Brett Nickeson
EF2
I got a bit of a late start from Omaha and got into Ogallala about the time there was a supercell developing over the Laramie range. I made the decision to go to WY versus CO/KS due to reasons detailed in the Target thread. Fortunately the cell was in no hurry to move anywhere and I arrived in Cheyenne about the time the first funnel was reported north of Buford. After a comical attempt to fill up the tank involving three broken down pumps and a clueless cashier, I was on my way northwest certain I was going to miss everything. I headed west on Highway 211, a road I had virtually scouted earlier that morning since I figured there would be a supercell very near it and it was the only paved road for miles.
Driving west towards the rather impressive HP supercell, the main meso was completely wrapped in rain but I thought I caught a view of a funnel or tornado about 10 miles out. I got about a mile and a half from Federal on the edge of the rain and stopped to watch. After waiting several minutes and keeping most of my attention on the new meso forming to my northeast, the rain got swept out and revealed a beautiful slender tornado hidden inside it. This tornado lasted at least another five minutes as it worked its way south through town, damaging several buildings.
After it roped out, the meso to the northeast really started cranking away and looked especially impressive on velocity scans. After witnessing one brief funnel many miles away, I started to head back east towards the interstate in hopes of getting in front of it. Driving north, the velocity scans indicated a likely tornado hidden within the rain. I was about five miles south of it and had what looked to be about seven or eight minutes before it crossed the road. I decided not to try crossing its path with a likely tornado inside, and headed back south to take Highway 85 to parallel it. Nothing really of note happened from this point on as the storm started to die soon after crossing the interstate. Got a nice shot with an updraft base behind a grass field of cattle, though.
Driving west towards the rather impressive HP supercell, the main meso was completely wrapped in rain but I thought I caught a view of a funnel or tornado about 10 miles out. I got about a mile and a half from Federal on the edge of the rain and stopped to watch. After waiting several minutes and keeping most of my attention on the new meso forming to my northeast, the rain got swept out and revealed a beautiful slender tornado hidden inside it. This tornado lasted at least another five minutes as it worked its way south through town, damaging several buildings.
After it roped out, the meso to the northeast really started cranking away and looked especially impressive on velocity scans. After witnessing one brief funnel many miles away, I started to head back east towards the interstate in hopes of getting in front of it. Driving north, the velocity scans indicated a likely tornado hidden within the rain. I was about five miles south of it and had what looked to be about seven or eight minutes before it crossed the road. I decided not to try crossing its path with a likely tornado inside, and headed back south to take Highway 85 to parallel it. Nothing really of note happened from this point on as the storm started to die soon after crossing the interstate. Got a nice shot with an updraft base behind a grass field of cattle, though.
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