Yesterday was hardly weather science's best day. I believe some apologies are in order. Amateur Storm Chasers.   Storm chasing has brought numerous insights into meteorology that have resulted in better tornado warnings. That stated, it is my understanding, backed up by photos and video, the roads in northeast Kansas were absolutely clogged by 'chasers.' The problem is that many of these people were not actual chasers.  In a number of cases (and this has happened to me more than once) locals recognize that a chaser(s) is in the area and they want to see a tornado. So they start following the chaser. It reminds me of the airport phenomenon known as "gate lice," when one person prematurely gets in line so everyone does. I'm told there were hundreds of cars. In addition to "locals," there are the "thrill seeker" chasers, many of whom seem to little regard for traffic laws.  One person estimated there were between 800 and 1,600 people in northe...

Kathleen, meteorologist Cat Taylor, and I at DQ  after documenting the May 19, 2013, tornado near Clearwater, Kansas.  Photographer Jaime Green and I after bagging a  tornado near Larned, Kansas, 2012. When the National Severe Storms Laboratory/University of Oklahoma storm chasing program began in 1972, a question came up: Where to celebrate if a tornado was found and documented? In the Oklahoma of the early 70's, there were very few McD's or Wendy's in rural areas where tornadoes were most likely to be found (no one wanted to chase in cities: too dangerous due to the risk of being trapped by traffic). So, a trip to Dairy Queen -- which was found in nearly every small town in Oklahoma at the time -- became a tradition if you bagged a tornado.  I've continued that tradition. We have many photos like the ones at the top of the page with great people with whom we've had the honor of chasing. BTW: I almost always get a chocolate dipped ice cream cone.  Why am I bri...

The great Jaime Green, photographer extraordinaire for the Wichita Eagle,  posted a video celebrating her 25 years with the paper. It is really fun and you can view it here .  There is a segment from 2013 when I took her storm chasing. She was a survivor of the 2011 Joplin Tornado and, just before the tornado hit, she uttered the words, "kinda scared." We saw a tornado during our chase and the audio is me reporting the storm to the NWS in Dodge City.  Congratulations, Jaime!!

Pecos Hank is a storm chaser for whom I have a great deal of respect. He offers some safety advice as the 2024 tornado season approaches.  Click on "read more" to watch the video. And, by the way, I do not recommend storm chasing for non-meteorologists.