How many people are storm chasers?

How many people are storm chasers?

The NWS says there are now about 400,000 trained weather spotters across the US, and while not all chase tornadoes, there has been an anecdotal rise over the past 25 years in the number of people turning out to follow storms.

Who trains Stormspots?

To obtain critical weather information, the National Weather Service (NWS) established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters.

Do storm chasers make money?

A storm chaser makes a median salary of $18,000 a year, mostly from selling data, video, and photography they take. However a meteorologist makes far more than this, and are usually paid a salary by an employer.

Do people still chase twisters?

Today, anyone with a car and a smartphone can go storm chasing. There are apps that precisely anticipate where a supercell will form and where a tornado will make landfall.

How do storm chasers make a living?

Some people do become a storm chaser full time, they sell date, photos, and video recordings to media agencies to make their income. They have to invest a lot of what they make into travel, equipment, and legal costs. If there are no storms, they don’t make any money.

Can Storm Chasing be a career?

Storm chasing is a highly valued job, and the field itself is highly reputable. This is because storm chasing allows for data to be collected on winds and storms, which can prove valuable for weather forecasts and predicting weather patterns. This is considered important fieldwork.

How many people are trained to chase tornadoes?

Their main responsibility is to inform the service about severe local storms. The NWS says there are now about 400,000 trained weather spotters across the US, and while not all chase tornadoes, there has been an anecdotal rise over the past 25 years in the number of people turning out to follow storms.

How many storm chasers are there in the US?

The NWS says there are now about 400,000 trained weather spotters across the US, and while not all chase tornadoes, there has been an anecdotal rise over the past 25 years in the number of people turning out to follow storms. Storm chasers tend to put this down to one event: the release of the film Twister in 1996.

How many miles does it take to chase a storm?

Typical storm chase. Chasing often involves driving thousands of miles in order to witness the relatively short window of time of active severe thunderstorms. It is not uncommon for a chaser to end up empty handed on any particular day.

What are the main objectives of Storm Chasers?

While witnessing a tornado is the single biggest objective for most chasers, many chase thunderstorms and delight in viewing cumulonimbus and related cloud structures, watching a barrage of hail and lightning, and seeing what skyscapes unfold. A smaller number of storm chasers attempt to intercept tropical cyclones and waterspouts.