STORM CHASING ON THE GREAT PLAINS, 6-17 JUNE 2022

Obtaining a spot on this one-of-a-kind 11-day tour is difficult as they book up almost immediately—2021 is already full. If you are interested in photographing extreme weather on the great plains, now is the time to book your spot. I am hoping that we will have enough interest to fill both vans so that you will be able to travel again with friends.

The Tour in Brief

There will be frequent storm intercept opportunities in Colorado, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. Occasionally the tour will slip into Canada so you will need to bring your passport.

This is a High Plains tour which typically offers the best photo ops of the season. Due to its length, this tour offers an appx. 50% greater chance of seeing tornadoes vs. a 7-day tour.

The storm chasing is led by the industry's most experienced staff and it includes lodging, weather briefings, free on-board Wi-Fi, photo tips from professional storm photographers, an exclusive chase team T-shirt, and much more. A chase will begin immediately following the mandatory 9:00 am orientation on the arrival date.

NB. As lodging is never pre-booked before the tour due to the unpredictability of the weather conditions, we will never know where we will be staying until late in the day of travel. Therefore, the hotels may be on the rustic side (2* and up) (see "Guest Responsibilities" for information about meals).

Itinerary

The tour begins on Monday, 6 June, 2022 and ends on Friday, 17 June, 2022. The tour's base city is Denver, Colorado and it is for here that we will track storms into Colorado, Nebraska and the Dakotas, even ending up in Wyoming or crossing the Canadian border (see meetup details below).

What can I expect to see and experience if I go on a tour?
You will learn and experience all aspects of storm chasing. In essence, you will live the life of a real storm chaser. It is likely that you'll see significant storms and possibly tornadoes.

On the morning of each chase day, the Tour Director presents a forecast briefing to the group. The briefing outlines the day's target and departure time. If forecast parameters suggest an early departure, the Tour Director informs the group the night before. However, the group must be ready to depart for a chase target with very little notice. This is one of the many things that make storm chasing both challenging and exciting. The goal of each chase day is to forecast and intercept the most significant weather that we expect to develop on the Plains later in the day. We operate primarily in the Tornado Alley states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. Along the way, our team educates guests about the many dimensions of storm chasing including the meteorology, logistics and even romance of our discipline. Guests will gain a greater appreciation for the atmosphere and the Great Plains.

We concentrate on forecasting supercell thunderstorms, our initial objective. Supercells are thunderstorms with long-lived rotating updrafts. When supercells develop as forecasted, the group will intercept and view them from a safe distance. Some chase days continue after dark when Mother Nature provides us with a spectacular lightning display. Guests are afforded many opportunities for photography.

There are some days when no storms occur on the plains of Tornado Alley. Atmospheric physics require "recovery" days in between stormy periods. It is the "order follows chaos" principle of weather. We use these days to reposition for the next storm intercept. On fair weather days, we visit as many points of interest as time allows. Some of the sites on ourmaps include: the National Severe Storms Laboratory and Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado and other weather-related facilities, the Twister Museum in Wakita, OK, Cadillac Ranch and Big Texan in Amarillo, Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, the world's largest ball of twine in Kansas, Chimney Rock National Monument in Nebraska and Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. And, there are the miles of beautiful prairie landscapes, and skyscapes, that every day of the tour offers!

Will I see a tornado if I go on a tour?
There's no way to know if guests will see a tornado while on tour. Tours are scheduled during the US tornado maximum, and are lead by skilled storm chasers. It is likely that guests will, at least, see significant storms such as supercells. Each day, we will forecast and go to areas of highest tornado risk.

Do you drive into tornadoes and other damaging weather? No. We view storms close enough to see incredible things such as tornadoes, but far enough to be safe. We do not "drive into" damaging weather and do everything possible to avoid these hazards.

What are the risks involved with storm chasing?
Our team exercises safe practices at all times. However, as with any outdoor activity, there are some risks involved. An excellent document authored by our Lecture guide, Dr. Charles Doswell, examines the risks of storm chasing in-depth. Link to Chuck Doswell's article Storm Chasing with Safety, Courtesy, and Responsibility.

Is storm chasing dangerous?
Storm chasing, like any other outdoor activity, includes some risk - the biggest being traffic related. That’s because the discipline often requires many hours of driving per day. Lesser risks are storm related and include tornadoes, intense straight-line winds, flooding, damaging hail, and lightning.

What camera do I need for taking pictures of storms?
Bring a camera to take pictures. You can shoot almost everything with a good smart phone. If you want to bring other gear, then a quality zoom lens roughly in the 24 mm -105 mm  range will cover most subjects. Fast, wide lenses in the 14-16 mm range can be quite useful as well.