June 9: Supercell and Tornado near Lenora, Kansas
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Early evening in northwest Kansas. Strong convection on the dryline in the wake of a weakening thundershower. This is the view looking west. With low CAPE and weak upper winds, I don't expect much.
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Another view.
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View looking south as rotation increases. Dime-size hail is falling around me.
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An hour later, I have a perfect view of the slow-moving storm. A funnel cloud, barely visible in this picture, begins to drop about 4 miles west-southwest of Lenora (I am positioned just south of town).
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A clear slot begins to develop from a downdraft in the northern part of the supercell. At this point, weak circulation can be seen on the ground.
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As the clear slot expands, the condensation funnel reaches the ground. A tornado siren begins wailing in nearby Lenora.
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The tornado is moving very slowly counterclockwise within the storm's overall circulation. The lack of dust or debris is due to rain-soaked grass underneath the funnel.
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Almost exactly 20 years from the time I decided to find and photograph tornadoes on the Great Plains, I am treated to my first close-up view of a tornado.
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A contrast-enhanced close-up shows a vortex within the condensation funnel.
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It is highly unusual to have a decent-looking tornado within such a small LP supercell. I have yet to see anything comparable to this in books or on the Web (but would appreciate hearing of any other storms like this).
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A little later.
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Late stage in tornado's life.
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The tornado begins to weaken.
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Rope stage, just before the tornado dissipates. This ends the best storm I've experienced, shortly after some very big misses.