There are all kinds of storm chasers out there. Many are in the hobby exclusively to see tornadoes. Granted, tornadoes could be considered the holy grail of storm chasing. However, if you are considering investing in photography equipment, wireless internet, laptop computers and other gear, just to see tornadoes, I would suggest that you are missing out on many other fascinating aspects of storm chasing.
In my 10 years as a chaser, I've seen perhaps 30 tornadoes. By the standards of some chasers, that's not very many. However, I do not chase storms exclusively to see tornadoes. Severe thunderstorms hold many treasures for the chaser who can appreciate the storm as an entity unto itself.
When I locate a chase-worthy thunderstorm, I look forward to the wide variety of features that I am about to experience. Being a meteorologist, I am first interested in the structure of the storm. This is best observed from several miles away. Quite often you can see striations and rotation as the storm begins to take shape. The sheer enormity of some thunderstorms is enough to spark a huge thrill of amazement. I enjoy studying how each storm is "put together". That is, how the individual elements have come together to make this giant, booming convective engine.
No two thunderstorms have ever been, nor will ever be, identical. They're all different and hold their own unique treasures. One good-sized thunderstorm could supply all the electric power needed by the United States for three or four days. Watching nature's fireworks and attempting to comprehend the power behind a single lightning stroke can be an electrifying endeavor.
Then there's the hail, the wind, the sound and the feel of being in close proximity to one of the planet's most amazing displays of atmospheric aesthetics. Just standing in the wind as the air around you is being pulled up into a thunderstorm updraft makes your senses tingle. Seeing the rain pour down, drenching parched earth and returning life to a dried out cornfield is an exhilarating experience. And if you've ever held a grapefruit-sized hailstone in your hand and felt its weight, and realized where it's been and how many times it was lifted into the sky to attain that size, you know what I'm talking about. Thunderstorms are amazing, frightening and awe-inspiring.
I will tell you that there is nothing like the thrill of seeing a tornado close-up. But I will venture forth the suggestion that tornado-hunting should not be your sole endeavor if you're going out to chase thunderstorms. Tornadoes are rare and special, but so are the other aspects of severe weather, and thunderstorms should be appreciated in their entirety, for the powerful and beautiful phenomena they are.
Happy, and SAFE, chasing!
-Steve Hamilton 3/28/2010
