What is Tempest Tours?

Tempest Tours is an expert-guided weather education and photography tour company.

Is Tempest Tours safe and responsible?

Yes, we place safe and responsible conduct above all else. Our staff receives an annual orientation which centers around very strict safety guidelines.

What do tours include?

• The industry's most experienced staff. We've been successfully forecasting and observing weather longer than most, and emphasize safety and education.

• Lodging. We stay at clean, comfortable Tornado Alley style motels, usually in small, rural towns. Most offer free Wi-Fi and a free, basic breakfast.

• Transportation. Clean, comfortable, smoke-free, company-owned and carefully maintained 8-passenger vans. All guests will receive a window seat with an unobstructed view. Our vehicles are equipped with up-to-date technology including highly reliable GPS tracking systems.

• Limited tour sizes. We operate with a maximum of two vehicles for a safer, more enjoyable experience.

• Free on-board Wi-Fi in each vehicle.

• Exclusive team T-shirt. A new, unique shirt is provided every season.  

• Daily weather briefings. Our team will analyze and forecast a target early in the morning and will present a forecast package to the group prior to each day's expedition. It's important to us that our guests leave with a better understanding and appreciation for our dynamic atmosphere.

• Exploration days. When Mother Nature takes a rest, so do we. On those days, we stop at sites like Mt. Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Devils Tower, Pyramid Rocks, Palo Duro Canyon, the Cadillac Ranch, The Big Texan, Chimney Rock, local National Weather Service offices, the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma, or take a personal guided tour of the Lisius Farm in Nebraska.  And on these days, we eat delicious local Tornado Alley delicacies like chicken fried steak, some of the world's best BBQ and our legendary Tex-Mex cuisine. We make sure every day is a day of wonder!

Which tour should I go on?

If you have the time, consider our 10-day tours. If you prefer a shorter tour, consider our 5 or 6-day tours. If you want the best possible experience, consider one of our Lecture Tours. All tours are scheduled to coincide with the height of the season.

Can kids go on weather expeditions?

Yes, depending on the age. The child needs to be accompanied by an adult and have parent/guardian permission.

Rates & Registration

Rates are subject to change. Guests are charged the rate published at our web site at the time of registration. Register early as most tours sell out. Longer tours offer more opportunities to see storms, shorter tours are more convenient. You can combine consecutive tours and receive $200 off your booking and free "in between" lodging. You may want to do this if you are a "storm nut" like us.

What are your Departures Locations aka "base cities"?

Our base cities are Arlington, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Denver, Colorado.

Arlington: Dallas Cowboys/AT&T Stadium Tours, Texas Rangers Baseball, Six Flags Over Texas, Hurricane Harbor Waterpark, Shopping at The Parks Mall.

Oklahoma City: BBQ, Tex-Mex, 89ers baseball, rodeos, museums, a beautiful and vibrant downtown district, tours at the National Weather Center in Norman.

Denver: Great food, Colorado Rockies MLB baseball, rodeos, museums, a beautiful and vibrant downtown district, and the incredible Rocky Mountains.

How do I make Travel arrangements?

Schedule your flight so you arrive in time to make the 10:00 am orientation. Most guests arrive the day prior to avoid missing the tour departure. Always a good plan. Schedule your departing flight so that it leaves after 3:00 pm on the final tour date, or just stay an extra day and relax.

What are Guest Responsibilities?

Guests are responsible for meals and extra lodging prior or after the tour. We eat at casual restaurants, usually in small towns. When we have time, we eat at eateries featuring local cuisine such as chicken fried steak, Tex-Mex, steaks, BBQ, home cooked meals, and big breakfasts.

What can I expect to see and experience if I go on a tour?

You will learn and experience all aspects of dynamic weather tracking. In essence, you will live the life of a real field meteorologist. It is likely that you'll witness powerful atmospheric displays and dramatic overhead phenomena.

On the morning of each expedition day, the Tour Director presents a forecast briefing to the group. The briefing outlines the day's target and departure time. If forecast parameters suggest an early departure, the Tour Director informs the group the night before. However, the group must be ready to depart for a forecast target with very little notice. This is one of the many things that make storm interception both challenging and exciting. Along the way, our team educates guests about the many dimensions of our field operations, including the meteorology, logistics, and even romance of our discipline. Guests will gain a greater appreciation for the atmosphere and the Great Plains.

Guests are afforded many opportunities for photography.

On fair weather days, we visit as many points of interest as time allows. Some of the sites on ourmaps include: the National Severe Storms Laboratory and Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado and other weather-related facilities, the Twister Museum in Wakita, OK, Cadillac Ranch and Big Texan in Amarillo, Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, the world's largest ball of twine in Kansas, Chimney Rock National Monument in Nebraska and Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. And, there are the miles of beautiful prairie landscapes, and skyscapes, that every day of the tour offers!

How do you know where the most significant storms will occur?

Our team analyzes weather data the night prior to, and the morning of each field day to determine a target. The tour group departs for the forecasted target, usually in the morning, with an expected afternoon intercept. The Tour Director will refine the target throughout the day as he acquires new data. Once at the target, we intercept storms when they develop.

Do you camp out and stay in tents while on the tour?

We are asked this question on occasion. The answer is no, we stay in clean, comfortable motels each night. Staying in a tent would not only be uncomfortable, but also potentially hazardous if a severe storm were to threaten the area.

Will I have a window seat?

Yes! Each guest will have an unobstructed window view in our clean, comfortable, roomy, smoke-free, air conditioned, owned and carefully maintained vans. In order to maximize safety, logistics and maintain the quality of our product, we operate only two vehicles per tour.

What camera do I need for taking pictures of storms?

Bring a camera to take pictures. You can shoot almost everything with a good smart phone. If you want to bring other gear, then a quality zoom lens roughly in the 24 mm -105 mm (FF) range will cover most subjects. Fast, wide lenses in the 14-16 mm (FF) range can be quite useful as well. Several of our staff members are well-known, professional weather photographers and can answer any question you have on the subject.

You can also check out "Best Gear for Storm Photography" written by Tempest Tours President Martin Lisius.

I'm ready to go! How do I sign up?

Just click on our BOOK A TOUR button at the top of our web site. We look forward to seeing you soon!