#6 Postby Jason Foster » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:25 pm
Storm Chasing does not require meteorology. Many who study meteorology do not want to or have never chased storms. There are many different reasons to chase. Sometimes it's not even necessary to chase the storm itself, if all one wants to see is the damage and mayhem left afterward. I personally don't like meteorology...I find it boring and is just not my thing. My background/profession is Architecture.
I think the best thing for this person to do is start looking into books, and online resources. She should start reading good chase related forums and sites. Stormtrack has a great forecasting area (even if you don't like meteorology, you do need some forecasting skills), and pick up a few books. I great one to start out with is Tim Vasquez's brand new edition of the Storm Chaser Handbook.
I recommend those before Skywarn....no offense to the Spotters...but Skywarn is for spotters, not chasers, and the quality and focus are all wrong for a chaser....and maybe a waste of time if just start. However, I do recommend it at some point before going out to chase for the first time, because all chasers have the ethical responsibility to report severe weather when they are witnessing it, and they need to know exactly how to and what to report when doing so.
As far as driving: It is of the utmost importance that she get a lot of training and experience. She should not try and drive on her own before at least one entire year of chasing with someone else. I have had one apprentice already fall victim (well his car..he wasn't hurt at all) to the dangerous conditions of storm chasing. Recently one storm chaser was killed while on his way to a chase (non-weather related accident). I highly suggest taking your daughter to a professional driving school that has training for wet weather conditions, and has a track where she can learn how to steer out of a spin at high speeds. I'm talking about the courses usually offered at a local rally (SCCA) race track....like Summit Point in West Virginia. Driving is the single most important skill a storm chaser must possess at the highest levels possible. Wet roads, muddy roads, debris on roads, driving in high winds are all (and more) conditions a chaser encounters...and can lead to tragedy is seconds to someone unprepared.
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