Monday, May 16, 2005
Daily audio update
Audio edited by Seth M. Gitner
The Roanoke Times' weather expert Kevin Myatt and fellow storm chasers chat about what they found each day.

Listen to more reports: Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
| Day 8 | Day 9


DAY 10
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Goodland, Kan.

Impressive storms on the crew's last day make the trip worthwhile.

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "I've seen some things I've never seen before. It's hard to describe what you see with these supercell storms."

To listen to the full audio report, click the link below:

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DAY 9
Monday, May 23, 2005
McCook, Neb.

More clear weather greets the chasers as they hang out in the High Plains. However, the Storm Prediction Center highlights their area for severe weather risks, including tornadoes.

Amanda Worrell
Worrell: "I think it's fun because we have random conversations about probably the craziest topics on earth. We just talk and goof off, and we're just a big group of friends who go out ... and have a lot of fun just hanging out together."

To listen to the full audio report (1:11 minutes), click the link below:

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "We're getting down to the last three days of this trip, and we've seen just one storm up close. It's about par for the course."

To listen to the full audio report (2:42 minutes), click the link below:

DAY 8
Sunday, May 22, 2005
McCook, Neb.

No good storms have been sighted yet. During a tornado watch Saturday, they chased the only thing chaseable, but it just didn't have enough juice to turn into something more. But the team is keeping spirits up by sharing weather jokes, such as "You might be a storm chaser if your favorite food is funnel cake."

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "These students have all gotten real world experience with meteorology and storm chasing ... and in that way it will be a success regardless."

To listen to the full audio report (2:20 minutes), click the link below:

DAY 7
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Sioux City, Iowa

The chasers are looking at a potentially explosive severe weather situation in the area. The team is parked and waiting for the show.

Seth Price
Price: "So far, the ride's been up and down. We've had our moments of excitement, and we've had our days of waiting and sometimes driving and not seeing anything."

To listen to the full audio report (1:35 minutes), click the link below:

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "We've been in a pretty intense mode waiting for this storm."

To listen to the full audio report (1:50 minutes), click the link below:

DAY 6
Friday, May 20, 2005
Council Bluffs, Iowa

They're moving north to find a stronger setup in parts of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Isaac Sarver
Sarver: "The staple of the storm chasing diet so far has been Reese's Fast Breaks and Mountain Dew. Twizzlers are also good."

To listen to the full audio report (1:07 minutes), click the link below:

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "It looks like there will be storms, and we'll be here to see whatever we can find up in this part of the country."

To listen to the full audio report (1:04 minutes), click the link below:

DAY 5
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Blackwell, Okla.

The team had a busted chase yesterday afternoon, but they saw a few small storms at sunset. Today, they have a slight chance of severe weather and are going to head northeast to where Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri meet.

Jacob Carley
Carley: "It's been amazing ... being out here a couple of days, I feel like I'm a semester ahead of everybody already. This is a great learning experience."

To listen to the full audio report (1:07 minutes), click the link below:

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "Yesterday didn't go as planned. That's part of the chasing. You have to guess it and be there before it happens. And you've got to stay a step ahead of it, and sometimes it doesn't work out."

To listen to the full audio report (1:59 minutes), click the link below:


DAY 4
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Salina, Kan.

Our storm chasers have circled back to Salina, Kan., after driving through some hail in Nebraska. Several chasers and spotters have reported some spinning of dust along the way. They're keeping their eye out for the classic supercell storms.

Beth Owens
Owens: "We ran into a hailer. But it was intense at moments because we couldn't see because of the rain squalls and all the hail that was coming down."

To listen to the full audio report (54 seconds), click the link below:

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "It overall looks like a strong pattern for severe weather and possibly even a few tornadoes."

To listen to the full audio report (2:32 minutes), click the link below:


DAY 3
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Salina, Kan.

The storm chasers are hopeful that conditions are going to come together for a few supercells.

Ethan Knocke
Knocke: "This is prime weather for traveling. But as for chasing, this is not what we wanted because it's perfectly clear throughout."

To listen to the full audio report (2:07 minutes), click the link below:

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "We have very strong south winds probably gusting around 30 mph. It's a sunny day -- that shows us there may be some heating, and we need all of that because there's not a lot of moisture."

To listen to the full audio report (31 seconds), click the link below:


DAY 2
Monday, May 16, 2005
Mount Vernon, Ill.

The crew has started their 10-day tour through Tornado Alley. No twisters have been sighted yet, but they're preparing for their first chase.

Anthony Phillips
Phillips: "We've been looking at different things, testing radios, everything like that ... and getting ready."

To listen to the full audio report (34 seconds), click the link below:

Kevin Myatt
Myatt: "The weather has been extremely clear, extremely calm. It's been very beautiful. It's a very beautiful drive across West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois ... "

To listen to the full audio report (1:05 minutes), click the link below:



(C)2005 The Roanoke Times