Xmas Snowpocalypse?

Yea, not for this area.

All eyes are on the major winter storm that will be taking shape in the coming days. Again though, it should be pretty boring around here. Current indications are it will take a similar track as the last one. Whoop-de-frickin-do.

I debated if I want to even try and contact stations who may be interested in purchasing a stream. Said screw it. It would cost me 250+ dollars to chase the damn thing into IA or even further. There is not much profit margin to be had.

If 2009 would stop anal raping me I could actually get a chance to make an impact out there. Oh well. Lately I've just been working on the website, adding allot of content. I want to try and get most of my previous content up before chase season 2010, that way when it begins I can focus on real time updates and not have to worry about adding old stuff. Ive done so much with it, but still feel as if ill never be close to finished. Oh well. It keeps me busy.

I might get some bumper stickers made for my site as well. Some chasers probably wont approve of this. I could care less. Theyre mostly for friends and family who are proud of me and interested in what I do. I think too many chasers worry about what the others are doing rather than themselves. More of them need to spend less time on the PC monitoring the happenings on the internet and more time out getting laid. It might cheer them up a bit.

Probably wont update till the new year unless something interesting happens.

That being said, everyone have an awesome xmas and a great new year! Good riddance to 2009!

The Great Blizzard of 2009 - A Chicagoans Perspective.

December 8th and 9th 2009. A massive blizzard paralyzes parts of the nation. The storm deepens to near record lows [currently sitting at 976mb over Lake Huron.] In its wake...closed interstates and stranded automobiles. Men all over the Midwest getting a good workout from shoveling their wives cars out of the driveway.

The storm didn't just affect the Midwest though, damaging thunderstorms roared across the deep south, and even parts of Pennsylvania. The Rockie Mountain ski areas received over 50 inches of snow in spots. Parts of New Mexico and Texas were hammered with high winds, some as high as 135mph in the Guadalupe pass! Dust storms created worse driving conditions than the blizzard.

Wow what a storm...here in Chicago...we too were affected. As I write this it is 10pm on Wednesday, December 9th. I have survived...time to survey the outside world.

Open the door...wow...some massive snow drift peaks. If we get another snow soon Mt Everest might have to bow down.

However me being the prepared man I made sure to bundle up with my super winter survival gear. I manage to trudge through the mountainous terrain of doom so I can survey my truck...you know, with all these reports of people having their cars buried and having to dig out...I wanted to see what I was in for.

That will be most difficult indeed. Peoples Facebook statuses near where I live had comments all day about how brutal the snow and wind was and how their cars couldn't handle it. Im so glad I drive a 4x4 with all terrain tires for such brutal snow.

Then something catches my attention...the deepest wind blown snowdrift of them all.

To hell with rulers, massive snowfalls, and especially drifts like this call for tape measures!

WTF...ok...I guess I over estimated a bit, its easy to get carried away in extreme situations...lets go lower.

Yes...I survived...all thanks to my trusty super winter survival snow gear!

By this point though I am starting to feel fatigued and decide I must make a dash towards my shelter, which truly looks wonderful amidst the beautiful winter scenery.

I am now safe and warming up with a tall can of my favorite brew.

Chicagoans really know how to pull through extreme events let me tell you, we get it bad around here!!! What really worries me is we probably have about 10 more events of this magnitude before the year is over, and with such chaos during this one...I fear for mankind.

So there you have it. The great blizzard of 2009 as seen from the perspective of a resident on the southwest side of Chicago.

Next please...

CTV + Big Winter Storm?

Yesterday I finally made the switch to CTV. I had been debating on it for awhile and finally bit the bullet and I'm glad I did. Their setup is so simple and easy and actually works flawlessly on my older laptop. TVNs setup involved multiple applications and caused my machine to constantly crash and freeze up. So I definitely look forward to streaming with CTV, Ive also seen what goes on behind the scenes and their customer service is great and they really look out for each other. I like that in a company.

It wasn't a personal decision, people have been pressuring me to switch over for months. I don't give in to pressure and I don't do stuff to please others or "be with everybody else." I do what works best for me regardless of whos involved.

I had many many requests for people to view my stream last year and unfortunately because it always crashed I had to tell them sorry. That will not be the case next season!!! So be ready!

Now onto the weather, like a hawk I have been watching this upcoming system. I always love when a system shows up many days out and verifies, because then I can throw it in all my critics faces. I get scoffed at often for watching models predict storms further out. Although it looks like the brunt of this storm is going to miss Chicago [go figure] and favor areas west of here. The low will track pretty much over the city it looks like. Im not expecting a whole lot of action around here.

With this system comes a debate on whether or not to actually go on a blizzard chase. I wasn't even considering it but some newer chasers reached out to me and said if I drove they'd pay for gas and whatnot. I might take them up on that offer since it would cut costs. Plus it'll give me a chance to test the stream in the field and make my debut, and hey ya never know...I could end up getting something interesting and getting it shown on TV and perhaps finally make a sale and get paid for what I love to do.

Also, we had our first measurable snow of the winter 09-10 season early this morning. About a month late. 2009 continues to defy what is considered the norm and prove that in the world of weather nothing is normal.

Chasercon Here I Come.

Finally booked all my stuff for the convention this coming February.

I'm looking forward to it. Ive decided to take the train there. Its cheaper than flying or driving. Plus Ive got all the free time in the world to travel so the lengthy trip wont bother me at all. I've never ridden an Amtrak train and Ive always wanted to take a cross country train trip so this will be a good chance to get that experience in!

Looking forward to seeing everyone again, and meeting some new faces as well. Ive never went simply because I didn't want to use time off work. Time that could be used for actual chasing. Since Im not currently working, that is no longer an issue.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

The Meet N Greet

The meet and greet was fun and pretty much what I expected.

The public turnout wasn't all that high. I'd say probably 30-40 people over the course of the 5 hours. We did have a nice chaser turnout though, and at the very least its always nice to get together with fellow chasers to share stories and just BS.

The store did generate some good sales though as a result of people stopping by, I don't want to disclose the exact number, but it was in the thousands of dollars.

I had a few requests for business cards, one by a teacher who wants me to give a presentation to his class. A mother came by with her 5-6yr old son who absolutely loved what we had to show. He had a digital camera and recorded everything while he narrated. He took pics with all the vehicles and when his mom said it was time to go he protested. Most of the other guests were people who stopped by to check out some photos, share a story or 2 and then were gone after 5 minutes. I gave away photo prints to all of the kids.

Being able to reach out to the community in that way was nice, and it was rewarding to see how happy the kids were. Helping people save was a nice touch too, especially in this economy, if our event helped generate sales than that is definitely a good thing.

The weather was a limiting factor, quite breezy and pretty chilly. It is November though...we talked about setting up a similar event when its warmer out...but with warmer weather comes the possibility of a chase, and thus harder for us to commit. We were also setup in the corner of the parking lot, so allot of people simply just didn't notice us. I think a setup closer to the front of the store would have increased turn out some.

The important thing was reaching out and making some more contacts. I'm still a nobody in the chasing world so for me to think this would be a huge event is foolish. Its all about starting out small, reaching out to the local community and getting yourself known. I look forward to potentially doing more of these.

On the weather front - the goofus isnt showing any real snow here for awhile and that makes me happy. Bring on the el nino mild and dry winter!

Local Best Buy Meet-n-Greet!

This Sunday, November 15th! Come on out and meet Me, Danny, Skip and other local chasers! Time of the event is 10am - 3pm. The location is shown below.

424 Randall Rd
South Elgin, IL 60177

This is an experimental idea that Matt came up with. The idea behind it is to show off the technology used to track storms to hopefully promote sales at the store.

Oh, and did I mention there will be a special 1 day only chance to save up to 15% on electronic purchases?! Well there is!

So I'm looking forward to the event. It will either be a really fun time where people can come out, ask questions, share stories and save on a purchase...or we will be sitting under a tent for 5hrs looking like fools as people go about their business. It will also be a good chance for me to promote myself and my site as well. You can't get known unless you market yourself and this is a good place to start.

I'm sure some will have choice opinions on the matter and quite frankly I could care less. This is what I want to do and how I want do it. End of story. Chasing is my life - I want to be known for it.

Current weather forecasts don't favor the event much. Seasonal temps which all are used to wont be the issue but it looks like it might be pretty windy with a slight chance of rain. So hopefully 2009 wont continue to screw me and we will get the nicer end of the forecast.

If any new important info arises I will be sure to post it - until then I look forward to meeting whoever comes out!

How Much I hate Danny

Ok I dont...he just asked me what Im blogging about and that was my response...

Currently driving back from OKC with Ben and Danny. I really enjoyed the trip. The main purpose of the trip was to get out there and meet allot of the big name faces that I have chatted with over the years. That goal was accomplished. Its nice to be able to put the faces along with all the online babble. I had a really good time at Steves house with everyone! Hopefully it will happen again.

The weather fest was fun. It was cool to see the main building where allot of the nations weater stuff goes down. Especially the SPC. Ive never actually visited the OKC area - only driven through it on my way to the target area. I really liked the area and how everything was laid out. I definitely belong down there.

That being said I need to try and find a way to make that happen. With all the free time in the world I need to really focus on what I can do as a chaser and a person to make things better and to help myself become successful.

Saw some very very very distant lightning from storms moving south out of Kansas but I think it is now the time where I mentally prepare myself to not see any storms until late February which is typically when Chicago gets its first thunder and lightning. Its going to be a long winter but Ive got lots of projects to keep me busy.

First and foremost - the promo at a local best Buy in Elgin! I will post more details once Im home.

On a side note: Ben adopted Steves cat and it just took a shit so the whole truck smells like ass - plus the 3 of us just ate jack-n-the-box so Id say this truck is at a level 4 biohazard at the moment.

Oklahoma Bound

I will be heading down there for the National Weather festival.

I'm looking forward to the trip, to meet some new faces and big names within the field. The added bonus will be getting away from the dismal weather which 2009 has been constantly delivering the midwest it seems.

Since my time off hasn't allowed me to actually go out and chase, I figure networking and sort of marketing myself is the next best way to go. I've taken a couple days off from working on my site to give my brain a rest. As I've stated many times I am a total tech tard and it takes time for me to wrap my mind around some of this stuff. I am pleased to say I'm making progress though. Too bad "self educated" doesn't hold any weight on a job resume. Which IMO is stupid.

People who teach themselves often do so with a greater desire to learn as opposed to those who are force fed it every day. One thing I hated about school was being forced to take classes that had nothing to do with my major [when I went.] I don't like the idea of them trying to force me to be a well rounded individual. I accomplished that on my own.

Anyways, Im looking forward to trip. Hopefully it will storm down there but all indications point to sunny warm weather...darn. Is it any wonder I belong there and not here.

OH, DUH...speaking of marketing. I will be participating in a promo at a local Best Buy, presumably on Nov 15th but the date has yet to be confirmed. The funny thing is, technology is the main angle to promote sales at the store. I am the least technologically advanced chaser out there...but Ive got enough flare to attract people I guess. More details on that to come.

I also ordered a laptop mount for the truck finally. I'm moving up in the world.

Big Fall Storm Brewing?

Like many I have been glued to the models watching, waiting and hoping this whopper of a storm comes to life as currently shown.

Well, maybe not the 12Z as it shifted the main area of interest to the east, but I think this run is a bit too fast with things. If ridging in the east develops in the wake of a midweek storm I would think that should keep this system from rocketing into Ohio by 0z Sat.

I wont get into it too much because the models are still bouncing the timing and location all over the place. What has been consistent though is the showing of a very powerful storm system with the potential for a multi day widespread severe weather threat. I do believe all modes will be possible. Tornado threat is conditional based on instability. It wont take much, with a system like this I think 750j/kg is all wed need.

I will take any chase right now though, I have no problems driving a couple hours for a raging, evil looking squall line that mows the forest with an 80mph gust front. Whatever I can get to build up my stock video library. Straight line wind footage can be just as, and sometimes more intense than tornado footage.

Fall Colors 2009

Storm chasing as a whole has several tangent areas of interests that go along with it. One of those would be photography. I enjoy photography, but it is probably the tangent area I'm least educated in. Furthermore I do not own a fancy camera, just your basic Sony all purpose digital camera, the kind that fits in your pocket.

Nevertheless, being off work has allowed me to explore some new venues with my free time. I decided to venture to the local forest preserves and shoot the fall scene for the first time. I enjoyed it. It was a nice fall day with temps around 70. The sky was a bit hazy so good sky/tree contrast wasn't going to happen...but tomorrow will begin 3 days of rain, wind and hopefully thunderstorms. We're at peak now and the incoming system will likely shred the trees of what little they have left. It was a bit breezy too which made some macro shots a little difficult.

Unless I find an insane deal I likely wont be acquiring a more professional type camera anytime soon. I would love to have one though, and start learning the tricks of the trade, but for now as always, I make do with what Ive got. I have many other things chase related to purchase before a nice still camera.

Here are some photos.















Perhaps it was the hazy sky but the colors weren't all that vibrant with the exception of a few trees. I went fishing in northern MI last week and I remember seeing amazing colors up there along the interstate. I should have shot the colors up there. I'm no foliage expert but it was pretty dry and cool here for most of autumn with the exception of the last week. I think that has lead to a duller-than normal year. Brown and down is the saying Ive heard. Typical of 2009 I guess.

Its always fun to experiment with new things though. I love and enjoy everything about the outdoors. At the very least it was nice to be out on a beautiful fall day.