62 Fort Morgan CO - 13 June 2009

Date: 13 June 2009

Location: Fort Morgan, CO

Chase Partners: Tami and Griffin

Summary: Target area was pretty much all of Eastern CO and we started out the day near Bennett. A storm fired NW of Denver and seemed to be the only action occurring. We headed up toward Prospect Valley and then east to watch the storms progression. It was rather lack luster and news of a short wave heading thru the area kept our interest to pursue. After the short wave went thru storms blew up all along the front range and Palmer Divide. As our storm approached Wiggins it started becoming more and more surface based and a really nice wall cloud formed. It spun out a few funnels and as I was on the phone with NWS Boulder one (funnel #2) of them ever so briefly kicked up a patch of dust on the ground.......long enough for me to say "tornado, wait, the funnel is roping out." I guess it is better than a kick in the teeth. The storm never really could get its act together. There was always rotation with it, but it never could tighten up enough. After the core passed us it dumped rain and pea sized hail for some time. We got into some minor flooding N of Snyder, CO. Another storm formed off this ones rear flank and we pursued it for a while near dark. Again we witnessed a broad area of rotation, but it never could tighten up enough.

Funnel #1 near Wiggins, CO

Funnel #1 shortly before roping out.

Funnel #2 shortly before touching down as perhaps one of the shortest tornados in history.

Funnel #3 forms north of Snyder, CO.