[CASILIST: more seat-of-your-pants (and my highlights tape)]

J (j{at}weatherwatchers.org)
Sun, 26 Oct 1997 18:01:04 -0500

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>From Cliff, some time ago... I again apologize for the late post. Seems
that my mailbox was trying, successfully, to proc out mail from my old
account ferrell{at}interpath.net. Unfortunately the specification was too
strong and it got vortex{at}interpath.com too! Anyway, it's fixed now, so
don't think I'm ignoring you, Cliff!

BTW, if you didn't meet Cliff at the first (and only) CASI meeting this
May, he is a great guy who not only observes storms in NC but also
chases professionally out west. I believe this message is relating to
that.

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From: vortex{at}interpath.com
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 01:01:46 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <v01530500b05f3b14024d{at}[199.72.4.176]>
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To: casilist{at}weatherwatchers.org
Subject: more seat-of-your-pants (and my highlights tape)
Sender: wxwatch{at}psi.pair.com

First I wrote:

>> Christine, it takes surprisingly little equipment to chase,
>> and even if you're equipped to the hilt, it still takes a heavy
>> dose of luck to see a tornado.

And then Powell wrote:

> LOTS of luck! How long did it take?

I went out west for my first-ever chase vacation in 1991. Then I skipped
'92 and '93 because I was in school and broke; and then I resumed yearly
pilgrimages in 1994. So this year marked my fifth chase vacation on the
plains. I've probably driven 40,000 miles just chasing, and "commuting"
between North Carolina and The Alley. I've seen some neat gustnadoes and
numerous supercells---supercells every year I've gone---but I didn't get my
first *indisputable* tornadoes until this year. (See the P.S. at the end of
this note for details about my highlights tape, and how to get a copy.)

I would point out, continuing the equipment thread, that I saw neither of
those tubes because of my fancy on-board equipment. Fact is, my first day
in the field (May 25th) I remember surfing the web in my car in Oklahoma
over the cellphone, pulling down products and just feeling SO COOL, but I
ended up in Kansas that day simply because of information that came to me
over a $40 weather radio. According to it, a tornado watch had been issued
to my north, so I just drove into the watch box and latched onto a
likely-looking cell. Fortunately, I'd already spent years learning what a
"likely-looking cell" *looks* like, as opposed to the many non-tornadic
cells that were prowling the plains that day. So "my" storm did it, and a
bit of knowledge helped---but equipment...nah.

I saw my second tornado three days later, and it was simply because I was
at the Amarillo Weather Service Office watching their radar when an
isolated cell started going up to the west of us and migrating eastward. I
therefore liked the "easy access" aspect of this storm right from the
get-go. I remember saying, "Heck, that thing is really starting to shape
up." And the meteorologist standing there with me replied, "Yeah it is, and
I bet it's in sunny air and nice and photogenic too." So I said "What the
hey," and went to my gang and said "Let's go," and we simply drove straight
to a tornado! Unbelievable, after so many disappointments in the past.
Again, all our fancy on-board equipment (including satellite dish) was a
non-factor. But I did have some supercell knowledge, enough to get us into
the proper position on that storm to see what we saw.

On another matter: your idea about getting someone on the CASI list to feed
information to active chasers is a very good one. There have been *many*
days when I wished I could get some current radar info, or maybe just the
latest SWODY1, from SOMEONE. I just didn't know anyone to call upon---all
my weather friends were somewhere on the road chasing, just like me! Now,
I'm certainly no meteorologist, but on the other hand I can watch The
Weather Channel during the afternoon and evening and generally be able to
tell supercells from more uninteresting storms, and I can relay text
discussions. So CASI Listers, if you ever need help (and especially if I'm
expecting your call) I can try to get you some info that might make a
difference in how your day turns out.

Powell, you also said:

> Maybe the last week in MAY, first weekend in JUNE. Stay tuned to
> KRMN 92.7 Wheeler TX. I may go out and even do an airshift there!

Best time of year to be there. If I ain't there or thereabouts myself at
that time, you'll know something is badly awry in my life. I wonder: if
you're on the air and look out the window and SEE and isolated atomic-bomb
supercell initiating just 20 miles up the road, are they going to be able
to keep you on duty? :)

Cliff Nelson

P.S. I have been unforgivably lazy this year about getting my highlights
tape together. But if anyone would like a copy, send me a blank VHS tape
along with a nice self-addressed, stamped bubble envelop for return
shipment (i.e., make it a "no brainer" for me) and I will finally get
myself in gear and send you some action from my chase adventures, this year
and years past.

Cliff Nelson
64 Davie Circle
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

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