Hanover – Creemore ON — Travis Farncombe

Published on September 5, 2015

September 5th was slight-risk setup for severe storms, but with little tornado potential. Good instability would be in place by mid-afternoon through much of Southern Ontario, with ML CAPE forecast to approach 2000. However, upper level flow would be displaced to the west, and shear was not especially impressive. Regardless, it was getting late in the season and so I was willing to chase every opportunity that presented itself before the winter!

I targeted the Durham area up in Grey Bruce, where I thought that shear might be slightly better than other regions. Driving northwest, I arrived as storms were beginning to fire, intercepting an isolated storm that was going up to the west of Hanover. The storm was the most picturesque and impressive here, in its early stages, with a flat, low and circular base.

Unfortunately, the cell had trouble establishing itself and becoming surface-based, and quickly transitioned to a high-based storm with little structure. Nevertheless, it did provide some decent photo opportunities as I tracked in eastward toward Creemore. It passed through scenic forest and farmland, tried to exhibit some slight rotation as an RFD interaction occurred, and then the backside of the updraft made for a pretty display as I finally let the storm part.

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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