 runs north south through the county and once north of Greenville its pretty wide open and offers lots of visibility. Any storm that crosses northern pitt county has to cross that road. I have caught most of my severre stoms on that section of road. Beaufort county is also a good one on the south side of the pamlico river. Lots of farmland there as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaydog Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 My favorite chase area around the Carolinas...saw many severe storms on 33 east of Washington. Love the areas around LaGrange, Kinston and of course I would always hang out near the VOA sites for the lightning shots. I like chasing around the northern part of Pitt county. Mostly because highway 11 runs north south through the county and once north of Greenville its pretty wide open and offers lots of visibility. Any storm that crosses northern pitt county has to cross that road. I have caught most of my severre stoms on that section of road. Beaufort county is also a good one on the south side of the pamlico river. Lots of farmland there as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 If you want to stay in Wake Co., East Wake Co. is pretty open by Wendell, east of Wendell, South of Zebulon. I have never chased here but I know the roads are very straight and there are plenty of tobacco fields, plains and open areas around there. US 264 to Highway 39....39 runs basically from Bunn to Selma, 28 mile stretch of road mostly of farm land. Good luck chasing. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Wendell,+NC&aq=&sll=37.230328,-95.712891&sspn=56.4176,135.263672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Wendell,+Wake,+North+Carolina&ll=35.785965,-78.268104&spn=0.028651,0.066047&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=35.785974,-78.268099&panoid=ZfyfiGVVs-T3A5HqN-dfFg&cbp=12,294.75,,0,4.21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I'm just east of Raleigh. I'd like to see you guys work and get a chance to chat. If your comming pm me I'll send you my phone number. I live close to Bunn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDodd Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Can't believe folks haven't mentioned the farmland in Scotland County. There's a tradition of the big storms ramping up through there into Robeson to Sampson, Pitt and Lenoir. If conditions and timing mean the storms are a little later in arriving, that might be a prime spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Can't believe folks haven't mentioned the farmland in Scotland County. There's a tradition of the big storms ramping up through there into Robeson to Sampson, Pitt and Lenoir. If conditions and timing mean the storms are a little later in arriving, that might be a prime spot. I am in east central pitt county and will be chasing in and around northern pitt or beaufort counties tomorrow if I think it is safe. No radar so getting close to a storm could be dangerous for me tomorrow so I need to keep my distance. Plus with the sounds of this squall line being so serious severe weather should come to me tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinwood Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 Thanks everyone for the input! With the new Moderate Risk area I'm super pumped to come down and chase tomorrow. This thread will definitely help. Jason and I will be departing from just north of DC around 8am with the hopes of being just E/SE of Raleigh around 12:30 for lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downeastnc Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 To those going to chase down here especially east of I-95, be really really careful and please study your roadmaps. Lots of roads here twist back and forth and a turn you take thinking its getting you out of danger might end up putting you back in front of the storm. Me and Shaggy have had a few Oh **** moments when the road we were on wasnt getting us where we needed to get to. Also watch out near the rivers there are lots of roads that run along them but not many places to actually cross them. If I wasnt working I would be out there with ya and hopefully I can time my lunchbreak for 2-3 and get lucky. Again please make sure you know where you are and how to get out of the area should the proverbial **** hit the fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyewall Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 One major issue tomorrow is it is looking like the RAX radar will be down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyewall Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Looks like RAX is back up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinwood Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 Definitely pin-pointed the center of the Moderate Risk on this one! Good news for me, but everyone who lives in that area needs to be extra cautious today. Just reading off of the SPC reports page, yesterday had 4 fatalities and 23 injuries, and I'm sure the number is higher than that. For anyone else who is chasing: If you come across a scene of destruction, try to help those in need. Do not do anything that might cause physical harm to an already-injured person. If the situation is critical, dial 911 and describe your location and the injuries as accurately as possible. If you have any emergency/medical training, that would definitely be handy when immediate action is required. I know most of this stuff is common sense, but sometimes it just needs to be said. Good luck today, chasers, and may everyone stay safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeronicaCorningstone Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Good luck today in your chasing, Ellinwood. Sounds like you may be close to my neck of the woods. If you don't already have an updated one of these, they may be helpful to you (you can usually pick them up at Walmart)...it's proven more accurate than my GPS on many occasions. http://www.amazon.com/North-Carolina-Atlas-Gazetteer/dp/0899332773 If for some reason you can't find one and would like one, I have two - if you do make it into the Wilson area, I can get it to you. Just PM me. I chased the one that came through a bit west of Wilson in May 2009. As Downeastnc alluded to earlier, the twisty roads can definitely be an issue in this area, as well as visibility issues due to trees. And with 95 splitting the area, lots of dead end roads than run up to it. West of the Bailey area, you start running into slightly more hilly land and more tree-lined roads. Please be careful. I definitely won't be chasing today - a bit too pregnant right now. My husband would kick my a** if I even thought about it. The Wilson area has had their share of damaging tornadoes over the past few years with injuries and a couple of fatalities. I truly hope that won't be the case today. I'm definitely growing more and more concerned - going over my severe weather plan now and putting new batteries in the weather radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeatherNC Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Good luck today in your chasing, Ellinwood. Sounds like you may be close to my neck of the woods. If you don't already have an updated one of these, they may be helpful to you (you can usually pick them up at Walmart)...it's proven more accurate than my GPS on many occasions. http://www.amazon.com/North-Carolina-Atlas-Gazetteer/dp/0899332773 If for some reason you can't find one and would like one, I have two - if you do make it into the Wilson area, I can get it to you. Just PM me. I chased the one that came through a bit west of Wilson in May 2009. As Downeastnc alluded to earlier, the twisty roads can definitely be an issue in this area, as well as visibility issues due to trees. And with 95 splitting the area, lots of dead end roads than run up to it. West of the Bailey area, you start running into slightly more hilly land and more tree-lined roads. Please be careful. I definitely won't be chasing today - a bit too pregnant right now. My husband would kick my a** if I even thought about it. The Wilson area has had their share of damaging tornadoes over the past few years with injuries and a couple of fatalities. I truly hope that won't be the case today. I'm definitely growing more and more concerned - going over my severe weather plan now and putting new batteries in the weather radio. Good Morning Veronica, Steve also see u on here, what's up... Stay safe Ellinwood, and hope it is a memorable chase for you! Thinking about venturing out later this afternoon, if the situation warrants... Will likely be on 11 between Greenville and Bethel, or 264 between Greenville and Wilson... I can be in Wilson, or Bethel in about 25 minutes from the house, and that will be the limit as to "how far" I can go. Actually celebrating Easter with the family today, and have company coming over this afternoon. Still, if I can get on the south side of a sup, yeah I am gone! Again, stay safe everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Good Morning Veronica, Steve also see u on here, what's up... Stay safe Ellinwood, and hope it is a memorable chase for you! Thinking about venturing out later this afternoon, if the situation warrants... Will likely be on 11 between Greenville and Bethel, or 264 between Greenville and Wilson... I can be in Wilson, or Bethel in about 25 minutes from the house, and that will be the limit as to "how far" I can go. Actually celebrating Easter with the family today, and have company coming over this afternoon. Still, if I can get on the south side of a sup, yeah I am gone! Again, stay safe everyone! Hey weathernc, I am gonna be hoping for something in northern pitt county also as highway 11 is by far one of the best chasing areas around here. I'll be up between greenville and bethel as well if the storms move that way. Raleigh NWS is saying storm motion should be up over 50mph so its gonna be hard to keep up with them once they pass by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 My favorite chase area around the Carolinas...saw many severe storms on 33 east of Washington. Love the areas around LaGrange, Kinston and of course I would always hang out near the VOA sites for the lightning shots. Wayne County along 70 and up 117 has some good open spots. North and west of Greensboro, the trees are bad, but there is good visibility from the tops of the many hills/ridges. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormitecture Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Hey all, The Weather Warrior side of the chase today. Marks driving attm, so gives me a chance to update. We've been dealing with disgusting traffic on I-95 south. W. of Richmond on I-295 about to rejoin 95 to continue south. Traffic is killing us stress wise, but we are still OK for target time. Just won't have much time to eat before the main chase starts. ETA to chase target ~ south-central NC along 95 is 2pm. Probably start the live video stream around 12:30 just so it's set up...and give some live audio summary fun. That link also has a tracker (if you don't have Spotter Network already). Also, for those on twitter, you can follow me there for the most up-to-date info (twitter.com/weatherwarrior1) also linked in my signature. Mark will probably talk more about the WX side once we swap driving duties in a little while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinwood Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 Heading NW on Rt. 70 towards Clayton/Raleigh. Tor-warned cell to the SW. Video+audio stream is LIVE! Use Jason's link in his signature above! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Heading NW on Rt. 70 towards Clayton/Raleigh. Tor-warned cell to the SW. Video+audio stream is LIVE! Use Jason's link in his signature above! Watching....mean hook indeed. Good luck guys, stay safe. Located at RDU myself...so staying a little north of it all (so far). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 ok has any one heard from these guys ? I'd like to think they are ok but? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinwood Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 ok has any one heard from these guys ? I'd like to think they are ok but? Check the other threads... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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