Most storm chaser content on the internet is documentation. The storm happened, someone drove toward it, someone filmed it, and they posted the video with a caption that explains what they saw.
That's not a forecast blog. It's a record of what already occurred.
The distinction matters - both for the value you provide to your audience and for the credibility you build over time. Anyone can document what happened. Only forecasters put their analysis on the record before it does.
This guide is for storm chasers who want to publish structured forecasts: drawing their predicted risk regions before they leave the driveway, explaining their reasoning, chasing the storm, and verifying afterward. It's the forecast-first model. It's harder than posting footage. It's also significantly more valuable.
Why Most Storm Chaser Content Isn't Forecasting
Scroll through storm chaser content on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok and you'll see a consistent pattern:
- Day-of posts about "heading out to chase today"
- Live streams from intercepts
- Post-chase footage compilations
- Recap videos explaining what happened
Almost none of it includes a prediction made in advance. The chaser knew what they were going to chase - they had a target - but that target was never published as a structured forecast with a specific predicted risk region and a verifiable outcome.
That's the opportunity. The existing storm chaser content ecosystem is almost entirely documentation-first. The forecaster who publishes their analysis before the event and verifies it afterward occupies a different category entirely.
Compare this to the Stormtrack.org community or Chris Kridler's Sky Diary - great documentation of what happened during chases. But the content that builds long-term credibility isn't "here's what I saw." It's "here's what I said would happen, here's what actually happened, and here's what I'll do differently next time."
The Forecast-First Framework
The forecast-first model is simple in concept, harder in discipline:
Step 1: Draw your predicted risk region before you chase The day before or morning of a potential chase day, publish a forecast. Where do you think the highest storm threat will be? Draw a polygon on a map. Label it. Explain your reasoning.
Step 2: Specify the hazard and timing Tornado potential? Damaging wind risk? Large hail? When do you expect convective initiation? When do you expect the threat to end? Be specific. Vague forecasts are not forecasts - they're hedges.
Step 3: Chase the storm Do what you were going to do anyway. The forecast is already published. It's on the record.
Step 4: Verify afterward How close was your predicted risk region to where the storms actually occurred? Did the hazard type match? Did timing hold? Pull the NWS storm reports and see how you scored.
Step 5: Post the outcome The most valuable content you can publish isn't the dashcam footage. It's the verification: "Here's where I said the risk was. Here's where the storms actually went. Here's the gap and what caused it."
That loop - prediction, chase, verification, reflection - is what builds a forecaster's credibility. And it's almost completely absent from existing storm chaser content.
What You Need Before You Start
You don't need a meteorology degree or AMS certification to start publishing storm chase forecasts. You do need:
A working understanding of synoptic and mesoscale meteorology You should be able to look at the SPC Day 1 outlook and understand what's driving the categorical risk level - not just what the category is. Read our SPC outlook interpretation guide if you need a reference.
A way to draw forecast maps This is the core tool. You need to be able to draw your predicted risk region on a geographic map and publish it with your forecast. Without the map, you don't have a structured forecast - you have prose that can be interpreted retroactively to match whatever happened.
A place to publish A platform that stores your forecasts with timestamps, allows you to attach map predictions, and records verification data. This is what separates a structured forecast from a social media post.
Discipline about the timing The forecast has to go up before the event. A prediction published 20 minutes after storm reports start rolling in is not a forecast. The timestamp is everything.
Setting Up Your Storm Chaser Forecast Blog on Forecaster HQ
Forecaster HQ is built around the forecast-first model. Here's how to set it up:
1. Create your profile
Go to /login?mode=signup and create your forecaster profile. Add a clear description of your coverage focus (e.g., "Severe weather forecaster and storm chaser covering the Southern Plains") and your geographic emphasis.
Your public profile becomes your track record. Every forecast you publish is timestamped and stored.
2. Set your default region
For storm chasers, your default coverage area is typically your home region - the area where you chase most frequently. You can publish forecasts for other regions when you're chasing away from home, but having a defined default helps your audience know what to expect.
3. Create your first storm forecast
When a chase day develops, publish your forecast the evening before or morning of. Use the storm forecast type in the create wizard. Draw your predicted risk polygon on the map - this is the key step. Where specifically do you think the highest threat will be?
Add:
- The primary hazard (tornado, wind, hail - or combination)
- Your expected storm initiation window
- Your expected peak threat window
- Your confidence level and the key uncertainties you're watching
4. Let the storm verification pull in automatically
After your forecast's event window closes, Forecaster HQ pulls NWS observation station data and IEM storm reports and maps them against your predicted region. You can see how many observation points fell inside your predicted area and how the actual weather compared to your forecast call.
This verification data is public on your profile. It accumulates into a track record that other forecasters, followers, and potential paying subscribers can evaluate.
5. Publish your post-chase analysis
Write a short post (even 200-400 words) on what happened: where the storms went versus where you predicted, what caused any discrepancy, and what you'd do differently with the same information. This reflection content is the most valuable thing you can publish for long-term credibility.
Building an Audience That Follows Your Analysis
Most storm chasers build their following on the power of compelling footage - dramatic intercepts, close lightning, hail the size of softballs. That audience comes for the spectacle.
The audience that follows your forecasting comes for a different reason: they want to understand what's going to happen before it does. That's a different kind of reader, and typically a more engaged one.
Who follows forecast-first storm chaser content:
- Severe weather enthusiasts who want to understand the meteorology, not just watch the footage
- People in your coverage area who want advance notice of threats to their region
- Other forecasters who follow your analysis as a peer
- Eventually, paying subscribers who want your alerts and extended analysis
This audience grows more slowly than "storm footage goes viral" growth. But it's stickier. A viewer who subscribed for a dramatic hail video might not think about you until the next dramatic hail video. A reader who follows you for your analysis thinks about you every time a significant storm setup develops in your region.
Differentiating From Existing Storm Chaser Content
The market for storm chaser footage is crowded. The market for storm chaser analysis - structured predictions with verified outcomes - is much less developed.
A few differentiation approaches that work:
Regional specificity "Oklahoma storm forecaster" is more search-discoverable than "storm chaser" and attracts the audience that cares most about your region's specific meteorology.
The verification retrospective A monthly or seasonal post reviewing your forecast accuracy over the past period is rare in the storm chaser community and earns outsized credibility.
The forecast vs. the SPC When your predicted risk region differs meaningfully from the SPC Day 1 categorical risk, explain why. This is the highest-value analysis you can publish - it shows you're not just reading the SPC, you're working from the same data and reaching your own conclusion.
The process post Walk readers through a specific forecast decision: "Here's the model data I was looking at, here's why I weighted the ECMWF more than the GFS on this setup, here's what I got right and what I missed." This content builds understanding and trust simultaneously.
Quick Reference: The Storm Chaser Forecast Blog Setup
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Create your Forecaster HQ profile with a clear regional focus |
| 2 | Read the SPC Day 1 outlook on active weather days (guide here) |
| 3 | Publish your storm forecast before chase day - predicted risk region drawn on map |
| 4 | Chase the storm |
| 5 | Review verification data after the event |
| 6 | Publish your post-event analysis |
| 7 | Repeat - the track record builds with each event |
The Compound Effect
The thing about forecast-first storm chaser publishing is that it compounds. The first three forecasts don't prove anything. By forecast 20, you have a pattern. By forecast 50, you have something you can point to as a genuine track record.
Most storm chasers who've been chasing for five years have chased 50+ events. They just didn't publish structured predictions before each one. The forecasters who did - who drew the map, published the reasoning, verified afterward, and reflected honestly on what happened - are the ones with the credibility to eventually monetize their expertise.
See also: How to Publish a Severe Weather Forecast Online, Storm Forecast Verification: How to Measure Your Accuracy
Want to see what a structured storm chase forecast looks like in practice? View an example forecast on Forecaster HQ.
Ready to publish your first storm forecast before your next chase day? Set up your Forecaster HQ profile - it's free to start, and your verification track record begins with your first published forecast.