10-29-04 Possible touchdown NW of St. Cloud, MN on warm front

all images copyright Melanie Metz, twistersisters.com

Heading NW on Hwy 8 near Marty, MN towards the updraft of a large cell

Rainbow to the North

approaching base of cell on SW side

base began to lower but a field of trucks blocked my advance...I had to find more roads!

A nice wall cloud developed while the storm began to get away from me. While I drove, the right edge of the wall cloud became very vertical with rapid rising motion.

While I searched for roads to get a little West and North a second wall cloud became visible to the North of the first. I watched as the wall clouds literally connected and then merged into one. After they became one, the wall cloud tightened and became VERY vertical. At this point I was blocked by groves of trees frantically trying to find a decent road on the NW edge of Saint Cloud, MN.

I finally got away from the trees but my visual was still partially blocked by houses. At this point there appeared to be a tornado touchdown. Of course, I can't be 100% sure since the bottom was not visible. The time was ~5pm, location was a few miles NW of Fleetfarm just outside of St. Cloud, MN. N of Hwy 75 and near Hwy 2.

I snapped another shot of the possible touchdown before the rain completely obscured the action area. I then found roads (Hwy 2) to get further North but never even saw a wall cloud after this point. I DID promptly call this report in to a meteorologist in Minneapolis and asked him to relay it to the NWS (I thought I had the NWS # but couldn't find it).

Now approaching Morrison County near Rice, MN this cell looked very healthy. Shortly after this shot, a tornado warning was issued for Morrison county. The base was very low and ragged but I did not see a significant lowering.

Directly above me the edge of the anvil loomed....and then the sun set.

When I arrived home to St. Cloud, MN after only 2.5 hours of chasing, a line of storms to the east entertained me with a beautiful lightning display. This photo can not do it justice.