Weather Whys; Storm Chasers

This is Weatherwise. Meteorologists generally try to keep a pretty close eye on the development of severe weather in order to give the public as much notice as possible. By doing that, lives are saved and property protected. But computer models and radar systems alone don't answer all the questions that arise concerning storm development, so many weather operations turn to storm chasers to help fill the gaps. Those individuals act as trained observers in the field to relay information concerning the development of funnel clouds, lightning activity, and heavy precipitation. In many cases, those storm chasers are also taking notes or videotaping the storms they cover so that scientists can later evaluate what was seen. Because of that role as a recorder of storm activity, many chasers do keep video cameras handy and many others use 35mm still cameras. The thing they have to remember, however, is to always be prepared and to always have plenty of film or videotape on hand.

After all, when a tornado is passing by, it's not a good time to head to the local convenience store for film. Because of their job, storm chasers often have to be closer to heavy storm activity than most people would like. To accommodate that, they're usually directed to prime locations by means of a two-way radio. That will at least get them in the right neighborhood. But from then on, it's up to the individual to get as close as possible to areas of cloud circulation where tornadoes could appear. In order to do that, a good understanding of storm development is important, as is a good set of eyes. But chasing storms is a dangerous business, especially for someone who doesn't know what he's doing. That's why storm chasers are taught from the very beginning about the proper way to approach funnel clouds and how to remain as safe as possible while doing it. It's nice to have the extra eyes in the field, but no one wants a chaser to get hurt. For weather-wise, I'm Drew Barmer.