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Chasing out in the Plains


nwohweather

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Kinda wanted to start this thread with the heart of tornado season coming. As I'm finishing up school and already have some solid income I'm planning on heading out there for a few days this spring. Was just wondering who else from the subforum goes and chases out there or who has before

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I've had one successful chase in terms of tornadoes and that was my first chase ever on 4/14/12. Saw what was the southwest of Salina KS wedge rope out and then the nice stovepipe near Solomon KS.

I went out a few chases closer by, one in 2014 and then August 18, 2015 when I saw a rotating wall cloud try to put a tornado down right over LOT. Went back to the Plains on Wednesday with Adam Lucio and Alec Scholten and targeted eastern KS, which didn't work out. Unfortunately missed the tornadoes near Tulsa. Itching to get back out there and hoping that a good setup will coincide with my off days.

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I decided to focus my vacation time more on June this year, but I'll still have time in May. 5/21-5/30, and then 6/4-6/25. I'm riding on late spring being the time this year, but can still use personal days for any big event prior to my vacations. I plan to tie in a trip out to Zion National Park and a few other places in Utah and Colorado if there's a down period during my June trip. I'm pretty optimistic about chasing this year so I can't wait for the main part of the chase season to get going after the slow first half of April. 

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Didn't make it out to the Plains at all last year for the first time since 2007 .  Only twice in both 2014, and 2013.  Probably 2-4 times a year between 2007-2012.  Need to get back out there this year if I can.  Vacation time is always a problem during chase season for me, since my vac always refreshes on my anniversary date in Aug.  Very hard to hold onto vacation that far beyond the refresh date lol.  I swear every year I'll try to save more time for the chase season, but it's easier said than done when you have renewed vacation time, and you're ready for a break from the grind.  I usually have a handful of days left for chase season, so try to choose them wisely, and rely on weekends (sun-mon for me), and post-workday local chases.

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I've had one successful chase in terms of tornadoes and that was my first chase ever on 4/14/12. 

 

That was an amazing storm. Didn't get to see the wedge but got to see round two reform and rope-out. 

Dave Mabe had some quality stills and video posted on his flikr page here: http://tinyurl.com/jqfj3zp

 

I'm hoping to go west as soon as the next moderate risk comes out for day 2.  

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That was an amazing storm. Didn't get to see the wedge but got to see round two reform and rope-out.

Dave Mabe had some quality stills and video posted on his flikr page here: http://tinyurl.com/jqfj3zp

I'm hoping to go west as soon as the next moderate risk comes out for day 2.

Incredible photos of that tornado. Thanks for posting the link. Round two was definitely a nice consolidation prize, followed the supercell through Salina when it had a rapidly rotating low hanging wall cloud and occasional funnel attempts then saw the 2nd tornado form like you did northeast of Salina.

A radio station storm chaser (and it being my first chase) may have cost my group a chance to see the wedge. We had pulled up to a clearing with the view partially blocked southwest by trees. There were a bunch of cars there. All of a sudden the radio station chaser pulled up and got out and started yelling and saying we were all too close. My friend and I both originally from back east on our first storm chase got a little gun shy and convinced the driver to head one more exit south on the interstate. By the time we got in view again from farther away, the rope out had started.

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My little one just arrived a week ago today, so chasing this year will be limited. I am going to be a tour guide for a chase tour company in mid to late June so I'll be out there on the plains! Will be my 18th season out there and hope to guide some guests to realize their dream of capturing severe weather.

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My little one just arrived a week ago today, so chasing this year will be limited. I am going to be a tour guide for a chase tour company in mid to late June so I'll be out there on the plains! Will be my 18th season out there and hope to guide some guests to realize their dream of capturing severe weather.

Congrats! My little girl is going to be arriving in June, so I am hoping for a good chase or two before then. Don't plan on going too far, probably a 3-4 radius.

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  • 2 weeks later...

anything to back this up or? 

 

I'm not sure if you follow along with any of the long range Bering Sea Rule, Recurring Rossby Wave Train stuff, but it doesn't exactly look all that promising after the first week of May. I only state that for the sake of looking at anything and everything long range for a chasecation which I usually start at that time and I decided to go later this year. Hence, I would be nervous for that time period, but that is more on the banter side and not any type of forecast from me. 

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Late April into early May is looking pretty good right now. May itself doesn't look bad either, assuming we don't see massive ridging over the Plains. The longer range ensembles have had a glaring ridge bias this season, so I'm not too worried at this point.

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Got cleared by my doc to chase this year. My chase partner Laurie and I will be heading for the Missouri Valley June 3rd. I would have  rather gone  a week later but this is her vacation time. I'm rusty and she is a newb so we plan to stay out of the way. If somethings popping we can head any direction from around Sioux City IA.

:D  :D

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thinking about taking the 29th of May through June 7th off, and heading out west.  Haven't had a dedicated week of storm chasing since 2007.  Could take either of the two weeks before that, but that time frame sounds pretty good for some slow moving, isolated high plains stuff.  Can't take the week after that, as we'll have stuff going on at work that I need to be there for.  Chances of a great setup during any given week isn't always the greatest, even during prime chasing season.  However, even if nothing comes to pass during that period I'll still be off of work, and can get some more fishing in lol.  

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Thinking about taking the 29th of May through June 7th off, and heading out west.  Haven't had a dedicated week of storm chasing since 2007.  Could take either of the two weeks before that, but that time frame sounds pretty good for some slow moving, isolated high plains stuff.  Can't take the week after that, as we'll have stuff going on at work that I need to be there for.  Chances of a great setup during any given week isn't always the greatest, even during prime chasing season.  However, even if nothing comes to pass during that period I'll still be off of work, and can get some more fishing in lol.  

 

It's a go.  Time off for this period is now set.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looks like I may have screwed myself. That week looks awful at this point in the long range. Still could change but not looking good. Looks like I'll be catching fish instead of tornadoes.

Yeah I cancelled that trip. Decided to head out to Charlotte on Memorial Day instead and go to the Coca Cola 600 (I know I'm country and love NASCAR). Just staying around Southern MI/ Northern IN and North Ohio for chasing this summer
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