Into the Whale's Mouth

Traveling to Des Moines from Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday morning, June 27, 2020 via US Highway 30 and Highway 330, a large obstacle loomed in the distance. As the radar image for 9:00 am CDT above shows, the large stormy system stretched some 125 miles across Central Iowa!

9:03 am. Looking southwest from Highway 330, just after turning onto it from US Highway 30 in Marshall County, Iowa. Only a portion of the cloud system on the horizon was captured in this image.

9:03 am. Similar view. Storm was located about 25 miles distant.

9:04 am. Growing dark clouds are beginning to materialize along the horizon.

9:06 am. Ever closer on Highway 330, just northeast of 265th Street in Marshall County.

9:08 am. Continuing southbound (SW), just southwest of Highway 562 near Melbourne, Iowa in Marshall County. Storm is now less than 20 miles distant.

Radar frame capture corresponding to 9:15 am. Our mobile position is indicated by the target icon, and the arrow points to the most intense area of the storm to our southwest.

9:16 am. Sky is becoming more turbulent in appearance, and there is an ominous dark feature straight ahead on the horizon. Image captured from Highway 330 in northwest Jasper County. Storm is now only about 8-10 miles away.

9:18 am. Probable wall cloud with inflow tail to the southwest, as seen while mobile on Highway 330 at N 99th Avenue W in northwest Jasper County. A wall cloud was reported via Spotter Network in this area. From here on we encountered torrential rain as we continued to our destination. iPhone 6 Plus camera.