What's the most beautiful tornado you've seen/witnessed?

[George Tincher]

I was just sitting here thinking about all of the tornado pictures and video I've seen in my lifetime and noting several stick out as being absolutely gorgeous. Like great magnificent sculptures, tornadoes are often very visually appealing.

My two favorites are Al Pietrycha's (I hope I spelled his name right) May 1996 Seward County, KS white tornado and Jim Leonard's May 3, 1999 "white tornado". For some reason or other, I must be attracted to the white colored tornadoes. LOL. Al's was a gorgeous white cone (at that point in the video anyway.....later became more a reddish-brown trunk as it moved off into the distance). It also had a very low hanging equally white, ragged wallcloud. Seeing the two spin in the video is simply breathtaking. And of course I'm sure everyone has seen Jim's video. That white tornado and the amazing updraft were something! I think it was the updraft that made the video look so incredible, more than the actual tornado.

So with that said, what are your favorites? It can be one of your own or someone else's.

-George

[Jeff Miller]

As may be the sentiments of many chasers and observers on the field, the Mulvane Tornado of June 12, 2004. Not only was it spectacular in grace and beauty with the backlighting effect, nearly every chaser who videotaped this event was able to capture it in all its glory. I too share the same sentiment for backlit tornadoes.

Another gorgeous photo is of a tornadic waterspout. I am unsure of the date and time of this but it is a white cylindrical tube, bent slightly at the top with an ominously dark, almost black background. If I remember correctly in the photo there were observers watching this. If anyone has a hint of what I am referring to, I would appreciate a reference.

[Justin Teague]

My favorite is the Gerlane or "Sharon" tornado from May 12th 2004.

http://www.stormguy.com/site/images/zoom/DEIDVU/may12_5.jpg

http://www.stormguy.com/site/images/zoom/DEIDVU/may12_18.jpg

A close second would have to be Mulvane, KS June 12th 2004

http://www.stormguy.com/site/images/zoom/DEIDVU/viewsize/june12_33.jpg

[George Tincher]

Ahhhhhh yes, Mulvane. How could I have forgotten that one? That tornado meets all my definitions of gorgeous! Hehe. And not only was it beautiful, but graceful as well.

[Jeff Snyder]

My faves:
+ June 12th, 2004 - Mulvane, KS
+ May 12th, 2004 - Sharon, KS
+ August 9th, 1999 - Cleveland, MN

I've lover the pics from May 29th, 2004, southern KS supercell tornadoes, but I wasn't there so I didn't count them...

[Andy Wehrle]

Mulvane is right up there but the rope tornado and the multivortex tornado of May 29, 2004 are very close second and third:

http://www.mesoscale.ws/pic2004/040529-5.jpg

http://www.mesoscale.ws/pic2004/040529-33.jpg (Pics by Eric Nguyen)

Also the Red Cloud, NE tornado of June 10, 2004:

http://www.f5hunter.com/6-10-04/redcloud.jpg (Pic by Chris Gullikson)

[Mike Hollingshead]

Cordell, OK. Roger Hill's last tornado June 23, 2002 in SD at sunset.....GOD. Last Chance CO. Spencer SD. MN helicopter tornado video. Brady NE.

[Jeff Lawson]

For me, it'll be hard to top May 29, 2004...

http://www.jefflawson.net/php-cgi/albums/album38/aao.jpg

[George Tincher]

Jeff,

Wow! That's certainly as nice as Mother Nature creates them. Nice, smooth funnel. Beautiful blend of colors. Sure hope I can someday have something like that posing for me in the viewfinder.

-George

[Mike Hollingshead]

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/images/nssl0052.jpg

Cordell, OK Tornado, May 22, 1981 NSSL

[Mike Peregrine]

The pic from Cordell is one of the coolest still out there ... very Wizard of Oz ...

My favorites are Roger Hill's SD tornado at sunset - it will be a long time before any of us find anything to rival it. And Jeff Piotrowski's footage from Brady, NE ... as the tornado moved over a resevoir and picked up water and took on that incredible barber poll appearance.

[Jeremy Bower]

When I saw the heading for this the first tornado that I thought of was that infamous Cordell, OK tornado. I think just about any avid storm chaser out there can picture that tornado in their heads.

On a personal level, the most beautiful tornado that I've seen was one of the tornadoes I witnessed near Centerville, South Dakota on June 24, 2003. Those tornadoes brought back memories of tornado pics from the May 5, 1993 event.

[Jeff Wear]

For me it's obviously this one (at this point I don't think this one needs any introduction)......

http://www.theperksofchasing.com/images/2004/040612/torb040612mmed.jpg

The most spectacular one I had seen before that was one I saw in CA in 1988....a backlit, laminar high contrast elephant trunk. My dad did get some pictures of it - but somehow the film he had in the camera had already been used by people we didn't even know so all the pictures came back double exposed.

[Jason_Politte]

Mulvane definitely tops my list of the most photogenic/beautiful tornadoes I've actually witnessed.
http://www.onthefront.ws/images/612043.jpg
http://www.onthefront.ws/jun1204.htm

I observed the Manchester, SD tornado, but not like the Rhodens did during it's wedge phase.
Surreal, eerie, and unfortunately, very destructive:
http://www.stormskies.com/June24HR04.jpg

And of course, one can't forget this beauty of a shot from Tim Samaras on 5/29/04:
http://www.allsyntheticsgroup.com/articles...nado-large.html (http://www.allsyntheticsgroup.com/articles/tornado-large.html)

Jason

[Shane Adams]

http://www.passiontwist.us/mynade33.jpg

Dwyer, WY May 16, 2000

[Jeff Lawson]

The May 29, 2004 Attica tornado is getting all sorts of love. The Conway Springs tornado of the same day was incredible as well, solid black against a deep orange sky. I still curse myself for screwing up when photographing that one (the light was really difficult to work with). The video is amazing, at least.

Missing the Mulvane tornado on June 12 really hurt, though. I should have extended my season a couple of weeks and hopped in the van with Eric and Scott, but I pretty much called it quits after May 29. D'oh.

[Graham Butler]

I'm gonna have to jump on the Mulvane bandwagon.

http://www.darkskyproductions.com/2004/june12/images/06-12-2004-R2-24c.jpg

-Graham Butler
graham.butler at ttu.edu

[Mike Umscheid]

The most picturesque tornado that I have personally witnessed... I'll probably have to go with Attica/Crystal Springs 5-29-04... followed closely by the tornado from the next meso near Freeport. Before May 29th.. I'd have to say the tornado near Pratt on 4-14-01.

My favorite tornado of all time, if I were to label such a thing... in terms of violence and beauty all packaged in one: Last Chance, CO 7-21-93 vidoegraphed by Bill Reid.

Mike U

[Dean L. Cosgrove]

http://windsweptchasetours.com/Adrian_1.jpg

Great shots everyone! -- I think this shot is cool-- July 31, 2004 near Adrian , MN -- Dean Cosgrove http://windsweptchasetours.com/index.html

[Bill Hark]

http://www.harkphoto.com/tempmay29torndisp.jpg


May 29, 2004 near Jamestown, Kansas. This was not the biggest, most destructive or longest lasting tornado I've seen but I like the slender curved shape and dark background. From a distance, it appears "graceful." Of course, no tornado is if you are on the ground in the tornadic circulation.

Bill Hark

[Mike Mezeul II]

Definitely gonna be from May 29, 2004. This was the 2nd tornado from the Harper County storm!

http://www.stormphoto.net/New%20Web%20Design/Tornado_E.jpg

[Mike Kruze]

Of the ones I've witnessed, I'd say that the tornado northeast of Jamestown, IN on 4/20/04 is towards the top of the list for me. Nice backlighting and very graceful motion.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/hosting-data//4451/26780jamestown1-small.jpg

There was one tornado in particular on 5/24/04 in southern NE that could have been a scene right out of the Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately I don't have a very good quality still photo of it, just wide-angle vidcaps.

Of the ones I've only seen pictures/video of, my vote for most beautiful tornado is Cordell, OK 5/22/81. The video of that tornado is breathtaking.

[Adam Atkins]

My first and best was Throckmorton, TX on April 7, 2002. It's more sentimental than anything. The tornado went the gauntlet from wedge to stovepipe to a beautiful rope in the span of about 20 minutes. I have good pictures but I'm slow with HTML so contact me if you'd like to see them and I'll send them via e-mail.

EDIT: I figured it out.
http://weather.ou.edu/~aatkins/tornado.jpg

[Thomas Loades]

http://www.tornadochaser.com/photo/andoverter.gif
Looking SW from Andover, KS — April 26, 1991 — video by Earle Evans
I had to mention this video in particular, because in it the tornado is displaying the most incredible motion and rotation I've seen in any tornado video. In a similar league is the N Minneapolis, MN, tornado of 7/18/1986.

[Jason McIntosh]

I would also have to give it up for that Mulvane Twister. Those are some nice photos!!

My second choice, since I'm from Wisconsin; would have to be the July 18th, 1996 Oakfield F5 tornado.
Look at that rotation baby!!!
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/photogallery/tornado/071896-a.jpg[/img]

[APritchard]

I've only personally seen a few tornadoes in my short lifetime...but the best I saw was the Urbana, IL tornado from April 19 1996. That F3 tornado passed a mile from my backyard...and there was just something about watching that beautiful thing being lit up by frequent flashes of lightning as I watched it pass by on my back porch.

I dont know when or where this photo was taken...maybe someone can help me out on it, but I've always thought of it to be one of the best tornado photos I've seen.
http://sep800.mine.nu/files/background/Landscape/Lightning%20and%20tornado.jpg


This one as well, is one of the coolest photos I've seen.
http://www.mauricereeves.com/images/tornado.jpg

[Andrew Geil]

I've only been spotting/chasing for about five years, and in that time, only had one good cyclonic/anti-cyclonic event. It was a beauty.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/IllinoisEMT/tornado001.jpg

No rainbow, but... *sniff* Its the best I got so far.

[APritchard]

LOL!! I live so close to you...I can't believe I missed that one. :lol:

[Jeff Lawson]

Originally posted by APritchard
I dont know when or where this photo was taken...maybe someone can help me out on it, but I've always thought of it to be one of the best tornado photos I've seen.

If I remember correctly, it occurred in the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee (Florida). In fact, it might have been over the lake at the time of the photo, given its appearance.

The second photo is the Enid, OK tornado from June 1966 (can't remember the exact date). When I was a kid, I remember checking out a book on tornadoes from the school library which had that photo on the cover. It was the beginning of the end, so to speak. :D

[George Tincher]

Andrew,

Your bottom photo is the June 5, 1966 Enid, OK tornado. Here are some other photos of it at different stages:

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0057.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0058.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0059.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0060.htm

I was very familiar with that tornado, at least as far as photo #0059 is concerned. It graced the cover of my favorite childhood book titled Disaster: Tornadoes by Dennis Brindell Fradin. I checked that book out so many times in elementary school, I nearly wore it out. I think the school librarian finally just gave it to me!

-George

[Shane Adams]

Originally posted by Thomas Loades
http://www.tornadochaser.com/photo/andoverter.gif
Looking SW from Andover, KS — April 26, 1991 — video by Earle Evans
I had to mention this video in particular, because in it the tornado is displaying the most incredible motion and rotation I've seen in any tornado video. In a similar league is the N Minneapolis, MN, tornado of 7/18/1986.

AMEN - THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TORNADO (AND VIDEO) OF ALL-TIME. TOTALLY ALL-WORLD, ALL-UNIVERSE

[Philip Flory]

I would have to say the Mulvane tornado as well.

The Mulvane tornado not only exhibited beauty no words could describe, it exhibited some of the most violent rotation I have ever seen.

I have been thinking about how many people like to associate tornado size with strength, the Mulvane tornado would be a great example that size is often irrelevant.

[APritchard]

Originally posted by Jeff Lawson


The second photo is the Enid, OK tornado from June 1966 (can't remember the exact date). When I was a kid, I remember checking out a book on tornadoes from the school library which had that photo on the cover. It was the beginning of the end, so to speak. :D

I know just the book you are talking about. I got the same one from the library at my old elementary school.

[APritchard]

Originally posted by George Tincher
Andrew,

Your bottom photo is the June 5, 1966 Enid, OK tornado. Here are some other photos of it at different stages:

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0057.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0058.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0059.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0060.htm

I was very familiar with that tornado, at least as far as photo #0059 is concerned. It graced the cover of my favorite childhood book titled Disaster: Tornadoes by Dennis Brindell Fradin. I checked that book out so many times in elementary school, I nearly wore it out. I think the school librarian finally just gave it to me!

-George

Thanks for helping me figure it out guys!! Thats probably the same book Jeff mentioned, that I also checked out many times!

[George Tincher]

LOL. This is really funny. Here's 3 of us in this thread who all wore out the same exact book in elementary school. And we are all still weather nuts. Makes me wonder how many others have a childhood connection to that book.

BTW, even though it was written for children, it had some pretty good interviews at the beginning with survivors of the April 10, 1979 Vernon and Wichita Falls, TX tornadoes.

http://www.bookfinder4u.com/detail/0516008544.html

-George

[Kiel Ortega]

[quote]For me, it'll be hard to top May 29, 2004...

I'd agree here...I had the nice vantage point due east of the tornado with the setting sun in the back.

Picture sucks...real thing was much better.

http://weather.ou.edu/~kortega/metr2014lab/tornado.JPG

[Michael P. Morris]

I remember that same book as well, and the other day I even saw those pictures at the OKC airport on souvenir magnets.

[Reed Timmer]

I'd have to say Manchester (following 2 pics) and the Brady, NE tornado.
Throckmorton in 2002 was also a beautiful tornado

http://www.tornadovideos.net/temp/manchestersample1.jpg
http://www.tornadovideos.net/temp/manchestersample2.jpg

[Darin Brunin]

I guess I am not the only one by far that has read that book. That book was the first book that I read about tornadoes when I was younger. Does anyone remember a picture in it where a tornado was about to hit a school? The picture on the front of the book still sticks out in my mind.

Darin

[George Tincher]

Yeah Darin, there was an artists conception of a tornado plowing into a school. It was flipping vehicles and such.

There was also a picture near the back of a tornado approaching a Paris, TX school. In the pic you could see the kids out on the playground just gazing at it in amazement.

[APritchard]

Yep, I remember that picture. I'd love to get my hands on a copy of that book for old times sake.

[APritchard]

Originally posted by Shane Adams+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Shane Adams)</div><!--QuoteBegin-Thomas Loades
http://www.tornadochaser.com/photo/andoverter.gif
Looking SW from Andover, KS — April 26, 1991 — video by Earle Evans
I had to mention this video in particular, because in it the tornado is displaying the most incredible motion and rotation I've seen in any tornado video. In a similar league is the N Minneapolis, MN, tornado of 7/18/1986.

AMEN - THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TORNADO (AND VIDEO) OF ALL-TIME. TOTALLY ALL-WORLD, ALL-UNIVERSE[/b]

I checked out this movie from the local library that had that segment uncut on video, which was awesome...but they set it to this freaky music...that made it even more erie.

[Joel Wright]

Originally posted by APritchard+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(APritchard)</div>Originally posted by Shane Adams@
<!--QuoteBegin-Thomas Loades
http://www.tornadochaser.com/photo/andoverter.gif
Looking SW from Andover, KS — April 26, 1991 — video by Earle Evans
I had to mention this video in particular, because in it the tornado is displaying the most incredible motion and rotation I've seen in any tornado video. In a similar league is the N Minneapolis, MN, tornado of 7/18/1986.

AMEN - THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TORNADO (AND VIDEO) OF ALL-TIME. TOTALLY ALL-WORLD, ALL-UNIVERSE

I checked out this movie from the local library that had that segment uncut on video, which was awesome...but they set it to this freaky music...that made it even more erie.[/b]



There was a video made back in the mid 90's. I think it was called Tornadoes the Entity that featured a long segment on that tornado with erie background music. There were no naration at all on the video, just music lol.

[Tony Laubach]

My vote would be Andover, KS - April 26, 1991... nothing I've seen in real life or in video could EVEN begin to compare...

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by Joel Wright+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Joel Wright)</div>Originally posted by APritchard+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(APritchard)<!--QuoteBegin-Shane Adams@
<!--QuoteBegin-Thomas Loades
http://www.tornadochaser.com/photo/andoverter.gif
Looking SW from Andover, KS — April 26, 1991 — video by Earle Evans
I had to mention this video in particular, because in it the tornado is displaying the most incredible motion and rotation I've seen in any tornado video. In a similar league is the N Minneapolis, MN, tornado of 7/18/1986.

AMEN - THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TORNADO (AND VIDEO) OF ALL-TIME. TOTALLY ALL-WORLD, ALL-UNIVERSE

I checked out this movie from the local library that had that segment uncut on video, which was awesome...but they set it to this freaky music...that made it even more erie.[/b]



There was a video made back in the mid 90's. I think it was called Tornadoes the Entity that featured a long segment on that tornado with erie background music. There were no naration at all on the video, just music lol.[/b][/quote]

Ahhh yes, and excellent piece of video! I remember that, with the erie soundtrack and all. I actually enjoyed the soundtrack - It did seem to make the tornadoes more scary....

[Thomas Loades]

Originally posted by George Tincher
LOL. This is really funny. Here's 3 of us in this thread who all wore out the same exact book in elementary school. And we are all still weather nuts. Makes me wonder how many others have a childhood connection to that book.

BTW, even though it was written for children, it had some pretty good interviews at the beginning with survivors of the April 10, 1979 Vernon and Wichita Falls, TX tornadoes.

http://www.bookfinder4u.com/detail/0516008544.html

-George

Make that four. I love that book, and was overjoyed to find (and win) it on eBay last year. I, too, tought those survivor stories were fascinating — the one that made an impression on me was one of the Vernon tornado survivors who said she heard the tornado warning on TV, went to her front door to see if she could see the tornado, and was confronted by a pitch black wall of cloud. Then the door snapped off its hinges.

[Damon Scott Hynes]

Originally posted by Jeff Lawson
The second photo is the Enid, OK tornado from June 1966 (can't remember the exact date). When I was a kid, I remember checking out a book on tornadoes from the school library which had that photo on the cover. It was the beginning of the end, so to speak. :D

"1001 Questions Answered About The Weather", IIRC.

[Gabe Garfield]

Make that four. I love that book, and was overjoyed to find (and win) it on eBay last year. I, too, tought those survivor stories were fascinating — the one that made an impression on me was one of the Vernon tornado survivors who said she heard the tornado warning on TV, went to her front door to see if she could see the tornado, and was confronted by a pitch black wall of cloud. Then the door snapped off its hinges.

I think I read that one as well. I didn't really like many of the library tornado books, though. Most of them were too elementary.

My favorite book growing up was Gary England's "Those Terrible Twisters and the Weather of Oklahoma". I read that book cover to cover until it literally ripped apart. Absolutely fantastic photos, and a little bit of storm theory too.

As far as the subject of this thread is concerned, the prettiest tornado that I have personally witnessed would be (as for everyone else) the Mulvane tornado.

As far as tornadoes I've seen in pictures/video, I would have to say the Sunray, Texas tornado of 1971 tops that list. It basically had the same lighting as the Mulvane tornado and the size and shape of the Union City tornado of 1973. Absolutely gorgeous. A close second would be the Red Rock tornado of 4/26/91 as viewed by Howie Bluestein/Gary Shore. That was an incredible combination of beauty/raw power.

Gabe

[George Tincher]

I also liked the Perrin AFB, TX footage from the 50's. Those reels were horrible, but they just looked so ominous. This particular footage gave a greenish-black appearance to the tornado and storm. While likely not an accurate reproduction of the true colors, it sure looked cool!

[Stuart Robinson]

For me it has to be Harper county on May 29th 2004. Not only was this a “perfect” tornado also the sun lighting the bottom half of the tornado was simply breathtaking. More over this was an interesting chase for me. I had just returned back to the UK after chasing for almost 4 weeks and on my first day back at work I took a look at the forecasts and immediately booked a return flight back to the USA. To cut a long story short grabbed the flight, hired the car bagged the tornado and headed back home ~ all done and dusted within 5 days departing to returning back home in the UK.

http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk/stu/harper.jpg

Some thing different and not my picture ~ a water spout spotted of the North East Coast of England ~ much reduced in size from the original.

http://www.torro.org.uk/archive/images/waterspou.jpg

[APritchard]

http://www.tornadochaser.co]
m/photo/andoverter.gif[/img[i]Looking SW from Andover, KS — April 26, 1991 — video by Earle Evans
I had to mention this video in particular, because in it the tornado is displaying the most incredible motion and rotation I've seen in any tornado video. In a similar league is the N Minneapolis, MN, tornado of 7/18/1986.

AMEN - THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TORNADO (AND VIDEO) OF ALL-TIME. TOTALLY ALL-WORLD, ALL-UNIVERSE

I checked out this movie from the local library that had that segment uncut on video, which was awesome...but they set it to this freaky music...that made it even more erie.



There was a video made back in the mid 90's. I think it was called Tornadoes the Entity that featured a long segment on that tornado with erie background music. There were no naration at all on the video, just music lol.


That is exactly the video I was thinking of. It was especially eerie when they got to the old school black and white videos.

[mark humpage]

I'll jump on the Harper May 29 2004 bandwagon & I was with Stu (above).
Awesome trip ;)

http://www.mhweather.co.uk/mhwphp/images/Thunderstorms/photos/tornado%20debris.jpg

http://www.mhweather.co.uk/mhwphp/images/Thunderstorms/photos/tornado%20close%20up.jpg

http://www.mhweather.co.uk/mhwphp/chases/c...e2004_may29.php (http://www.mhweather.co.uk/mhwphp/chases/chase2004/chase2004_may29.php)

Mark

[Michael P. Morris]

Not only was there no narration on Tornadoes the Entity, the box claimed it was narrated by Niel Armstrong.

[Andrew Revering]

Wow, my tornado catches can't compare to most of the ones you guys posted, but here are the two most photogenic that I've seen.

http://www.aprweather.com/images/elkton3.jpg
http://www.aprweather.com/chase/6903/twister.jpg

[Karen Politte]

Oh, ya know......the usual. :wink:

http://www.stormskies.com/0624Cover.jpg

(I was taking this thread as the most beautiful tornado I've PERSONALLY seen - not just that I've seen anywhere i.e. on TV/video.

[Scott Udell]

Originally posted by APritchard
<snip>

I dont know when or where this photo was taken...maybe someone can help me out on it, but I've always thought of it to be one of the best tornado photos I've seen.
http://sep800.mine.nu/files/background/Landscape/Lightning%20and%20tornado.jpg
<snip>

It just so happens that photo is on the cover of "The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm" by Thomas P. Grazulis (which, coincidentally, I'm reading right now!). The back dust jacket credits it to Fred P. Smith. A Google search (I love Google!) lead me to http://www.sciencephoto.com/images/imagePo...rch=&matchtype= (http://www.sciencephoto.com/images/imagePopUpDetails.html?pop=1&id=691450363&pviewid=&country=&search=&matchtype=)

The caption for it reads:

"Double trouble. A storm over Florida, showing a waterspout and a large bolt of lightning. At far right is a TV mast (red lights); its height of 150 metres gives a sense of scale to the image. Severe thunderstorms are often the cause of tornadoes and inland waterspouts. This event was photographed near Lake Okeechobee in Florida, USA."

Me, I've never seen a tornado personally :(, but considering the places I frequent (Kansas City metro area), it might be a bummer to run into one as things are a bit congested here.