Me (Metro Storm Saint Louis) and STLWC (Saint Louis Weather Club) are planning to go storm chasing during the 2026 severe weather season. We’re weather enthusiasts and are excited to document storms across the region. We have a storm chasing vehicle that we’ll be using, which is a Honda CR-V. The car has actually been in STLWC’s possession for a while now. During the big storm that hit Saint Louis on March 14, 2025, the vehicle got hit by hail and had some damage, but it has since been fixed.

Inside the CR-V there’s an iPad Pro mount that we use for radar while chasing. The iPad runs RadarScope and RadarOmega so we can track storms in real time while we’re on the road. This lets us watch radar signatures like hook echoes, hail cores, and other severe storm structures so we can position safely and see what the storm is doing.

When chasing, we’ll usually try to position ourselves in the “notch” of the storm. The notch is an area of weaker precipitation on radar that often forms near the rear flank of a supercell, close to where the hook echo develops. It can sometimes provide a clearer and safer viewing area of the storm’s structure while still keeping distance from the main hail core.

Safety is always our top priority. We will always make sure we have multiple escape routes planned in case the storm changes direction or intensifies quickly.

I’ll also be posting updates during chases showing radar screenshots and explaining what we’re seeing, like when a storm develops a hook echo, where the hail core is located, or when rotation begins tightening up. Stay tuned because more updates and chase content will be coming as the 2026 storm season gets going.