So, it really depends on whether it affected you or was a type of storm that you were especially interested in. Seriously, the closer the temperature to 32 degrees, the greater the amount of water that will be produced when the snow melts. From personal experience and from conversations with friends, I've noticed that most meteorologists and students have wanted to enter the field since a very young age. I've never seen a MD or WW issued for either area. There are problems with data acquisition, the frequency of severe weather in HI and AK is so small that it isn't feasible to establish to sophisticated networks as compared to what is done in the lower 48 states.
Hurricanes are a different story.
I chased a hurricane once, but it was a weak one. Those that form very high in the atmosphere say 25 or 30 thousand feet are formed primarily of ice crystals which accounts for the whimsy nature of the clouds which are called cirrus clouds. On the other hand, low clouds because the clouds are more of a liquid nature and have more definitive shapes. Mr. Mogil, I'm curious why you feel it is easier to chase a tornado vs. a hurricane. I would think that, as far as getting into position, a cyclone would be easier to chase.