Tornadoes in Kansas & Colorado! — Travis Farncombe

Published on May 11, 2023

I was between two storms at Cheyenne Wells, each rapidly intensifying and showing signs of rotation, when the storm to the east took over and became tornadic. As I turned southward, I saw a beautiful, large cone tornado just southeast of town. I quickly maneuvered for a place to stop that 1) yielded a view, and 2) wouldn’t leave me stuck in thick mud! The area was heavily saturated from training storms, and it was no easy feat finding a place to stop. I finally managed a great vantage as the tornado was at its most mature stage, as a broad cone.

I was ready to document! BUT… My video camera beeped ‘memory card full.’ My camera had been knocked and its settings were out of whack. Everything was going wrong! By the time I got my camera ready to shoot, the tornado was beginning to rope out. As I was overtaken by heavy rain, I managed to capture a few shots of the serpentine rope as the tornado wound down.

The rope stage of a tornado southwest of Cheyenne Wells, CO.

Winona, KS 07:24 PM

Winona, KS 07:33 PM @NWSDodgeCity @NWSGoodland

A pretty white funnel beneath the wrapping updraft. North of Winona, KS.

Travis Farncombe

I am the founder Highways & Hailstones. I live with my family in Toronto, Ontario - about 2000 miles from Oklahoma City and the heart of Tornado Alley. Every spring and summer, I travel down there, to the American Midwest, to witness the most awe-inspiring weather on the planet.

The first time I chased was ten years ago; I signed up as a guest with a storm chase tour company, and joined that group for a week on the plains. I saw my first tornado on that trip. It was a silhouette on a dark Kansas night, betrayed by strobes of lightning flickering in the distance. While the rest of the tour guides and group scanned the storm to the south, a lingering flash drew my glance to the north, and there, unmistakable, was a backlit cone. It was serendipity. I yelled cone tornado!, and a storm chaser was born.

After chasing for a few years as a guest with Silver Lining Tours, I gradually began to spread my wings and chase on my own, having learned enough from Roger Hill and other veterans to chase safely and responsibly. I became a guide with SLT in 2015. Now, I am a certified spotter and chase locally in Southern Ontario, as well as down in Tornado Alley. I am always meeting new people, always learning, and always humbled by the power of nature.

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