STORM TRACK: September 30, 1980 (Volume 3 Issue 6)

Have you ever had one of those chases where you blast out on the highway to get to that fast-moving dryline bulge position only to find that the Cb's refuse to rotate when they finally get going? Sure, any experienced chaser has had this experience. But is there anything you can do, besides complain, to tempt Mother Nature into getting those Cb's spinning and doing their "thing" for your camera?

I recently had this advice related to me by a veteran storm chaser. He says it's a surefire trick that works every (well, nearly every) time! The key to it is that even Storm Gods can't resist the offer of junk food.

On a recent storm pursuit, this chaser blasted up Interstate 44 to get into the "target" area of northeastern Oklahoma. When he and his companions finally caught up to the newly developed storms, they realized that something was wrong. "This stuff just ain't gonna deliver." So, they wheeled into the first 7-11 they could find up the road; the philosophy being: When all else fails, eat! At least that way the chase wouldn't be a total loss. After making their purchases, the chaser and his comrades shuffled out into the parking lot, observing to the east the lifeless cell that they had earlier been pursuing. "Show it your fried pie, wave that chocolate bar at it. Here's my Coke, "he exclaimed, holding his paper cup defiantly in the air in a taunting gesture. Within minutes, the cumulus towers hardened, then exploded like an atomic mushroom cloud, and "began rotating like mad." "This is really wild," exclaimed the chasers and off they went in hot pursuit. Well, their storm did slow down in its forward motion long enough to back-build and produce a damaging wind circulation beneath its bulbous, flanking cloud base. But, partly because of uncooperative roads and partly due to disbelief at the remarkable recovery the storm had made moments earlier, the chasers were unable to get into good viewing position. They were unable to catch up with the storm again, and darkness soon fell.

The moral to this story: Be prepared to "feed" your storms. Remember, the best way to a storm's heart (i.e. updraft) --is through its (?) ...stomach.

-- Randy Zipser