June 3, 2012 - Mini Cass County Chase

June 3, 2012 - Mini Cass County Chase

Out of all the days last year, June 3rd was one of the better chase days when it came to 2012.  Granted I didn't see a tornado this day, but the day was more memorable for me due to all of the wonderful colors and true beauty of North Dakota that I was able to find.  There was a reported tornado from this storm in Barnes County, but I never saw any evidence this storm was going to produce.

Very little organization to this storm

Closest it ever came to producing a wall cloud.

Notice the rain foot to the right.

Yeah, why not?

It is not what you think it is. 

Now the colors really start to show.

This photo was not edited, aside from adding the copyright mark.

As the storm progressed, I was talking to Bill Doms about what I was seeing, and he was watching my live video feed.  

Pretty rainbow.

Double Rainbows!

Double rainbows with a nice rain/hail shaft.

As I got closer to sunset, the colors just broke free.  It encompassed some of the most beautiful sunsets I can ever remember.  All the colors of the rainbow. 

Just so many colors with all of those shots.  There were some reports of someone seeing a rapidly rotating wall cloud with this storm, but I never saw anything which would resemble the wall cloud.  Just a very neat, very picturesque storm. It is one of those days while as a storm chaser you may not see a tornado, you are just as satisfied with seeing what you saw.  The best part is, with all of these pictures, they are not edited - this is really what it looked like.  I feel as though no matter how many photos I took with my camera, I could never do the views justice with what I was seeing.  I would look at each of the photos and ask myself if I could edit them, what would I do?  I couldn't come up with anything to change.  Even looking back on these photos almost a year later, I still cannot find anything I would do to make the photos better.  The images are still ingrained in my mind as being some of the more beautiful storms I have ever seen.  Many of these photos I know are going to end up on my wall some day and I'll be able to look back at this very relaxing, very close chase to home, and be able to smile.  

It also set up two of my favorite shots of a sunset.  

It is chase days like this one which make me happy to call North Dakota home.