Matthew Hornoi is a 16-year old storm chaser from Saskatchewan, Canada. He has been storm chasing for about seven years now, with family and friends as drivers, but this is the first year he is driving his own vehicle!

Problem

As a storm chaser, having weather information at your location is essential in understanding the current conditions. This can help them study the storm to understand if it is developing or dissipating, and the direction of the storm’s movement. Usually, storm chasers have to rely on weather data from a weather station that is miles away, which may be vastly different from where they are tracking a system.

Solution

Matthew mounted an AcuRite Atlas™ smart weather station on a satellite dish j-pole, on the roof of his storm chasing vehicle. With the convenient mounting screw on the Atlas, he can easily take the unit down while he’s moving and mount it back up on the roof whenever he stops. The real-time weather data from this setup gives Matthew the localized weather data and weather monitoring tools he needs to stay updated on the storm’s development. But most importantly, this data is crucial for his safety and the safety of the other chasers.

Results

Matthew benefits from more than just the hyper-local weather data and having a better understanding of the storm’s progression. He is also able to share the weather data with his live stream viewers. They can stay updated on the conditions he’s experiencing in real-time, and what to expect in their area (most of his following is local to the Saskatchewan area). He says, “The Atlas is the star of my vehicle!” Additionally, after the storm chase, he can use the SD card to display data on his videos and document his experience.

Below are some of his pictures from his most recent chases:

Are you a weather watcher or storm spotter? Comment below to share your stories and photos from your storm spotting adventures!