When the National Severe Storms Laboratory/University of Oklahoma storm chasing program began in 1972, a question came up: Where to celebrate if a tornado was found and documented?
In the Oklahoma of the early 70’s, there were very few McD’s or Wendy’s in rural areas where tornadoes were most likely to be found (no one wanted to chase in cities: too dangerous due to the risk of being trapped by traffic). So, a trip to Dairy Queen — which was found in nearly every small town in Oklahoma at the time — became a tradition if you bagged a tornado.
I’ve continued that tradition. We have many photos like the ones at the top of the page with great people with whom we’ve had the honor of chasing. BTW: I almost always get a chocolate dipped ice cream cone…