2011 Stormchase Chat & Banter

[DubWeatherAddict]

yup same boat, but 7ups aint that a bit generous?

haha... ok ok... Water shall do!

[IanM]

I can recommend the Caxton FX card, we have used them for the past 4 tours, no problems at all. Just don't use any pre pay card to for security deposits or reservations (not that you will have to touring with us). They reserve the funds, so you have to wait for the reservation to clear, which can take up to 30 days before the cash is released back to you.

For example - reserve a hotel room on line with the card for $100, and they effectively take $100 from you card to honour the reservation, then if you pay as you leavfe with the same card the hotel system takes a debit of $100 and releases the reservation fee, which then takes 30 days to be credited back to your card.

Like I say not a problem as we pay for the rooms, car hire etc, but if you ever use one for your own trip, bear this in mind

[Dorsetbred]

******C A X T O N W A R N I N G***********

******C A X T O N W A R N I N G***********

Caxton cards cannot be used to pay for fines as issued by law enforcement

Officer Darling was heard to say

" Aye bubba wat d'you call that there thing?"

"It ain't no credit card, mista"

To which Ian replied "Oh so sorry officer, I was trying to show you my business card"

Not good get out of jail equipment

******C A X T O N W A R N I N G***********

******C A X T O N W A R N I N G***********

[Gorky]

Oh Yeah

Forgot about the Initiation ceremony drinks and also if we chase in States that begin with a

T

O

K

N

L

W

I

S

C

A

M

Then you have to buy the 1st round of drinks :wacko:

Best take $1,000 if your on Ian Camerons Tour

I chased in Utah one day in 2009 so I guess I'd have had a cheap day. The fact I was on my own would have made the round cheap anyways I guess

[Cookie]

Its odd I am looking forward to this, but it just hasn't quite sunk in that im actually going to be doing this!

dose that make sense?

[dogs32]

Im taking cash again....got ripped last year..

can anyone recommend a place to change to dollars?

[Ross B]

http://travelmoney.moneysavingexpert.com/holiday-money/#results

I usually use ICE scotland but i'm sure you can find a decent enough place near you dogs!

BTW- Santandder credit card might be free to withdraw cash but will most likely charge interest from withdrawl. (Not checked that though)

[duckeyh]

Its odd I am looking forward to this, but it just hasn't quite sunk in that im actually going to be doing this!

dose that make sense?

The feeling doesn't go away at least until you've seen your 1st real supercell...........then it's even weirder when you've been back for a few month's and you look back at your photos

[Paul Sherman]

One thing I will say is be prepared for some very Harsh Conditions in New Mexico, Texas Panhandle, Western North Texas and South West Texas. They are under an Extreme Drought at the moment so for others that have seen amazing Wildflowers (Esp Tours 1 & 2) when we will probably be down in Texas dont expect much but brown barren land this year, obviously if the rains come between now and end of April conditions can change very quickly. One of my first years chasing was extreme drought and Texas looked bone dry and desert like, other years have seen almost UK Countryside conditions in Texas with plenty of Green.

I am glad there is some convection in the Southern Panhandle this evening, and also Monday looks good for some Severe Storms near the Childress to Abilene area if the Models hold together, what they really need is an MCS To dump a good few inches and not Hit and Miss Storms though.

Paul S

[gpspete]

can we find somewhere that sells green beer James had some we will have to get the lowdown on it when out in Oklahoma

[dogs32]

cheers Ross will check it out...

message for Paul....One way ticket... :lol:

between me and you

there always be a england..who sung this Vera Lynne

LOL only kidding Paul...

would you stay with english Storms or the plains :lol:

171 on the Tornado graph....where have I been...last I looked it was 91

Signs point to active tornado season this year

signs-point-to-active-tornado.season...

Local meteorologists are anticipating a potentially active tornado season in Kansas this spring.

"I'm quite concerned this could be a very busy tornado season," said Mike Smith, president of WeatherData Inc., a Wichita subsidiary of AccuWeather.

There are two reasons for those concerns, he said: across the United States it has been wetter than it has been since the Palmer Drought Index was developed more than 40 years ago, and a high pressure dome over British Columbia is redirecting the jet stream right through Tornado Alley.

That's a combustible combination, Smith said.

"In March and April, we have these weather systems come through that would be tornado-prolific, except they don't typically have enough moisture to work with," Smith said. "That's not going to be a problem this year."

That set-up brought snow storms every fourth day or so to the Plains, he said.

"That may turn into tornadoes every few days" somewhere in the heartland once temperatures begin to warm up, Smith said.

It's difficult to offer long-term forecasts for tornadoes, but local meteorologists look for clues where they can.

One theory gaining credence among researchers is the green line, or wheat belt, theory developed by the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.

The theory suggests strong thunderstorms form along a line of moisture created when winter wheat transfers water from the soil to the atmosphere.

"Wheat is very efficient in transferring moisture from the ground into the atmosphere," Cook said.

Temperatures have stayed stubbornly cool so far this year, delaying the greening of farm vegetation.

But it's been a wet winter in Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska, so the wheat belt should emerge from its winter hibernation strongly, said Ken Cook, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wichita.

That means the "green line" should set up in central Kansas, he said. That happened in 2007, the year of the Greensburg tornado outbreak.

Dry lines — where dry air clashes with warm, moist air — stall next to that moisture at night. When the sun heats up the atmosphere the next day, the dry line encourages instability —which is a vital ingredient for the formation of intense thunderstorms.

In addition to the wet winter and the green line theory, the jet stream also offers clues to how active the tornado season may be.

"All of us have been noticing a very active southern branch of the jet stream," KSN meteorologist Dave Freeman said in an e-mail. "If this pattern persists, it will eventually migrate further north with the warming of spring. That would potentially give us an active weather pattern."

Forecasters say it's difficult to offer long-range forecasts on something as unpredictable as tornadoes.

Research meteorologist Harold Brooks with the National Severe Storms Laboratory wrote in a blog post that the fact that only one tornado was recorded in the country in February sheds little light on the rest of the tornado season.

It means "somewhere between a little and nothing at all," wrote Brooks, who is based in Norman, Okla. "Most years that have started out with few tornadoes have ended up average or below. However, there have been big exceptions."

In 2003, for instance, tornado season was virtually silent through the end of April. Within a two-week period, however, so many tornadoes touched down the year was considered more active than normal.

"In the end, we will just have to wait and see and, of course, be prepared!" Freeman said.

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/03/09/1216496/signs-point-to-active-tornado.html#ixzz1HjWCoeKq

if you didnt book up its not my fault :lol:

time to see Toto

here is another from another State

More Dangerous Tornado Season Expected This Year

...

Edited March 25, 2011 by dogs32

[nsrobins]

Im taking cash again....got ripped last year..

can anyone recommend a place to change to dollars?

Have you considered a dollar card such as CaxtonFX?

I used one in Florida last October and in was clean and friendly. Load it online and get a pretty good rate. The rate is then locked in. Can then use it as a credit/debit card and for ATMs (no charge) up to loaded funds. Easy to manage online too.

http://www.caxtonfx.com/

current rate $1.602/£ which is competitive

[Dorsetbred]

Have you considered a dollar card such as CaxtonFX?

I used one in Florida last October and in was clean and friendly. Load it online and get a pretty good rate. The rate is then locked in. Can then use it as a credit/debit card and for ATMs (no charge) up to loaded funds. Easy to manage online too.

http://www.caxtonfx.com/

current rate $1.602/£ which is competitive

Yep earlier in this thread we were discussing the Caxton card, of which I have one for intermittent use.

[duckeyh]

Yep earlier in this thread we were discussing the Caxton card, of which I have one for intermittent use.

you seem to get a better fx rate on fairfax fx but there is a 1.5% transaction fee so it's probably better to use if you are only planning to withdraw cash. I chose this one more as you aren't protected on pre paid cards if the Company goes bust

[nsrobins]

you seem to get a better fx rate on fairfax fx but there is a 1.5% transaction fee so it's probably better to use if you are only planning to withdraw cash. I chose this one more as you aren't protected on pre paid cards if the Company goes bust

I did a lot of research into the best card and Caxtonfx won the deal. It's backed-up by Newcastle Building Society so your money is as safe as it could be.

[dogs32]

Have you considered a dollar card such as CaxtonFX?

I used one in Florida last October and in was clean and friendly. Load it online and get a pretty good rate. The rate is then locked in. Can then use it as a credit/debit card and for ATMs (no charge) up to loaded funds. Easy to manage online too.

http://www.caxtonfx.com/

current rate $1.602/£ which is competitive

Hi mate,

I remember you from last years chase threads

thx I will look into it...

Just dont want to get the dollars from the Post office again or online places as they rip off alot with your money...thx

[nsrobins]

When I went out in 2008 I took a post office card - no charges and usual protection - and it was fine but the rate wasn't that great.

I have since gone 'credit free' and find teh pre-loaded Caxton to be the best value card on the market with an easy to manage online service.

[dogs32]

When I went out in 2008 I took a post office card - no charges and usual protection - and it was fine but the rate wasn't that great.

I have since gone 'credit free' and find teh pre-loaded Caxton to be the best value card on the market with an easy to manage online service.

great info mate...

I will probably go for this ....

[duckeyh]

I did a lot of research into the best card and Caxtonfx won the deal. It's backed-up by Newcastle Building Society so your money is as safe as it could be.

mmm interesting so is the Fairfax , on balance there's probably no diffference then as i got a better rate on fairfax than caxton

Edited March 25, 2011 by duckeyh

[dogs32]

mmm interesting so is the Fairfax , on balance there's probably no diffference then

so your going for faifax

[duckeyh]

so your going for faifax

Hey Pat, yes I did , normally you have to pay for the card but I found a deal for a free one. Without running the numbers I reckon Caxton and Fairfax are fairly much the same , you get a better rate on Fairfax, but you have a 1.50% transaction fee added on. With Caxton you get a slightly lower fx rate but you don't pay the transaction fee .

I was planning to use cold hard cash when I was out there as I'm not so sure Mastercard is as widely used as Visa.............I maybe wrong

Edited March 25, 2011 by duckeyh

[dogs32]

why dont people just take all the cash with them..this is what I normally do

its just the changing into dollars is a pain

why bother with cards??

Edited March 25, 2011 by dogs32

[duckeyh]

why dont people just take all the cash with them..this is what I normally do

its just the changing into dollars is a pain

why bother with cards??

lol ! I don't know I never carry cash except on holiday...........it drives my family mental !

Edited March 25, 2011 by duckeyh

[dogs32]

lol ! I don't know I never carry cash except on holiday...........it drives my family mental !

OK Im having a hard life at the moment :lol:

be gentle sweetie..lolol

I have a ef5 ordered for you Claire

Edited March 25, 2011 by dogs32

[nsrobins]

I guess it's personal preference at the end of the day - but purely for convenience I found a card to be very useful. Quick for fuel (although you'll presumably have that sorted), easy for shopping and motels and you don't have to carry too much hard cash around with you.

I'm not sure who props-up Fairfax but you need to be confident it's a reasonably sound financial player in this day and age.