Jim Bishop is a 25 year-old storm chaser residing in Houston, Texas. He began storm chasing in 2000 and received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma in August, 2004.

Jim has been watching storms for about as long as he can remember. But he truly discovered his love for storms when he saw his first hailstorm in the most unlikely place - Southern California. Shortly thereafter his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the summer of '91. Jim further realized his overall passion for weather when he experienced winter storms, lightning, and different aspects of severe weather while growing up in Tennessee.

Some of Jim's most memorable chases include the F4 Manchester tornado on June 24, 2003; the record-breaking 2.5 mile wide Wilber, Nebraska tornado on May 22, 2004; and witnessing simultaneous tornadoes in the Texas panhandle on May 15, 2003.

Jim is currently the meteorologist for Dynegy, an energy company located in downtown Houston Texas. There he forecasts temperatures, temperature anomalies, and precipitation for the United States. He also provides severe weather warnings to power plants in the Midwest.

On his free time Jim enjoys playing the alto saxophone. He was a member of the Pride of Oklahoma (OU's marching band) for 5 consecutive years.

It has been six years and Jim's thirst for the next chase grows stronger by the day. He says storm chasing is not just about finding tornadoes, it is about finding spectacular supercells while enjoying the road trip and comradery. Supercells are what drive Jim to chase, and tornadoes are merely the icing on the cake. Jim is also a major hail freak! He will probably continue chasing until a hailstone impails his head, for Jim will drive anywhere for a storm.

Bring on the next Chase!

Questions or comments? Email Jim at
stormgasm@yahoo.com

Pride of Oklahoma pictures from 1999