30 May 1998
The tornado(es?) preceding the Spencer event from the same supercell, mapped here as two damage tracks by Brian Smith. Images courtesy Al Moller and David Dowell.
Looking S from ~18 N Mitchell SD -- rapidly rotating wall cloud
Looking SSE from ~10 N Mitchell SD -- rapidly rotating wall cloud E of Highway 37. Carved-out RFD (upper part of photo) on outflow side of mesocyclone.
85 mm view of rapidly developing tornado NNE of Mitchell. Thin, ragged funnel and very thin dust column beneath funnel.
Another 85 mm view. Opaque dust column still visible under funnel. This is Fulton tornado.
0106Z (8:06 pm CDT), looking NW -- tornado beginning with debris fan under lowered segment of wall cloud
Looking SE -- Fulton tornado with debris under comical condensation funnel between 807 and 811 pm.
0108Z (8:08 pm CDT), looking NW -- short conical condensation funnel over growing debris cloud
0109Z (8:09 pm CDT), looking NW -- DOW at left, condensation funnel extending into debris
Looking SE -- condensation funnel propagates down into debris cloud.
Looking SE -- mature tornado. New wall cloud intensifying at left.
Looking SE -- tornado appeared to weaken somewhat with a very weak debris cloud, the strengthened again later. Ominous and strengthening lowering at left (E).
Looking SE -- reinvigorated tornado appears to approach RHS of the ever-increasing lowering to its east, as if the new circulation (?) was trying to pull tornado #1 around it.
Looking SE -- tornado apparently nearing eastern lowering.
Looking SE (wide angle view) -- tornado apparently approaching eastern lowering.
Looking SE -- tornado, now enshrouded in dust, still moving to the ESE, apparently toward eastern lowering.
0112Z (8:12 pm CDT), looking NW -- enlarging condensation funnel and dust pall
Looking SE (wide angle view) -- dust pall enlarges.
Looking SE (85 mm F1.8 lens -- tornadic circulations(s) enlarging
Looking SE at large tornado
Looking SE at large tornado
0115Z (8:15 pm CDT), looking NW -- large tornado becoming enshrouded in dust and rain
0120Z (8:20 pm CDT), looking NNE -- tornado obscured by rain and dust