Storm Chasing Handbook (Paperback)

~ Tim Vasquez (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Such a book is long overdue. I highly recommend the Storm Chasing Handbook, whether you intend to chase or not!" -- Keith Heidorn, PhD, Weather Doctor Book Reviews, Jan. 10, 2003

Product Description

The Storm Chasing Handbook is the definitive bible on storm chasing, packed with nearly 300 pages of storm chase history, philosophy, technique, and travel information. Learn about tornadoes, hail, gustnadoes, lightning, thunderstorms, and much more. Using key findings from the past four decades of scientific literature, readers learn the inner workings of severe weather and dabble with the fundamentals of forecasting techniques, blended with wisdom from the author’s own experiences. Many skilled chasers contribute their own wisdom in the form of anecdotes, tales, and funny stories. From target area and storm type prediction to successful, safe navigation, the Storm Chasing Handbook has it covered. A large appendix features a Great Plains travel guide covering local history, culture, meteorology, and geology for nearly 100 chase routes, as well as broadcast radio and NOAA weather maps, a summary of past chase years, and much more!

Includes nearly a dozen illustrations and cartoons by pioneer and storm artist David Hoadley, some of which were commissioned especially for this book. Contains great photographs by Roger Hill, Gene Rhoden, Karen Leszke, Roger Edwards, and the author himself.

Perfect for new chasers looking for a good start, seasoned veterans looking for travel information, chase tour customers, weather hobbyists, and anyone who deals with severe weather on a regular basis.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Weather Graphics Technologies (October 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970684037
• ISBN-13: 978-0970684035
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #144,123 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last! A comprehensive chase manual!, February 17, 2003

By	Jason Persoff, M.D. (stormdoctor.com) (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Tim Vasquez has long been recognized as one of the leaders in the storm chasing community. He has created the first book that truly captures the technical and aesthetic aspects of storm chasing. Not only is this an excellent review of the mechanics of mesoscale meteorology and forecasting, but to-date not a single book even comes close to acting as a "hands on" manual for chasers (as the manual gains stature I'd love to see even more forecasting details). Few books can explain the nuances of mesoscale forecasting without delving into differential equations; this book allows the lay reader a chance to "see" what's behind those equations and to "feel" what the weather map is showing. Great illustrations really buoy the experience.

What sets this book apart though is the excellent references on photography to geography and things to do on the down days. Recent years have suffered from a relative paucity of good storms (Tim also includes summaries of most chase years essentially proving this same point), so having places to sightsee while waiting for the environment to play nice (i.e., to be stormy) is key. Most neophytes to chasing probably do not know that most chasers, like myself, spend a lot of time _not_ chasing; statistically the weather is not going to be "ominous" day after day. A lot of time is spent just waiting or driving to "tomorrow's" chase location. This book is appropriately >50% dedicated to those times and included so much information I didn't know about the places I've spent years visiting. This will definitely enrich my experience this year.

Well done and absolutely essential to any chaser!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to storm chasing., March 21, 2004

By	Mark H. Rosengarten "geocacher" (Wallkill, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A fairly comprehensive guide to introductory storm chasing. A little more info on the forecasting would have been good, though much of it is covered in Vasquez's Weather Forecasting Handbook. After a one-week storm tour with Silver Lining Tours in 2003, this book really helped me to make sense of the things that I saw and springboarded me on a year of research so that I will be better prepared for my 2004 storm chase with SLT. The tips that were included gave me the goal of trying to see something other than a tornado (which we did not see on the tour last year). It made me realize the beauty of other storm structures to the point where now I just take delight in sitting and watching cumulus clouds rise and fade. Thank you, Tim Vasquez, for helping to ensure that this year's chase will be even more fulfilling than last year's!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I'd written it!, October 2, 2003

By	Ericka B. Gray (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've now bought three copies and given two to friends. Tim knows storms and he knows the ins and outs of storm chasing. I just wish he'd writtin it before I started chasing so I didn't have to learn the hard way. This is a must for anyone interested in chasing. From forecasting to food, with information on equipment, chase partners, safety, and things to do when the weather's good, this book is a great resource. It will be in my bag on my next chase.