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Tour Descriptions
All tours include chasing and lodging during the tour, and an exclusive chase team T-shirt. Guests are responsible for meals and extra lodging prior or after the tour. During the tour, each guest will have an unobstructed window view in our clean, smoke-free chase vehicles. Tours depart from the base city hotel. Guests are responsible for transportation to the base city. A free airport shuttle is provided by our base city hotels.
We emphasize safety, education and responsible conduct.
All tours are scheduled during peak tornado activity in the US. Tornado season generally runs from early March into early August. The peak occurs generally from late April to early July. Our base cities are synchronized with maximum annual tornado activity. Dallas-Ft. Worth tours are scheduled for the period of highest tornado frequency in the Southern Plains, Oklahoma City tours for the Southern-Central Plains, and Denver tours for the highest tornado frequency in the Northern and High Plains. To read more about tornado climatology, click here.
What's it like chasing with Tempest Tours?
Watch "Chasing a Tornado Outbreak with Tempest Tours" 8 minutes
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Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) Tours (April - early May)
The DFW tours are scheduled during the most active portion of the storm season for the Southern Plains when potent upper level dynamics clash with emerging thermodynamics. These parameters sometime lead to tornado outbreaks, when multiple storms produce significant tornadoes within a 24-hour period. Texas is especially active during this period. Our base city for these tours, and our corporate base, is Arlington, located in Tarrant County. More tornadoes have occurred in Tarrant County, Texas than any other US county since 2000, and more tornadoes occur in Texas than any other state on an annual basis. These tours are open to anyone, from novice to expert.
Arlington points of interest include Texas Rangers Major League Baseball, Six Flags Over Texas, Hurricane Harbor many restaurants and the area's premier shopping mall, The Parks at Arlington. Arlington is also the home of the legendary Dallas Cowboys and Super Bowl XLV. Our Arlington base hotel is located on the free Fun Trolley route which stops at several of these attractions. Dallas and Ft. Worth are just minutes away.
DFW Airport is a major US hub and offers direct service to many airports in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Dallas-Ft. Worth is the world's gateway to Tornado Alley.
DFW food tip: Best for chicken fried steak, BBQ, Tex-Mex, southern cooking, ethnic, seafood and steak.
Notable tornado events for this period: April 10, 1979 Wichita Falls mile-wide F4 tornado (Red River Tornado Outbreak); April 12, 1927 Rocksprings, Texas tornado (3rd deadliest in Texas history); April 18, 1970 Texas Panhandle tornado outbreak; Lamb-Hale-Swisher County, Texas tornadoes, April 21, 2007; Thornberry, Texas tornado, April 24, 2006; April 26, 1991 TX-OK-KS-NE outbreak; May 11; May 3, 1999 OK-KS outbreak; May 4, 2007 Greensburg, KS EF5 super tornado.
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Oklahoma City (OKC) Tours (early May - early June)
Our Oklahoma City tours are scheduled during the most active portion of the storm season for the Southern - Central Plains when thermodynamics have become well-established. These parameters lead to explosive thunderstorm development capable of producing spectacular supercell thunderstorms and significant tornadoes. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, south central Oklahoma is at the epicenter for violent class (F4-F5) tornadoes. These tours are open to anyone, from novice to expert.
Oklahoma City offers several entertainment, cultural and sporting venues. Nearby Norman is home to the Storm Prediction Center and National Severe Storms Laboratory.
OKC food tip: Best for home cooking, BBQ and steak.
Notable tornado events for this period: May 11, 1970 Lubbock, Texas F5 tornado; May 11, 1953 Waco, TX F5 tornado (deadliest in Texas history - 114); May 3, 1999 OK-KS outbreak, The Tri-State Supercell, May 5, 1993, Happy, Texas tornado, May 5, 2002; May 4, 2007 Greensburg, KS EF5 super tornado, Mullinville, Kansas tornado, May 7, 2002; May 15, 1968 Charles City, IA F5 tornado; May 22, 2011 Joplin, MO EF5 tornado, May 25, 2008 Parkersburg, IA EF5 tornado; Blackwell, OK F5 tornado, May 27; 1997 Jarrrell, TX F5 tornado; Pampa - Hoover, Texas tornadoes, June 8, 1995; May 25, 1997, Anthony, Kansas; Lake McClellan National Grasslands tornado, May 20, 1999; May 29, 2004 Harper Co., KS cyclic tornadic supercell; May 30, 1998 Spencer, SD F4 tornado; June 2, 1995, Dimmit, TX tornado; June 8, 1966 Topeka, Kansas F5 tornado.
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Denver (DEN) Tours (June - early July)
Our Denver tours are scheduled during the most active portion of the storm season for Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas and the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. The highest concentration of tornadoes in the US occurs during this period in eastern Colorado and surrounding areas, on an annual basis. Supercells are especially photogenic on the High Plains and sometimes take on a spectacular "flying saucer" or "Mothership" appearance due to the lower moisture values. For this reason, the Denver tours usually offer the best photography options. These tours are open to anyone, from novice to expert.
Denver is the gateway to the spectacular Colorado Rocky Mountains and is home to Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball and many cultural and entertainment venues. Nearby Boulder is home to the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
DEN food tip: Best for steak, ethnic cooking and breweries.
Notable tornado events for this period: June 13, 1968 Tracy, MN F5 tornado; Seward, Nebraska, F4 tornado of June 13, 2001; June 14 - 18, 1992 Great Plains tornado outbreak (over 100 tornadoes across CO, KS, NE, SD, IA, MN and WI); June 20, 1957 Fargo, ND F5 tornado; June 22, 2007 Elie, MB F5 tornado; June 24, 2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak ("Tornado Tuesday"); June 27, 1953 Adair, IA F5 tornado; July 5, 1905 Montague Co., Texas killer tornado; July 8, 2009, Windsor, CO tornado; July 12, 1965 Lawrence Co, SD tornado.
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Mini Tornado Tours
These tours offer the same adventure and unique experience we offer on other tours in a short, easy to plan and economical package.
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Tornado Discovery Tour with Dr. Charles Doswell
Chase with a veteran researcher! Our Tornado Discovery Tour is hosted by world-renowned tornado scientist Dr. Charles Doswell. It is the perfect choice for guests wanting to expand their knowledge of supercell thunderstorms and tornadoes. This tour is ideal for those intensely interested in severe weather. Our primary mission during this tour will be to intercept tornadoes and supercell thunderstorms, but as time allows, Dr. Doswell will deliver special lectures on storm chasing. The information presented during the tour will be tailored for the specific needs of each guest, so both storm chasing novices and experts are welcome. Dr. Doswell will share his insight into tornado forecasting, storm chase logistics, and other anecdotes. The Tornado Discovery Tour will allow guests the rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the leaders in the field of tornado meteorology. Dr. Charles Doswell is a veteran storm chaser of three decades and former researcher with the National Severe Storms Laboratory. He currently works as a Senior Research Scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) in Oklahoma. This tour is open to anyone, from novice to expert.
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Maddy's Tour
This special tour is designed for young guests with autism. The tour will provide the same learning adventure and unique experience we offer on other tours within an environment sensitive to guests with special needs.
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"The Storm Chasers" Tour
On this unique tour, guests will chase with New York Times best-selling author Jenna Blum who will provide and autograph her new novel "The Storm Chasers" for all participants.
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Private Group Tours
A private chase adventure for 6 including enhanced lodging. When available, we will stay at the best motels possible - typically Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Suites and Sleep Inn. These properties are usually one full star higher than our standard on the road lodging (Super 8, Days Inn, Comfort Inn). Call us to arrange your very own private tour.
To learn more about tornado climatology, and the best time to chase, click here.
Tempest Tours is a corporate member of the National Weather Association and National Tour Association. Storm footage can be licensed through StormStock a division of Prairie Pictures. We support and contribute to Autism Awareness and the Texas Severe Storms Association. Trademark and Copyright © Tempest Tours, Inc.
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