US Weather 2024

[03Stormchaser]

I got in early on specials and booked 16-29th May for 2024. First trip back since 2019!

[tgsnoopy]

I've booked AKL-DFW with American, $1430 all up return.

[03Stormchaser]

That's really good! Flying to Houston as the direct flight from Auckland is time saver!

[tgsnoopy]

That's really good! Flying to Houston as the direct flight from Auckland is time saver!

Probably should point out those flights are for National Storm Chaser Summit Feb 1st-5th.

The Renegade Chasers group may reform next year, no dates selected yet. I've suggested to Hannah we meet in Sydney and travel together to DFW like we did in 2018. I'm hoping for a mid May to Early June 3 week Chasecation in 2024, fingers crossed. 2025 may be a Late Chasecation in Canada (Under consideration).

[tgsnoopy]

Renegade Chasers is reforming for the first time since the (Moore OK, May 20th) 2013 EF5 Tornado. Date not finalised yet, likely 3 weeks from May 11th - June 1st. Looks like the AA AKL-DFW went seasonal & isn't flying, so I'm picking we may either go AKL-SYD-DFW with QANTAS so we can meet Hannah (who is from Perth) in SYD, or we will likely go AKL-HOU-DFW with Air NZ. One of my friends locally who's wanted to for years is joining us. We await the flight specials due to start soon to look at costs and options and finalise dates.
I've been invited to do a late season Canadian Prairies chase in 2025 which I'd like to do, so may not be doing a US chase at all in 2025.
Have decided I'll not go to the NSCS anymore (I am this year, near DFW tickets are nearly sold out, Fri 2nd-Sun 4th Feb), I'll put that money towards an additional Australian chase, possibly at Christmas in NE NSW/SE QLD area.

[tgsnoopy]

NSCS (National Storm Chaser Summit) Tickets are nearly sold out, indications they will close sales in about 8 hours from now.

https://www.chasersummit.com/

[03Stormchaser]

Renegade Chasers is reforming for the first time since the (Moore OK, May 20th) 2013 EF5 Tornado. Date not finalised yet, likely 3 weeks from May 11th - June 1st. Looks like the AA AKL-DFW went seasonal & isn't flying, so I'm picking we may either go AKL-SYD-DFW with QANTAS so we can meet Hannah (who is from Perth) in SYD, or we will likely go AKL-HOU-DFW with Air NZ. One of my friends locally who's wanted to for years is joining us. We await the flight specials due to start soon to look at costs and options and finalise dates.
I've been invited to do a late season Canadian Prairies chase in 2025 which I'd like to do, so may not be doing a US chase at all in 2025.
Have decided I'll not go to the NSCS anymore (I am this year, near DFW tickets are nearly sold out, Fri 2nd-Sun 4th Feb), I'll put that money towards an additional Australian chase, possibly at Christmas in NE NSW/SE QLD area.

AKL-HOU-DFW with Air NZ seems an odd route to me considering the distance between the last two locations. AKL-LAX-DFW be better? Our dates have been extended one day due to AirNZ not flying the Wednesday it seems from HOU. Now 16-30th May.

2025 season I will be chasing June for two weeks.

[tgsnoopy]

AKL-HOU-DFW with Air NZ seems an odd route to me considering the distance between the last two locations. AKL-LAX-DFW be better? Our dates have been extended one day due to AirNZ not flying the Wednesday it seems from HOU. Now 16-30th May.

2025 season I will be chasing June for two weeks.

Nice. HOU will be price driven (Less to United for shorter flights in the US), if it's cheaper via LAX or SFO then that will be the option (But they could also be via DEN & a lot longer time). Of course QF via SYD used to be well priced to compete. Let the pricing decide in the next few weeks when the specials fire up.

[Simon Culling]

A tornado was filmed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, late afternoon on Saturday 6th January 2024. YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDEIbzUSP9w

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Yes, some serious thunderstorms going through Louisiana and Alabama at the moment.

[tgsnoopy]

The Air NZ New Years Sale is on till 19th Jan. Time to book tickets if you are going people.

I saw I70 close yesterday and NW50, 54 etc through Kansas in a blizzard yesterday.

[tgsnoopy]

So a big one this year. Sat 11th May till Fri 7th June (Sun 9th back). After 11 years Renegades will be chasing together again.

[Simon Culling]

The NFL game between the Chiefs + the Dolphins played on Saturday night (13th January) was evidently the fourth coldest game on record. The local temperature at kick-off was stated to be -20°C with considerable additional windchill.

The coldest game was played way back in 1967 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay (Wisconsin) when the kick-off temperature was (I think) -25°C.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/chi ... %20degrees.

[Simon Culling]

The EF2 tornado which hit Evansville, Wisconsin on Thursday 8th February was apparently the first one ever recorded in this state in February. See attached tweet. I found this chart (also attached) which shows all the accepted TN's for the state since 1844.

https://twitter.com/SamKuffelWx/status/ ... 3141312580

[tgsnoopy]

Keep an eye on their Youtube/Facebook profiles...

NSCS Spring Virtual Meetup.jpg

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Apparently there have been reports of "Gorilla" hailstones in Kansas and Missouri over the last couple of days.

[tgsnoopy]

Apparently there have been reports of "Gorilla" hailstones in Kansas and Missouri over the last couple of days.

Certainly an active start to the season, been a few powerful tornadoes already. Significant risk today (10% Tornado).

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html

[Simon Culling]

This large hailstone fell in Oklahoma on Thursday 14th March - note they got the date wrong in the first image (2023 instead of 2024), but it has been corrected in a later (appended) tweet. Picture copied from the linked tweet.

Wouldn't like this hitting my noggin!

https://twitter.com/NWSNorman/status/17 ... 2792130597

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Wow! That's a real "gorilla" hailstone cluster

[spwill]

Active this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKHL2m8WWhg

[03Stormchaser]

April 26th outbreak will be on to remember for a long time. I counted no less than 8 different tornadoes while watching the live streams

https://youtu.be/Et-hM28-P_U?si=185x8kobGMN5mXzB

[spwill]

Kansas today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5aDa53j3JU&t=29s

[Orion]

Shattered windows in high-rise buildings after deadly Texas storm:

Severe thunderstorms have killed four people and knocked out power to nearly a million homes and businesses in south-east Texas.
The storms shattered windows in high-rise buildings in the city of Houston and downed large trees throughout the area.

1:13 video at BBC link -

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-69029511

[Simon Culling]

The storm that hit the Houston area on Thursday (16th May) evening was part of a much larger system that looks like quite a wide 'bow echo' on the radar. There is quite a debate as to whether it was a full blown Derecho, but I have not seen a conclusive report on this so far. The highest wind gust in a NWS report on the NOAA site was 74mph in Harris County, but the damage, particularly to the large electricity grid pylons, suggests up towards 100mph as the maximum gusts. One confirmed tornado of EF1 strength was at Cypress, which is to the NW of Houston.

[Richard]

So many vortices in this monster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_ZDVYzIhgc