Storm Formation

The beginnings of a supercell storm

Just to do something different today, and partially influenced by the current weather, I found this storm photo in some older photography. This is a picture of what was soon to become a supercell, a thunderstorm that has a mesocyclone present. These are not uncommon within the Great Plains as the atmosphere is often unstable. The instability is due to moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meeting the dry air of the western deserts and Rocky Mountains. A supercell does not guarantee tornado formation, but if a tornado does form it is often more violent and more stable meaning longer time in contact with the ground. The key terms to listen for on a weather report are "hook echo" and "wall cloud" which can accompany a supercell and are indications of a high possibility of  tornado formation.

This particular photograph was taken in a town by the Red River, an area known for tornados (frequent, but weak). If I remember right, a wall cloud did form a few miles later but no tornado. I did take this from a window on the fourth floor which accounts for the few spotty blurs.