Storm chasing
When I started at Ball State in 2007, I was asked to teach a class on storm chasing. Since then, I have led nearly 20 trips to the Great Plains, covering more than 120,000 miles, and seen hundreds of supercell thunderstorms and dozens of tornadoes.
Ball State storm chasing
I teach one or two storm chasing classes at Ball State every summer. These are classes, not tours; students learn about how the weather works before leaving and then make most of the decisions in the field. My role is to be the mentor. I love seeing the beauty of nature and watching the students transform over the course of the trip into confident, veteran storm chasers.
Students at Ball State and other U.S. universities are welcome to join me any summer, space permitting.
Please click the button below for more information about the Ball State storm chase class (METC 490/590).
Private storm chasing
If you are not a student and want to see the awesome power and beauty of nature, more than a dozen companies offer storm chasing tours every spring and summer. Tours vary widely in style and quality; they may be large or small; operators may be professional meteorologists with customized vehicles and professional staff or they may be little more than enthusiasts with their own personal vehicles. Always vet your tour provider carefully. You can find storm chasing tours via online search. StormchasingUSA (external link) has an extensive list of tours and reviews. (I am not affiliated with that site or any tour organizations.)
If you want to chase with me, I can arrange a private tour in June after I return from my Ball State class. A private tour offers greater access to the tour leaders (you're always in the vehicle where the decisions are made) and you can even be involved in the decision making yourself. The downside is that because the size is much smaller, the cost is two to three times as much as a regular public tour. If you are interested, click the button below for more information.