Announcement from StormGroup Chasers for the 2021 season

I think it’s quite unlikely that International travel to/from the US will be allowed from New Zealand, either until the US gets their Covid-19 outbreak under control, or a widely available vaccine becomes available ... both those outcomes will probably only become clearer much later this year.

I suspect NZ will want to zealously guard its border for quite some time to avoid re-importing the virus as we aggressively open up our domestic economy.

I’m not at all confident that the US is capable of the necessary social cohesion to “squash” the virus any time soon.

I won't make a decision on whether I'll be able to run a 2021 season until later this year - will post a 2021 schedule when I make that decision.

In the meantime, I've run “virtual storm chasing” tours for 2020 on StormGroup Chasers on our Facebook page.  You'll find these "virtual tours" on the dates for the cancelled 2020 tours.

Updates to the photos in the Gallery for the 2019 chase season will be up shortly.

What's so special about storm chasing with StormGroup Chasers? ... 

"Lagniappe, that little something extra that life occasionally hands to us ... the greatest lagniappe is the new eyes with which I scan my Mississippi skies" - Jo Ann, a guest on Tour 4 in 2018.

"You will experience things you've only dreamed of and take the pictures of a lifetime" - Susie, a guest on Tour 2 in 2018.

"Road-trip roulette aided by meteorology ... a constant sense of adventure and a giddiness to waking up each morning with no earthly idea where you might end up next" - Brad, a guest on Tour 1 in 2017.

Come and see what a great vacation experience you can have chasing storms on the Plains, on a unique personalised storm chasing tour run on a non-profit basis - the best value-for-money tour group on the Plains.

Tour costs are just $1,850 US$ for a 7 day tour, and just $2,675 US$ for a 10 day tour.

What We Have to Offer You

Be part of a group of like-minded people joining together to pursue and capture the "whole severe storm experience" - tornadoes, supercells, lightning and severe weather of all kinds.

StormGroup Chasers has an impressive track record over the past nine years, with 70 tornadoes witnessed, including some major EF5 tornadoes.  We have been on most of the major outbreaks over the years - including Joplin, La Crosse, Kingfisher, Ault, Moore, Carney, Hutchinson, El Reno & Dodge City.

The tours are scheduled at the height of the severe weather/tornado season in the United States - if you'd like to see how the season usually evolves <based on long-term averages> check out the NOAA site at https://www.spc.noaa.gov/new/SVRclimo/climo.php?parm=allTorn - you can step through the year, week by week, to see how the tornado probabilities change. However, weather is highly variable from year to year, so there really is no better week than any other in the 2020 tour schedule - each week will likely have multiple severe weather highlights, and we chase any and all opportunities to see supercells and tornadoes as Mother Nature makes available in any given week.

Using only one vehicle, with 4 guests on each tour, this is a very nimble and flexible approach to storm chasing - no one is packed into large vans, and there are no large groups to herd through meals and rest stops.  We eat in unique local restaurants for breakfast & dinner where possible, and usually have picnic lunches with healthy food in parks/scenic areas, with lots of time to target all severe weather, while still maintaining a "humane" personal approach to each guest's needs on the long driving days.

Check out the testimonials page http://www.stormgroupchasers.com/testimonials from 46 very happy participants over the years, and the loyalty shown by people who book repeatedly each year.

Read through an interview with Peter Wharton, Founder of StormGroup Chasers, for an insight into the background to SGC - https://www.stormchasingusa.com/blog/interview-with-peter-wharton-owner-of-stormgroup-chasers/.

Experience each season's chasing highlights from 2011 through 2019 under Find out more about previous years tours, and scroll down on the pages to see what great vacation highlights are on offer.  

If you'd like to see what an actual tour looks like, click on Experience an actual tour and view the .pdf file for Tour 3 in 2017.

And, if you'd like to compare us with the other tour groups operating on the Plains, check out the independent review site at http://www.stormchasingusa.com/tour-operators/

During each chase season, detailed chase accounts, along with photos & video, are posted on our Facebook page - StormGroup Chasers - if you're interested, please follow us on Facebook.

Better yet, join us in 2020, or maybe convince someone else that they should have this unique experience - don't miss this opportunity to chase with a safe and proven team.

Booking Options and Direct Tour Costs

You can either book a 7 day tour or a 10 day tour - these are full days chasing on the road.  To maximise your chances of seeing a tornado, come chasing for the full 10 days on Tours 4 or 5.

For a 7 day tour, the total direct tour costs are $1,850 US$ made up of your tour deposit of $1,400, plus 6 nights hotels on the road for about $450.

For a 10 day tour, the total direct tour costs are $2,675 US$ made up of your tour deposit of $2,000, plus 9 nights hotels on the road for about $675.

The tour deposit covers all tour operating costs, and includes the costs for your hotel bookings in Oklahoma City for the opening and closing nights of your tour.

The Chase

Whether you know a lot about chasing severe storms or are just beginning to explore Mother Nature's fury, StormGroup Chasers will offer you a unique collaborative experience where the key words are communication, learning, photography and fun.

With access to all of the weather software and forecasting sites and models, you’ll be able to take part in the daily decision-making about chase targets, while learning about what drives severe storms, based on over fifteen years of chasing, severe storm forecasting and a life-time interest in the weather.

Each tour is either seven or ten days on the road using one chase vehicle, allowing flexibility of movement to make the best use of our chase days. With two drivers and four passengers, everyone has a window seat. While there is never any guarantee of tornadoes, StormGroup Chasers will chase all available storms for the best "severe storm experience".

While safety is paramount, being able to creatively photograph the experience is a primary objective. From the power and beauty of a tornado or supercell, to a striking cloud formation, or a beautiful sunset, or a scene encountered on route, each day will take into account our shared love of photography.

To share the drama of our storm chasing experiences, look at the daily chasing accounts, photos, video and comments from our group members at https://www.facebook.com/groups/164953656849506/.

Consider joining us for a personalised and flexible approach to experiencing the annual drama on the Plains - a unique collaborative chasing opportunity.

For further information, please use the Contact Us form.

P.S. Many thanks to Trudy Rudolph for her work on the initial design concepts for StormGroup Chasers, and the team at Brown Paper Bag for their design and execution of the web site.