Welcome to Texas A&M Atmospheric Sciences and Storm Chasing — a three-part series showcasing how Aggie researchers are uncovering the science behind severe weather. From tracking supercells on the plains to advancing radar technology and forecasting tools, Texas A&M’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences is leading work that saves lives and expands our understanding of the skies. This series on a student field trip takes you through the full storm-chasing experience: preparing to chase, the chase in action and the future shaped by chase data.
In part one, we go behind the scenes as students spend the spring semester preparing for the chase through evening sessions on storm chasing history, tornado research and severe weather forecasting.
Before heading into the field, Texas A&M students in the Convective Storms Field Studies course spent the spring semester building the skills needed for storm chasing. Each month, they met in evening sessions to study the history of storm chasing, review past tornado research and practice severe weather forecasting.
Assignments reinforced those lessons. Students mapped tornado geography across the Plains, analyzed past storm tracks and worked with weather models to better understand storm development. They also trained on the equipment they would use in the field, including HAM radios for communication, weather balloons for collecting atmospheric data and ceilometers for measuring cloud heights.
As the May chase period approached, students rotated through forecasting roles, producing daily outlooks and refining their predictions as conditions changed. Their forecasts and balloon launches were also shared with National Weather Service offices and the Storm Prediction Center, adding a real-world component to the class.
“The growth from reading weather maps to leading forecast discussions was one of the most important parts of the course,” said Dr. Chris Nowotarski, who led the project.
By the time the chase began, students had months of preparation behind them and were ready to put the chase into action.