Storm Chasers making changes for 2020

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This article was published 30/04/2020 (2201 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of daily life, even if your hobby is storm chasing.

Mandi Grayston, who chases storms with her partner, Jeff Plas, said they are preparing for some changes during this summer’s storm season.

Storm chasing is about observing and documenting different weather phenomena first-hand. Grayston said they also report weather hazards, like strong winds or hail.

She started the hobby when she was very young. Her father, who was a navigator in the air force, would teach her about different weather patterns from their backyard. That curiosity continued, and approximately eight years ago, she and Plas decided to jump into their cars and see the weather for themselves.

“We did a lot of driving around anyway and weird weather always seemed to find us … we got more serious about it and it launched from that moment,” she said, adding the appeal is about seeing the beautiful formations Mother Nature can produce and the power that comes with them.

One of the first big storms the two came across was during a drive to Minot, N.D.

“We were going between Pipestone and Minot and we just got caught in the most insane hail, winds, we had a wall cloud — the precursor to a tornado — we had to pull over and just hunker down,” she said.

“It was incredible. We got some really amazing pictures.”

That was before they started checking weather reports or radar — Grayston jokes that “it found us.” Now, they plan ahead and look for weather patterns days before that could result in a powerful storm before getting in the car to track it down.

The 2019 season wasn’t that fruitful for storms, Grayston said, but she was hoping 2020 would be more active. That was until the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything in March and threw a wrench into their plans.

“It’s a whole different world for us, too,” she said.

The coronavirus-related travel restrictions mean the duo behind Westman Storm Chasers will have to stay inside Manitoba for now, instead of chasing storms in Saskatchewan or North Dakota, where they develop more often.

“Depending on where we thought our target area was, no matter if it was in Saskatchewan or North Dakota or halfway across Manitoba, in years past it was just like ‘OK, we’re going there.’ Of course, now that magic spot to start your storm chase — if it’s Saskatchewan or North Dakota — it’s just not going to happen,” she said.

“We have to stay home in Manitoba and hope something happens in Manitoba this year.”

The two would also try to support local businesses in whatever part of the Prairies storm chasing took them to, but that also can’t happen due to the pandemic.

“Usually May, June is going to be some of the best storm weather, and I don’t think that’s gong to happen this year,” she said.

While interprovincial or cross-border travel looks doubtful this year, Westman Storm Chasers just acquired a new chase vehicle — a new Nissan Rogue. The new ride has Westman Storm Chasers logos adorning the sides, and is outfitted with a dashboard camera and other modifications.

“We’re so excited about that, we had a sponsorship with Fowler Nissan,” Grayston said. “We’re souping it up now.”

The storm-chasing community in Westman isn’t as large as in parts of the United States, but there are others in Manitoba who picked up the hobby and have the same fascination with weather. For people who want to get started, Grayston said the most important thing is to be safe and educated before jumping into it.

“We love seeing people out there and being fascinated with the weather, but just be safe about it, know what you’re doing, don’t put yourself in a dangerous position because Mother Nature is beautiful, but she can slap you hard.” 

 

» dmay@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @DrewMay_