2014-05-21 MISC: CO

[Jeremy Perez]

With all of the rain-shrouded tornado reports on the May 21st Denver HP Supercell, I've been rummaging through my photos and video, enhancing contrast and looking for any low-contrast features. It sounds like some of the reports are suspect, so it's probably futile. Still, I wanted to post a series of photos I shot blind out the driver side window while racing up E-470 (still can't believe I made the mistake getting on that thing with the storm inbound). The photos were shot a few seconds apart around 2004Z / 2:04 PM MDT. I compared landmarks and my location at the time using Google Earth to see where things were at the time. The feature I picked out is maybe 3 miles north of the 2005Z Aurora report, aligned to the green arrow in the diagram (this was one of the suspicious reports, I believe).

So without closer images/video or damage survey that shows tornado damage in the right area, I know there is no way to be sure whether the feature was anything other than a scud tag or a precipitation band.

In case anyone else had images they wanted to dissect, I wanted to add the MISC thread. (Also, if at any time, anyone wants to mark up my shots for discussion, please feel free.)

Click for larger images:

 

[John Farley]

I enjoy these comparisons of observations from different viewpoints. Comparing other chase reports, LSRs, etc. to my pics, videos, and locations was really helpful to me in getting a better sense of what was going on with this messy HP storm. Attached is a video capture of the same meso a couple minutes before your pics above, from a location to the southeast of the feature. I was on Powhattan Rd. about 2 or so miles S of I-70. I would agree with you that this feature was 3 miles or so north of the location of the reported tornado at 2005Z. Personally, I am pretty skeptical of that report, too, although based on chaser reports I am sure the 2030Z one south of DIA is valid, and I am trying to find out more about the 2045 one near Watkins. I have video of the latter but can't tell if it is down, but based on video/reports from others think there is a good chance that one could have been legit.

Anyway, attached is my video capture from around 2001Z, with a little backlighting from lightning. Doesn't look like a tube to me, but some fuzzy lowering under there so who knows? About in the location you describe, though.