Blog Profiles: Storm Chasing Blogs

Welcome to Blog Profiles! Each week, we select a topic and handful of blogs that do a great job contributing to the conversation. Our latest edition focuses on unique storm chasing blogs. Do you have a blog that deserves recognition? Tweet our writers at @BeyondBylines.

When I was a kid, I was really into tornadoes, solely due to the Twister ride at Disney World in Orlando. I also used to make my dad tape two plastic bottles together and put liquid in one so that I could watch the tornado-in-a-bottle effect.

I was also insanely scared of these storms and thought that people who chased them were actually crazy.

If you have a similar fascination for storm watching and chasing, check out these blogs.

1. Virginia Storm Chasing

I was initially drawn to this blog because Virginia is just a stone’s throw away from me.

Chris White has been chasing storms for almost two decades and has chased all over the state of Virginia. Virginia Storm Chasing also features a livestream, allowing people who are scared but interested (like me) to watch along while Chris chases the storms.

Posts I liked: #vawx 2020 Virginia storm chase photo countdown: #3; and #vawx 2020 Virginia storm chase photos: #8.

Follow @stormchasevirginia on Facebook.

2. Tornado Titans

Two storm chasers created Tornado Titans in 2009. Since then, the team has grown and the blog has become immensely popular. Most of the blog is video-based, and the writing team provides quick blurbs about the videos.

One aspect of this blog that I really found interesting was Titan U, an easy-to-navigate instructional segment for people looking to break into the storm chasing field or just expand their knowledge of how storms work. The resources they offer range from videos to full instructional courses.

My favorite posts: Snow on top of Sandia Crest near Albuquerque, NM! (November 27, 2020); and The Lost Chases Collection – How Not to See a Tornado.

Follow @TornadoTitans on Twitter.   

https://twitter.com/TornadoTitans/status/1349006293705621513

3. StormChasingUSA

Christoffer Björkwall, a Swedish storm chaser and storm chasing tour-guide, manages this blog. StormChasingUSA gives an insider perspective of an industry that I wasn’t previously aware of (storm chasing tours, also known as storm safaris). His blog is especially interesting right now because it describes how the coronavirus has impacted the storm chasing industry.

Like Tornado Titans, StormChasingUSA provides some educational resources, but these focus on what to expect from a storm chasing tour and how to prepare for one.

Posts I enjoyed: How will the Coronavirus (COVID-19) affect the storm chasing tours in 2020?; and My storm chasing vacation of 2020 is cancelled – and it is painful.

Follow @stormchasingusa on Twitter.

This. This is my new Tornado Experience Goal: A white tornado, perfectly visible, by the road in open landscape, with an incredible wrapping and dusty debris. If I could get a photo like this I'd feel I could retire from Storm Chasing right away. Like, what else is there to get? https://t.co/PUzK9AvF8O

— Christoffer🌪Björkwall (@StormChasingUSA) October 22, 2020

4. Jon Davies Severe Weather Notes

I was initially attracted to this blog because the first post is a small, detailed biography about a well-known forecaster and weather researcher that recently passed, and the history behind anything always piques my curiosity.

This blog is slightly different from the previous ones because it mostly involves storm analysis. Jon has 35 years of experience in meteorology, and most of this blog provides in-depth scientific explanations of the different aspects of storms (how they formed, how they appear on satellite, etc.).

Posts I loved: Robert (Bob) Johns – dynamic SPC forecaster and researcher – passes away at 78; and The August 10, 2020, Midwest Derecho – how did it develop?

Follow @JonShawnaDavies on Twitter.

Just did a brief analysis of last week's EF4 setting in MN. It wasn't exactly an environment where you'd say, "Wow, that's going to produce a violent tornado." See https://t.co/kFuJTyVvXs. #mnwx #newx #tornadoes #tornado pic.twitter.com/3ZUzvvRu13

— Jon & Shawna Davies (@JonShawnaDavies) July 16, 2020

P.S. Ever wonder how we come up with ideas for our blog profiles? Our handy list of industries and subjects on PR Newswire for Journalists stays top of mind. If you’re a blogger or journalist looking for environmental news, let us know. We can customize a newsfeed for you.

Savannah Tanbusch is a team lead and editor for PRWeb. She spends a lot of her free time thinking about dogs and playing video games. Follow her at @StopandSayHello.