A supercell that erupted with brilliant grandeur over the South Dakota plains cruised steadily ESE, over and just N of I-90, for hours and hours. Along the way, it treated a growing gaggle of tag-along observers not only to photographic opportunities and a good array of severe weather—from funnel clouds and hail to severe wind—but also, to a lesson in storm evolution. After a high-based LP (low precip) stage, the base lowered and this classic wall cloud formed, with a tail extending through nearby rain shafts. As happens more often than not, this circulation almost produced a tornado, but not quite. Later, this mesocyclone wrapped more and more rain around itself and occluded, followed by birth of another rain-cloaked mesocyclone, signaling complete HP (heavy precip) transition. Fortunately I shot this film slide at near-peak organization.
3 ESE Kennebec SD (11 Jun 3) Looking N
43.8909, -99.8169I-90 Traveler
A supercell that erupted with brilliant grandeur over the South Dakota plains cruised steadily ESE, over and just N of I-90, for hours and hours. Along the way, it treated a growing gaggle of tag-along observers not only to photographic opportunities and a good array of severe weather—from funnel clouds and hail to severe wind—but also, to a lesson in storm evolution. After a high-based LP (low precip) stage, the base lowered and this classic wall cloud formed, with a tail extending through nearby rain shafts. As happens more often than not, this circulation almost produced a tornado, but not quite. Later, this mesocyclone wrapped more and more rain around itself and occluded, followed by birth of another rain-cloaked mesocyclone, signaling complete HP (heavy precip) transition. Fortunately I shot this film slide at near-peak organization.
3 ESE Kennebec SD (11 Jun 3) Looking N
43.8909, -99.8169