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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhile I was out running an errand, radar showed convection trying to fire. It was pulsing inside a notch in the convergence boundary that had formed southeast of Flagstaff around 12:30PM. That was earlier than I expected, so by the time I was on I-40 heading east, one cell was already looking pretty good. With 30ish knots of bulk shear, I was mainly interested in some brief structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I got near Buffalo Range Road, about 12 miles from the cell, it looked like a funnel was poking out of the southern tip of the base. So I started the cell phone rolling video on it.<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n About a minute later, 2058Z, dust appeared on the horizon where the funnel was aimed, so landspout! You never know how much time you\u2019ve got, but I didn\u2019t want to pull over on the interstate. Fortunately, the Two Guns exit was just a couple more minutes down the road. Once I got there, I realized terrain to the west was going to hide the point of ground contact, but I couldn\u2019t waste more time hunting down a better spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The condensation funnel gradually stretched down into the lengthening dust column. With the sun reflecting off orange dust and white vapor, it was more stunning than I could have hoped for an Arizona tornado. It\u2019s one of the sights I imagine when heading out for a Plains chase \u2014 wondering if I\u2019ll catch a high-definition, colorful rope-out among other things. And there I was, 30 miles from home, watching it happen on a Sunday afternoon.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n While the storm continued drifting northeast, the base of the landspout drifted slowly southward, stretching the funnel longer as they separated. It dissipated after about twelve minutes, lasting from 2058-2110Z.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once it wrapped up, I made my way up Rt 87 north of Winslow to see what new development might look like that way. I got some time lapse running at the Painted Desert Rim View and watched rain, hail and sunbeams roll across striped buttes and hills. Around this time I got a request from 12 News Phoenix for an interview. They were okay waiting a couple hours so I could finish up and get to a spot with better than 1x coverage. On the way back to Winslow, an isolated cell near Mormon Lake eclipsed the sun and while grabbing shots of that, I had a couple cars honk and wave as they drove by. I couldn\u2019t tell who they were, but It kind of added to the feeling of being out on a Plains chase.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Down by Winslow, I grabbed a few last sunset shots and did a FaceTime interview with Ryan Cody. Funny to see a news camera set down on a desk and aimed at a cell phone to capture the interview. I barely watch broadcast news anymore, so these things are surprising to me.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
Reflectivity scan showing notched boundary with developing cell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
Developing funnel with possible dust on horizon above truck<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
Funnel and clear evidence of dust\/debris<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
Growing dust column with 1 mile to go to next stop<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
Landspout strengthening beyond Two Guns<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
Looking east-southeast from the east side of Two Guns<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
Looking west-southwest from Painted Desert Rim View<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
Looking northeast along Rt 87 at receding convection<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
View to the southwest of an isolated cell near Mormon Lake<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
Last light on receding storms from north side of Winslow<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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