Turkey, TX — Travis Farncombe — Highways & Hailstones

Published on April 28, 2016

We woke up on the morning of April 28 ready for a fun chase day in the Texas Panhandle. The SPC issued a slight risk for the region, and Roger and I agreed that we liked the area between Turkey and Childress for storms late in the afternoon. We decided we would head toward Shamrock and position from there.

To make a long story short, our forecast was bang on, we intercepted what turned out to be the storm of the day near Turkey and then watched it mature into a beautiful supercell that we chased for hours. An awesome day in the Panhandle!

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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