White Tornadoes

[William Monfredo]

While sorting storm photos, I realized that the majority are white tornadoes. Whatever I'm doing positioning myself each time...I suppose I don't mind. They can make good wall art as Tony mentioned on his web site regarding the Grover, CO - Carpenter WY storm.
The white ones seem, well, more...cheery. Have any?

 

[John Farley]

I have a few, but none anywhere near as good as those. Where were they taken?

 

[William Monfredo]

Thanks for appreciating them. The analogue shots are from Middleburg, OK, left, and Duncan, OK, right, both from May 25, 1997.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

Well I generally don't notice color but that Duke tornado was the whitest and one of the best ive seen

 

[William Monfredo]

This tornado seemed so white to me, that I had a 16x24 inch b&w print made, matted and framed: June 12, 2017 Carpenter WY storm.

 

[Dan Robinson]

They are usually lighter gray or white when viewed from any directions from near south to near west (front-lit). Whitest when in direct sunlight!

The whitest ones I've seen are Mulvane (in full sunlight, viewed from the southwest):



Dodge City sig tor II, viewed from the south:



Contrast that with the backlit view from the opposite side (due north) at the same time at 10:13 in this video:

Attica, Kansas, viewed from the west-northwest:



On the flip-side, this was my backlit view of the Farnham, Nebraska tornado from due north in 2019:



Compare that to the south/southwest frontlit view from Hank Schyma at the same time:

 

[William Monfredo]

My picture on aluminum of another white tornado near McCook, NE May 17, 2019. I really like the dust cloud at the bottom of the funnel.

 

[Tony Laubach]

I think it goes without saying what my favorite white tornado is... haha

Surprisingly, I don't have a TON of white tornadoes to my count.. never been something I've actively sought out. Sometimes it just happens. Having not traditionally been a 'photographer' first, the angle to which I am from the storm is usually a whatever-the-moment calls for. But I certainly welcome the hell out of those opportunities when they come.

Obviously I have a few more than what's posted here, but these are the more notable ones as of late.



AKRON viewed from immediate south/southeast



CROWELL viewed from southeast



CARPENTER viewed from the south/southeast

 

[Andrew Griffiths]

While sorting storm photos, I realized that the majority are white tornadoes. Whatever I'm doing positioning myself each time...I suppose I don't mind. They can make good wall art as Tony mentioned on his web site regarding the Grover, CO - Carpenter WY storm.
The white ones seem, well, more...cheery. Have any?
View attachment 26771

Indeed! Akron, CO May 23rd 2025 is the most white colored tornado I've seen with the backlit angle I had of it!