8/9/2004 REPORTS: High Plains, Great Lakes, Canada

[Tony Laubach]

Starting a thread for a busy day yesterday. I'm hoping to see some reports out of Colorado with the reports of tornadoes. News shots showed several of the smaller tornadoes in the area and some good video by Roger Hill of hail taking out his windshield (according to Denver's Channel 7).

Post your reports here...

 

[Verne Carlson]

Got out of work at 2:15pm and drove like a madman out to Genoa, CO and got there in time to see the storm that had been severe warned fall apart and have it's warning cancelled. Back to the west a nice trio of towers were building from east of Agate to Colorado Springs. I reversed directions and headed back to Limon. While getting gas I saw the funnel aloft that was the remnants of the touchdown near Calhan, CO.

Grabbed some fast food and headed back west on I-70 to checkout the now impressive cell that was building over Agate. As I crested the hill at Cedar Point I witnessed the 'tube-nado' that was west of Agate. Very nice cinnamon bun structure where it attached to the RFB of the storm.

Continued west on I-70 and drove into the hail mess that was pounding the area. About 10 cars had blocked both lanes at the Agate underpass leaving a parking lot of 200 other cars that couldn't fit under the underpass. Got off at the Agate exit and drove through town to find a way back east. Ended up in one of those cement single lane underpasses with a farmer and his wife who where protecting thier cars. From there we saw 2-3 more brief tube-nadoes and quarter size hail. Did not see the baseball hail that was reported (thankfully).

Things let up so I headed back east on I-70 and parked at Cedarpoint and watched the storm slide south. Nothing looked very exciting for about 1/2 an hour so I got back on I-70 and headed back towards Denver. I was at the Strausburg exit when I heard the report of the large tornado reported near Simla. Ah - if I only had stuck it out 30 minutes longer! Not bad for an August chase, felt alot like May!

 

[Bill Hamilton]

Nice pictures Chris! Good to catch the storm in a wide open area.

 

[Verne Carlson]

Great pictures Chris, I knew I should have followed that cell longer!