Hairy Horizons

Tornado Watch 411 (fourth image) was issued for areas in the south and east of the state of Iowa at 5:00 PM CDT on Saturday, July 12, 2014. A slight risk had previously been designated for these same areas by the SPC. I was given advice to head "south" to find favorable areas of severe weather and did so within a half-hour of the issue. It was evident that a significant storm cell was rapidly forming in front of us and it exploded before our eyes. The first image shows a turbulent southern horizon as seen from Interstate 380 at the Eastern Iowa Airport exit (Exit 13) around 6:17 PM. The second image looks SE at forming wall cloud from I-380 at 6:28 PM and the third a south view from US Highway 218 between the I-80 and Melrose Avenue (Iowa City) exits, captured at 6:30 PM. Images 2 & 3 show tremendous updrafts. The fifth image shows radar captures of the storm cell at 5:00 PM and again at 6:15 PM. Though quick funnel protrusions came and went and a classic wall cloud formed, no tornado dropped from this structure.