This storm, somewhat more laminar in appearance than its nearby southern neighbor, churned toward the ESE, just N of Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley, for over two hours. Soon it would merge with the slightly younger southern storm to form a big, single supercell that would move off into the night and over southwestern Kansas. The interaction between the two storms, just prior to their merger, was fascinating to behold! Their anvils already had merged; in fact, the fall streaks above, in front of and to the upper left of the updraft base were anvil precipitation generated by the southern partner. The northern edge of the southern storm’s tail cloud also pokes into view at lower left, just beginning to connect with the cloud base of this storm.
6 ENE La Junta CO (11 Jun 9) Looking NW
38.0197, -103.446Supercell Pair: Northern
This storm, somewhat more laminar in appearance than its nearby southern neighbor, churned toward the ESE, just N of Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley, for over two hours. Soon it would merge with the slightly younger southern storm to form a big, single supercell that would move off into the night and over southwestern Kansas. The interaction between the two storms, just prior to their merger, was fascinating to behold! Their anvils already had merged; in fact, the fall streaks above, in front of and to the upper left of the updraft base were anvil precipitation generated by the southern partner. The northern edge of the southern storm’s tail cloud also pokes into view at lower left, just beginning to connect with the cloud base of this storm.
6 ENE La Junta CO (11 Jun 9) Looking NW
38.0197, -103.446