May 29 Iowa Tornadic Storm

I was not expecting any significant severe weather in eastern Iowa on the evening of Wednesday, May 29, 2019 as the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) had posted a lighter Marginal Risk (above). So much so that I was relaxing and watching TV when my nightstand weather radio squawked an alert at 6:15 pm. With heavy rains having occurred the past few days, I expected a flash flood warning when I checked the alert. Instead, I was amazed that it was a tornado warning! It was the only storm in the eastern two-thirds of the state, it was currently in eastern Poweshiek County (about 42 miles away) and it was heading directly for Cedar Rapids!

Teaming up with fellow spotter Billy Gant, we initially headed west on US Highway 30, but as the storm's track progressed it became obvious that in order to stay on its southeast flank (and out of the rain and hail) I needed to reverse direction. Our new target area was now Mount Vernon, Iowa. We would find an ideal location just off Highway 30, about 2.5 miles west of town, with an unobstructed view of the western and southern skies. Here we would stay during the rest of the spotting duration. In the panoramic image above, captured at 7:49 pm CDT, the growing tornadic storm is approaching from the southwest.

7:51 pm. Zoomed-in view of the storm.

8:01 pm. Skies to the northwest were ablaze with color. In the foreground Billy photographs the incoming storm beside our vehicle.

8:02 pm. Colorful sky--the calm before the storm.

8:26 pm. Beginning to form in the storm at left is a horseshoe-shaped updraft base.

Radarscope frame capture corresponding to the photograph above it. Note the three red tornado warning polygon boxes and the larger green flash flood warning box.

8:31 pm. Panorama looking southwest. The center of the storm is beginning to show a cake-layered appearance, with frequent lightning discharges.

8:35 pm. Incoming storm is progressing closer and now shows an inflow tail cloud low on the horizon at right. It is now about 9 miles distant.

Reflectivity radar screen capture corresponding to 8:35 pm. The target icon and black arrow show our position in relation to the most intense part of the tornadic cell. White arrows show storm movement.

8:38 pm. Close-up of storm, looking ominous and now about eight miles distant.

8:41 pm. Looking south across US Highway 30. The leading edge of the storm can be seen at right. In just minutes the storm would arrive, bringing heavy rain, dime size hail and estimated 60 mph winds...but no tornadoes. Eight weak tornadoes did spin up in various other parts of the state on this night. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.