Plains vs. Southeast: 'A world of difference' for storm chasers
Storm chasers prefer the Plains for its gridded road network and nearly-constant 360-degree view of storm structure.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Laubach shows how storm chasing in the Southeast differs from chasing in the Great Plains.
Tornado Alley may have expanded into the southeast U.S. in recent decades, but that has made it more challenging for storm chasers and spotters. Limited visibility due to trees and terrain and a curvy road network make it more dangerous and less accurate when spotting storms in the Ozarks, Gulf Coast states and Carolinas.
The 2025 chase season has been active in areas that are difficult to chase like Mississippi, AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Laubach explained, but this is often the case in March and April.
"As the season goes on, those setups will start to shift back west into the Great Plains and classic Tornado Alley in May and June," Laubach said.
At least, that's what typically happens every spring. Last year was particularly active in the Plains, but in 2023, there were few tornadoes in that region. Overall, the classic Tornado Alley has shifted, or at least expanded, eastward over the last 20 to 50 years.
You can see a tornado in the deep woods of the Southeast, but it's not easy. (TWISTEX/Tony Laubach)
When chasing or spotting in the Southeast, populated areas interrupt the flow of chasing on a road network that can sometimes seem random, and trees and hills make it hard to track a storm and report a tornado on the ground to the authorities.
Chasing in this area often turns into finding a good vista to watch the storm approach, Laubach said.
"Storm chasers have to rely more on radar, trying to drive where a storm will cross so they can find the best area around them to view the storm from a good vista for as long as they can."
In the Plains, chasers can view a storm from all directions. (Tony Laubach)
With increased traffic and population, the chance of traffic accidents is higher. Escaping to safety can be an issue if a chaser gets trapped in the wrong part of a storm. The storms are also less structured in the Southeast, which can make chasing tricky because dangers of large hail or high winds may not be in the places chasers expect.
In the Plains, "it's a world of difference," Laubach said. The road network is laid out like a grid and an almost a 360-degree view of the storm can be seen to identify storm structure and watch it change over time, a much better—and safer—experience.
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