Oklahoma Classics! — Travis Farncombe

Published on April 27, 2026

The day before was the worst kind of chase day… lots of driving, lots of rain, low visibility, messy storm modes and *entirely* unfruitful and unrewarding. This day, however, was about as far to the other end of the spectrum as you could hope. After waking up in Oklahoma City to a risk area all but decimated by yesterday’s mess in Southern Oklahoma, the outlook felt a little bleak. But, as the day went on, fantastic clearing trends coupled with a favourable boundary in Northern Oklahoma began to offer more and more hope. Well(!)—long story short—we targeted the Ponca City area… and were rewarded with a powerful supercell that produced at least three photogenic tornadoes near Foraker. Despite the Osage County road network (or lack thereof!), we posted up on Foraker Road north of Highway 60 and were in a fantastic position to watch what unfolded! The best kind of chase day.

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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