Storm Print – Imperial

What turned out to be an incredible chase day started in Fort Morgan, CO. where, immediately after finishing breakfast, we stepped out and intercepted a cone tornado north of town. Though it had lifted by the time we got up close, the storm continued to cycle through a couple of wall clouds before we eventually left it to intercept another storm near Sterling. This was a fantastic storm to chase as we zig-zagged north east along a combination of paved and dirt roads to keep ahead of it. The shelf cloud would overrun us every time we drove north with brief landspouts and gustnadoes sprouting up around us as we passed through town. A large cone tornado was briefly observed but the storm was quickly becoming outflow dominant and so we left it to pursue what would become the monster Imperial.

I remember the moment I stepped out of the car and first set eyes on this behemoth - mouth open, jaw on the floor, gazing in wonder at the type of structure I'd only ever dreamed of seeing. Simply breathtaking, there was a palpable thrum in its presence. Wrapped in an atmosphere of awe, the Imperial supercell was aptly named and was the climax to an unforgettable chase day. To witness something like this, to be in its presence, was both a spellbinding and humbling experience.