ABOUT
Will Wilkens
My passion for weather has been part of my life since childhood. As a child, every aspect of weather including lightning during monsoon season, to the torrential downpours and flooding of winter El Nino storms, to the howling 100mph Santa Ana Winds fascinated me. As I grew older, this fascination intensified. By the time I was old enough to drive I began to *follow* storms, driving all around the L.A. basin, mountains, and deserts wherever I saw them. As a young adult my interest in monsoon season grew even greater and I dedicated every free moment chasing storms across the inland valleys, mountains, and deserts of Southern California, and eventually western Arizona.
The 1991 Andover, KS tornado outbreak was the key event that shifted my interest towards tornadoes. However, many life challenges kept me from making the trip to the plains during those early years. So, in the meantime as I continued to concentrate chasing locally I followed tornado events and learned as much as I could from the 1,200 miles distance that separated me from those incredible storms. As amazing as it seems, it wasn't until 2009 that financial freedom, time, and technology enabled me the ability to experience my first storm chase expedition to the Great Plains allowing me to intercept my very first plains tornado in Haskell County, KS on June 14, 2009. That moment began a new adventure for me. The rest is history as they say.
All in all, my life has been rich in adventure with weather. I have experienced countless significant weather events around California including rare landspout tornadoes, waterspouts, and funnel clouds, and I've intercepted tornadoes in Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado as well. As I continue to move forward and experience even more incredible adventures, whether in California or Oklahoma, I know one thing for sure; I will always be a part of this amazing world of storm chasing.
My work has been featured on The Weather Channel; WeatherNation; Los Angeles television stations KTTV FOX 11, KCBS-2/KCAL-9, KTLA-5, KABC-7, and KNBC-4; Los Angeles radio KNX AM1070; and KSN-TV in Wichita, KS.
Storm chasing can be dangerous! Never place yourself in a life threatening situation during ANY type of weather! Severe weather education is available through many resources as well as Basic and Advanced Spotter Training through your local National Weather Service office. However, Spotter training is NOT a qualification for storm chasing! Use safety, common sense, and good judgement when making decisions as you would everyday under ANY situation.
