It would seem people are either utterly terrified of storms or they absolutely love them. Well go figure which group I fall into?

I love storms and chasing them is exhilarating and an awesome experience. As much as I love doing the weathercasts on WCNC-TV, I often don’t get to enjoy a good storm because I’m stuck inside looking at radars and computers all the time. So when I get the chance to head out and witness them first hand it’s a welcomed break.

It’s just not for the thrills though. Storm chasing serves a valid and serious purpose. One is to better warn and inform the public of coming storms and two is to educate people on what these storms look like firsthand. It’s always nice to be able to show you inside the storm with Live Doppler Plus and then show you what it looks like when you’re underneath that same storm with the naked eye. So while it looks like I’m crazy or just having fun, the ultimate goal is to inform you of what is going to happen and when it’s going to happen.

HURRICANE SEASON

This season has started pretty typically with just one weak tropical storm so far (Alberto). This is usually the way the season should go with one or two minor storms in June and July and then the second week of August things really start to crank up.

I expect much the same this season. Last year by now we already had five storms and a few hurricanes, one of which was a major storm (Dennis). This season we all know how warm the water is in the Atlantic and the Gulf, some places are the warmest ever recorded. But water temperatures are just one albeit important criteria for hurricanes. The second most important is wind shear or the lack thereof. So far there has been way too much across the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Some thing we didn’t have last season.

So don’t expect too much until that wind shear calms down, which should start to happen by early August.