7/14/04 REPORTS: Canada/Eastern USA

[Dan Robinson]

Thread started by request, a few chasers have been out today.

 

[Jared Mysko]

I followed a wild storm that produced a tornado and 1 1/2 inch hail near Outlook SK this afternoon. It is still right turning and tops are over 50 000 feet. Nearing the capital city of Regina at this hour...

I will post pictures and a report later, tornado must have been rain wrapped because the clouds turned green as the wall cloud disappeared in front of me.

Jared

Update:

Severe thunderstorm warning for
city of Regina continued

At 6:50 PM, radar showed a large thunderstorm through the Moose Jaw
area moving southeast toward Regina and Avonlea. Doppler radar
indicated a small area of wind gust potential between 120 and 150
km/h near Bethune. This storm also has the potential to produce
Large hail.

 

[Jared Mysko]

Wow, what a day! 2 more tornadoes just got reported in Montana from the same cell that I was following. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings up for ND at this hour...

My report:

At noon I noticed a series of cells with echo tops of about 30 000 feet suddenly formed into a diamond shape, covering the same amount of area that a supercell would noramlly take up. Since I knew it was early in the day I took my time preparing to go out for a chase. I thought it would be a very short chase, if anything since the cells were forming over Biggar, SK west of Saskatoon. At the back of the formation of cells, near the Alberta border, I focused on a little cell that seemed to turn right(SE) against the rest of the cells(NE). I timed it so that my target would be that cell when it got near Rosetown. I believe it worked!

After watching the radar loop on TV tonight, I am sure that this is all the same storm system. It just split around Biggar. One cell went NE, One went SE. As I arrived near Rosetown, at Zealandia, I stopped to take pictures of a harmless looking cell that had the occasional crack of very intense lightning.

enhanced:
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_011.jpg
not enhanced:
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_003.jpg

Then I drove a bit further towards Rosetown and had to stop when it was clear that the storm was most intense back near Zealandia. Turning around and facing east, this is what I saw:

http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_010.jpg
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_009.jpg
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_008.jpg
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_007.jpg
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_006.jpg

Hail further east, the largest that I found was on highway #15 west of Conquest, near the area of where Environment Canada had a report of a tornado. I did not see any damage along the way except for some flatended crops due to hail.

http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_hail02.jpg
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_hail01.jpg

As I headed towards Lake Diefenbaker, I could see it get more intense but did not want to drive though the rain/hail so stopped along the way to talk to locals. These pictures are near the Gardiner Dam at the northern edge of Lake Diefenbaker:

http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_005.jpg
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_004.jpg

I decided to head back at that point after hearing a report of a tornado near North Battleford. That cell ended up going right around the city and headed to the Yorkton area.

Just before sunset, a lonely little cell popped up breifly before getting cut down by the sun:

http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_012.jpg

Then after watches were cancelled for Saskatoon, some crazy looking clouds emerged near the airport:

http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_014.jpg
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_015.jpg
http://www.saskatoonscanner.com/july1404_013.jpg

(sorry about the numbers being jumbled up)

Well, that was a pretty surprisingly busy day. Time for sleep...

Jared