Thursday, June 24, 2010

2010: Thats Most of What She Wrote!!

Wow.

Its hard to comprehend it all, but I finally hung the towel on chase season 2010. With the events of the last few days I can say the jet has finally migrated to its summer position and we have transitioned into MCS season. It did so in a blaze of glory that had my region stuck on the edge of the "ring of fire" pattern for nearly 2 weeks.

The preliminary stats are:

Chases: 26
Tornadoes: 32!!!
Largest Hail: 2.75" [baseball]
Highest wind: close to 100mph
Miles: not sure, but rough estimate would be close to 20,000!

I chased 3 states for the first time: WY, OH and MN.

I saw not one, but 2 EF-4 tornadoes which are the strongest I have seen in my 6 year career

Until this year I never had a day with more than 2 tornadoes. This year I had one day with 6, one day with 9, and one day with 8!

I made my first ENG sale to CBS and FOX news.

I got into the most intense situation of my life, one that will follow me around for awhile in the chase community [the infamous SD field incident.]

My first DVD productions are in the making.

Yea, Its safe to say that this season has completely blown away every other season. I mean, its sick, other seasons don't even come close to 2010. I did have some major fails though, May 19th and May 24th rank as the biggest, both of those days we missed major tornadoes from bad decision making, however I am thankful for each fail because with each fail comes a lesson learned, and it helps keep my expectations of chasing within reality.

I have so much content to go through, so many projects to work on and updates to my site to make. During the season I largely focused on getting the chase logs up. There is much more to my site than chase logs though, and I will be busy with the insane amount of content for months to come.

Chasing is not completely over with either, don't get me wrong. We have transitioned into MCS season and I will not make regular trips to go intercept those. I tend to average one chase a month from July through October, so if I see something I think will be more than just a bowing MCS I will of course make a run for it. I might even chase a major hurricane too. Living in the midwest the season never really ends, but from this point it will definitely come to is yearly slow down. I will be a little more reserved about when I go out and chase.

Peak is over, summer is here, and I have no complaints!

Much more to come in the future.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Junehem?

Yes, I am still alive.

It has not slowed down since the end of April, so I hope everyone has been able to follow along. I don't think I have any unique followers here on blogger that don't know where to follow along elsewhere. This blog takes low priority when things are active.

Ive finally caught up with chase logs which can all be seen on www.aerostorms.com

June looks to bring allot of marginal days, the kind where I sit there and debate whether or not I want to chase. Nothing in the future stands out as a major day, but they can happen anytime anywhere.

Anyways, just chiming in here briefly to keep it alive. I am working on a number of projects for the time being and am still busy. I will have much material to work with once things die down.

I hope everyone is having a good year! 2010 really turned around from the slowest start in history to complete insanity.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

MAYhem

My friend said it best the other day "I am the busiest jobless man in the world."

Its true, between searching for work and chasing I am as booked as booked can be.

That being said, it looks like things are about to start getting active again. I could be chasing as early as Friday somewhere near Ohio. If I didn't own my summer trailer so close to the target area I probably wouldn't consider such a chase...but logistically for me it would be a cheap chase...and ya never know. There is also an opportunity to be one of few chasers on any given event, something I long for these days. Now that it is May and the hordes are out in full swing...it will be painfully difficult to find any sort of ambience with any given plains chase.

Furthermore, the competition for sales is tough, Ive been getting skunked by those I consider enemies as well as those I consider friends. So it has been a bit frustrating for me considering I NEED the extra income where as many others don't, but alas...we're all in it for the same things.

I am having a record year though so I can hardly complain, if things keep on track I can release my first DVD by the end of the year!

Recent chase logs have been posted to the site, if you don't know it by now then shame on you! I don't have too much time to get into a detailed forecast, time only allows for me to make it for myself. Its too much effort to save, upload and link pictures right now.

Things are busy and with luck Ill be seeing some BIG ASS TORNADOES next week!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Thoughts on the last few days

3 days of active chasing has come to an end. All in all I am a very happy man. On Thursday the 22nd I bagged an incredible 6 tornadoes in one day. This not only beats my count for all of last year but also sets a new record number for a single chase day. It is also the first time I saw 2 on the ground at once, an incredible sight indeed!

That being said, the day before and the day after were decent with great structure and a possible tornado...but the great thing about marathons is it only takes 1 awesome day to make the trip worth it.

If you wish to read about them , the logs are all up at my site www.aerostorms.com

I am kind of dissappointed I couldnt make a media sale, but thats the name of the game. I am also disappointed I didn't plan my trip to allow for the chase in MS on Saturday. I would have been on that storm for sure. I basically nowcasted Ben H, Kris Hair and Connor to that storm. I was chatting with Ben and he said they were heading north and east when I made a plea for him to turn around and get on that storm [it wasn't even severe warned at the time.]

Of course everyone knows what happened after and the shit storm that followed. My opinion on that is a simple one...for those who open their mouths just STFU. People will chase how they want to chase and while I don't agree with intentionally driving into tornadoes I am not going to tell someone what they can and can't do. It is their business how they want to chase. Simple as that.

Now, CBS aired a bullshit story showing a certain well known chaser in a hero-ish light saying he chases for science and not money, yet ironically this same person charged a local highschool 4,000 dollars to come talk to kids about severe weather. If its one thing I can't stand its lies and hypocrisy. Not only that, but the same article also belittled a new chaser who mentioned talking to "his agent" as he put it.

The irony in all that is, CBS probably didn't get to use any of that footage for free, so while their article uses that angle, they had to shell out some pretty dollars just to get the footage, from both the new guy and Mr Hero scientist who doesn't chase for money. So as long as theyre paying I say let them say what they want...they can come to me because I don't care what the public thinks of me. Those who matter know the truth, so if I can put a dime in my pocket, I will play the part.

Now...I just need a tornado to drive into ;)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Wheres the Negativity Coming From?

I've spent the last couple of hours comparing this year to years past on a personal level. By now it is known that we are off to a pitiful record slow start. It is hard to hold back the complaints, but after going back and comparing this year to years past, I am AGAIN ahead of myself.

So far this year I have more chases than any other year, despite one of them being a cap bust. I also snagged some intense footage on Easter Sunday followed by some great structure and damage shots just 2 days later, which also marks the earliest point in any year such things have been accomplished.

Some facts of my chasing career:

- The earliest tornadoes I have seen were May 5th.
- The latest tornadoes I have seen were on June 15th. [Not counting the nappanee EF-3 from 10-18-07 here because I never actually could confirm I saw it, even though we were right behind the damn thing.]
- My best chases seem to come in the first week of June, Ive seen tornadoes on June 5th ['09] June 6th ['07] and June 7th ['08] along with the best structure I have seen to date.
- June 7th seems to be a magic day, if you go back and look at the SPC outlooks almost every year has a MDT or higher [crap I probably just jinxed it.]

So why am I so down? I guess it stems from other stuff going on in my life. I was let go from my 6 year corporate lifestyle job which I absolutely loathed. Since then I have been sort of lost trying to figure out what I want to do next. The corporate lifestyle is not for me. Whats the point of having money if you're miserable? i for one don't enjoy being another faceless sheep pushing 50+ for a corporation that spends more time trying to figure out a way to let me go so they can save money as opposed to keeping their employees happy. That might be the American dream thats pounded into our heads in the classroom but they aint fooling me.

I told myself going into this year that this would be the year I can try and make a huge impact, chasing is truly the reason I exist, it is the only thing that keeps me sane and the ONE aspect of life I cannot live without. Sure, I have plenty of other things that make me happy, but happy and sane are two different things.

Its almost to the point of foolishness, since I know its pretty damn difficult to make a living off chasing thanks to the technology revolution, but others have done it so I don't see why I can't. All it takes is passion, motivation and drive plus not caring how people may judge you based on your social status. There is some of that in the chasing community. A snobbish attitude where those who are well off look down on those who are struggling to find themselves and pursue what really makes them happy...I for one could care less how any person views me.

So I guess thats where my impatience is stemming from, now is the time for me to really get out there and prove myself...but mother nature is barely tossing me a bone. I might not have the means next year to be as free as I am now, and that ads to my eagerness to get out there and get the job done.

Many are optimistic for May and June, in the world of weather I never hold any hopes for what the future will hold, all that matters to me is the NOW.

Alas, as I mentioned above, comparing this year to years past I am off to a great start, so if the pattern can change I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to trump my prior seasons yet again.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Early Season Marathon

I went on my earliest chase marathon and chased April 4th 5th and 6th. It was finally nice to see some signs of life but the setups themselves were pretty meager. I was able to pull away some gems though. Afterall, I don't need a tornado to make me happy, at least this early in the season. I would like to snag one early on though that way I don't start stressing about not seeing one especially with the GFS showing another crappy pattern ahead.

Easter Sundays chase was probably the best. I got into a pretty intense situation which some might dub foolish but oh well thats how I roll. I don't claim to be the smartest person in the world, I just do what I love and enjoy doing it! That was a great chase and the wind footage I got is my best to date.

Monday was a bust, oh well...shit happens.

Tuesday was a good chase in Iowa of all places. Good structure, nice hail and documenting some damage made it a well rounded chase.

Looking ahead it appears we will be back to the same moisture issues...we had moisture for these most recent setups, but had other issues to contend with such as veered flow and unseasonably strong EMLs and caps...ugh...2010 just doesn't want to make things line up the right way. Given that I still feel it is a frustratingly slow year...but with a couple good chases in recent memory I can't be down on it.

To see the logs check out the site www.aerostorms.com

Everyone keeps talking about May, Im getting kind of sick of it. It was only the first weak of April and we had to shake a bunch of people who were spotter network stalking us. Ive always been a cynical bastard...I don't like mooches. While I believe everyone has a right to do something they enjoy, I can't stand people who won't take the initiative to do it right...and its only April...whats going to happen in May when everyone who takes their yearly chasecations are out not to mention the V2 and discovery amrmadas.

Oh well, at least I have a vehicle that can take me off the main roads to get away from the mess.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

April FTW

I can't wait to punt kick March 2010 into weather history. Some quick and depressing facts.

- It is the slowest start to the tornado season since 1988 - thats 22 years!

- There has not been a single severe report in the state of IL yet. Although, on March 11th there were plenty of penny and nickel size hail reports, however those are no longer considered severe...but its some food for thought.

- I now have the fewest number of logged chases since 2007. Lame.

Anyways, I'm not one of those patient chasers who can sit and wait for May. Its spring. I want to chase and I want to chase now...SO...what I see for April has me happy.


















A nice troughing pattern! FINALLY. Of course though, there are problems. Number 1, which has been a problem since 2009 is lack of gulf moisture. When I'm done punt kicking March I am going to punt kick the GOM next. I suppose its not its fault. Stupid El Nino had system after system tracking along the gulf coast and kicking the GOM's ass.

What I found funny was during that time everyone was praising what the parade of wet systems would do for soil moisture...I guess we seemed to have forgotten about the effects of moisture suppressing cold fronts along with constant surges of cool dry air.

So within this pattern are also a parade of systems, with the dynamics that scream severe weather...but the moisture [or lack thereof] is going to put a serious hinder on any significant outbreak. Despite this, there should be enough to squeeze out some marginal setups, and probably the best we have seen all year, so I am thinking at the very least there will be some LP hailers to chase. I am okay with that.

The good news is it looks like this pattern may persist though at least the first half of the month as an omaga type blocking pattern sets up...if the ridge and high pressure can stay anchored over the southeast, this will give us many days for moisture to return to where it needs to be.

So, even if these first few setups within the pattern are meager at best, it would appear the atmosphere is priming itself for some big things even further down the road. El Nino springs in the past have been violent in the Midwest...and I am curious to see how this one will play out. I am keeping a close eye on how it evolves, to further educate myself in longer range pattern prediction.

Friday, March 19, 2010

March Rollercoaster

Ah the March weather roller coaster. If it were a ride in real life it would probably go like this.


In reality, it looks like this.




















Ok so its hard to see but the current temp at the time of this posting is 64. The temps behind the front are 36. All circled, although they have recently dropped to 34 now but Im too lazy to take a new image. Good thing I know better and made no outdoor plans this weekend. It has been pleasant around here lately with a string of mild days and several thunderstorm days last week, so I guess its time to take a slap in the face from mother nature.

So far 2010 is a disappointment chase wise. Oh sure, there was March 8th, but that was one of those 1 in 20 events. I'd be willing to bet the only reason so many were out there was it was the first chance of the season, if that setup were in May or June it would be scoffed at. Thats the luck of the draw though.

There are hints that things may get active once April rolls around. So lets hope. Chaser wishcasts are a dime a dozen these days, so I see no reason to go into detail about it. Looks like mother nature is gonna hit the snooze button for the remainder of the month. Maybe shell wake up briefly though before its all said and done.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Why I chase

The first chase of 2010 is officially in the books, and while the day did not live up to its tornadic potential, there was plenty of hail to mess around with and some interesting structure features. Typically my first chase of the year barely yields lightning, so for me it was a great start.

The log can be seen at www.aerostorms.com/031010.php

Things kind of went backwards from my last post, I chased the jungle setup and the local chase fell apart, but thats the way it works in this game, I don't decide when I chase the weather does.

Upon arriving home, I was reminded why I chase, local storms like to give me the run around, but at least I was treated to a  distant lightning show and a few rumbles of thunder which sounded no louder than an airplane overhead. Not even a raindrop ever fell on my house though. Although it did storm there in the morning, but I was in Missouri. So for Chicago, the day of its first [rain] thunderstorms was 3-11-10.

You can run, but you can't hide!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I poked the bear - first potential chase coming up!

I guess mother nature doesn't like being compared to an elephant seal because much to my dismay she spit out some INCREDIBLE tornadoes the day after my last post. It looks like the coming days ahead will hold a shot for some tornadoes as well. I may be looking at my first chase Thursday here in local turf.

There is a chase in the jungles tomorrow which I think I will sit out on, but beginning yesterday the NAM has begun to show a decent chase setup on Thursday. Fellow IL chasers agree, and SPC has even mentioned it now, along with LOT mentioning tornadoes in their AFD this afternoon.

I was beginning to go loco thinking I would not be chasing in March, but low and behold, the bitch formerly known as mother nature heard my cries and is showing some signs of life. Hopefully yesterdays photogenic tornadoes are a sign of things to come. The season has officially begun.

Time to go out and bag that piece of the pie! Check out www.convectiveaddiction.com for detailed forecast thoughts, and as always my personal site www.aerostorms.com for the latest on my chasing.