July 12, 2004 - Ottertail County Minnesota

Supercell at Midnight
 


  
Chase Account by: Brian Thalken
 
While on vacation in OtterTail County, Minnesota (west/central MN), this supercell came within a few miles of our cabin by OtterTail Lake. Several tornadoes were reported as it moved southeast across OtterTail County. These video stills were taken around midnight looking north/northeast as the cell just misses our location. This storm had a nasty history of 2.5" hail. The constant lightning flashes helped illuminate the supercell...showing some striations as well as the convection still building. It was an incredible sight, watching the pitch black sky and then seeing this monster bowl shaped lowering hovering above the ground. 

Click the following link for the SPC Storm Reports for July 12, 2004 - 

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/040712_rpts.html