NE 071204

7-12-04 Nebraska Tornadic Supercell

Chase log and photos © Melanie Metz and Peggy Willenberg, twistersisters.com

Page 1-initiation, Page 2-tornado pics, Page 3-more tornado images

Anvil of weak storm at 3pm in Mitchell, SD

We headed south from Mitchell to NE

Two cells interacted on the way

Tornado warned storm moving ESE near Spencer, NE

Wall clouds on the base of a second cell to the West of Spencer, NE

A rotating wall cloud tried to lower over Spencer, NE

closer view

Third cell to the South near O'Neill, NE developed

We decided to head South on Hwy 281 when the Southern cell began to dominate on radar

Due to lack of roads we had to punch the core and drive through golfball sized hail (luckily we missed the Softaball hail produced by this cell!) and floating branches

As we got south of the cell on 281 south of Chambers, NE the rapidly rotating wall cloud directly to our west began to tighten and a funnel developed.....eventually to progress into a large wedge tornado...see tornado images on next pages

Page 1-initiation, Page 2-tornado pics, Page 3-more tornado images