It looks like the chase is due to get off to a blistering start.  And there I was worried about 10 days of blue skies!
The US currently has a very active weather front moving across it.  Indeed as I write this it’s delivering hail and lightning to Oklahoma City outside my hotel room.  That’s going to move into Arkansas for this evening and there is a risk of strong tornadoes.
Today is the day the rest of my fellow storm-troopers fly in and we gather at the base hotel in another part of the city.  Our guides will actually be chasing the Arkansas storms and then picking us up at 5am Monday for the start of our chase.  Looks like we’ve got a bit of a grind to get into position for Monday night’s storms in the Deep South.
Whilst all this is exciting and there’s a very large part of me that wants to see a tornado, let’s not forget that these areas are places where people live and whose lives these storms could jeopardise. However, by us being there and watching for these storms we can assist in early warning and give people vital extra time to take shelter.  It’s one of the reasons I did both the basic and advanced Stormwarn training classes – so I can help play a part in the warning process rather than just be a bystander.  If you know people in those affected areas, please tell them to pay close attention to local weather sources!
Anyways, I must now pack, check out and drop the hire car off.  There’s a written update of what I am up to due to go live sometime today (in case you missed or couldn’t be bothered to watch the video) and I think the first of my blog posts detailing the final month of preparation is due to go live within the next 24 hours.  I’ll update live when I can!