Active Chase Stats from GPS
Miles Driven
 290 miles
Trip Time (time in motion)
 5 hrs  37 min.
Chase Time (departure to end chase)
 8 hrs (1:30pm - 9:20pm)
Max. Speed
 81 mph
Avg. Speed
 52 mph

Total Chase Day Stats from GPS
Miles Driven
 423 miles
Trip Time (time in montion)
 7 hrs 58 min.
Chase Time (departure to end of day)
 11.5 hrs (1:30pm - 12:50am)
Max. Speed
Avg. Speed

Chase Map Low Resolution (635 kb)
Chase Map High Resolution (93 kb)

Meso Discussion Link

Tornado Watch #051 Link
Summary (by Jason Foster)

        In the midst of all my current financial problems, automotive problems, employment problems, I had to chase.  In the last two day prior to today, I watch and focused on the SPC slight risk as it slowly inched it's way south to a chase-able area.  However, most of the action was likely to be north of where I could get to.  Hoping for some line of the thunderstorms to decend south enough for me to get some lightning footage and upload to The Weather Channel (need the $). 
        After taking care of items around the apartment, I got online and checked the situation out.  Slight Risk now decended as far south as Fort Myers on the west coast, and the radar showed lots and lots of precip in the gulf with some rather nice looking embedded cells.  Deciding at that time to move north to a possible intersect with the storms, but I initially said I did not want to be further north than the South side of Lake Okeechobee. 
        1:30pm and I left Miami Beach and B-lined for the South end of the Lake (South Bay, FL) .  There I moved west along US 27 through Clewiston, where I found another Wifi spot, pulled a radar, and listened as SPC put out a Tornado Watch Box (#051).  "Oh crap, I can't miss this one", I said to myself, realizing that the watch box south end was only two counties away.  I put the car in gear and took off up US 27 west and north around the west side of Lake Okeechobee toward DeSoto and Hardee counties. 
        I stopped in Arcadia for just a few moments to email Jeff Gammons, and check a radar.  The embedded cell was moving through southern Tampa/Bradenton area.  That was too far, but I might be able to get some good shots of the entire system/cell because I was close enough to see something.   "Surely worthe the drive", I kept telling myself.  As I approached Zolfo Springs, FL I could see that I was getting slightly behind the storm.  From Zolfo Springs I hopped onto Rt. 64 which parelled the storm to the east-northeast "perfect", I thought.  I got to Avon Park in no-time, but by then I was losing light, and though there was great cloud formations to watch, nothing to video tape.  
        At Avon Park I once again found Wifi spot and pulled up a radar.  the Embedded cell weaken a little, but I realized, that withouth the continuation of the east-northeast road, I would not be able to keep up.  However, there was another line of storms slowly firing off the outflow boundary in line stretching from Avon Park south Toward Sebring, and further.  I decided to race that line of storms.  First behind the line down US 27, then cutting arcross it along US 98.  Again the road network actually favored my plan, but the storms just were not strong enough to warrant the  final term of "successful chase". 
        In the end, after seeing a lot of rain, I called it off once I reach Okeechobee, FL.  I stopped by Jeff's house for a few, then headed home, back to Miami Beach.  Hopefully I will have better success tomorrow as the front pushes further south toward Miami.
End Log