Minnesota Tornadofest! — Travis Farncombe

Published on April 13, 2026

It’s a special storm chase day when you experience a storm from its inception, right up until it is a prolific tornado-producing supercell. That was our day on April 13, 2026, and this was that updraft.

Our storm pulsed up and down for some time before it was able to truly take off as a dominant supercell. When it did, above, it quickly got The Look.

Above, shortly after spotting dust whirls while positioning closer to the circulation, we pulled over to witness this incredible scene. RFD wrapped an emerald-green hail core around the ongoing tornado—a gorgeous bowl-shaped funnel with a dusty debris cloud spinning beneath.

Above, the tornado had been ongoing for 5-10 minutes as a dusty ground circulation beneath a carousel base. RFD wrapped the uncondensed tornado and—just like that—a cone developed and condensed to the ground. For the next ten minutes or so, we watched the tornado morph from a gorgeous cone to a stout and dusty stovepipe over the open fields near Truman, Minnesota.

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.

Community Comments