Chase Log: April 29, 2003

Storm Chase Logs2003 Storm Chase LogsChase Log: April 29, 2003
Northeast Colorado

CHASE VEHICLE:

CHASE PARTNERS:

Solo

MILES DRIVEN:

63

TORNADOES SEEN:

None

MAX HAIL SEEN:

1.25"

FLOODING SEEN:

None Observed

DAMAGE OBSERVED:

None Observed
Tony Laubach
Tony Laubach
Meteorologist & Storm Chaser

Back-to-Back hail days in Colorado, this time closer to home.  After leaving James’s house to get dinner in Wheat Ridge, a developing thunderstorm rolled overhead.  Heavy rain gave way to pea-sized hail and that was enough to get me on I-76 heading northeast toward Commerce City.

Shortly after leaving James’s house, I get the first stones of this severe storm.
Storm base after getting situated in northeast Denver.

When I got off the interstate, I pitched camp off 120th and I-76 to wait for the main show! My original position was on a residential street off I-76 and 120th, but as the storm pushed slowly northeastward, I ended up about a mile east of my original location.  Hail just over an inch in diameter, perhaps flirting with golfballs at their biggest, came down for 10 minutes in a fury.  Traffic in the area was nearly stopped at Commerce City was overtaken by several inches of hail!

The view as the hail began to fall at my location…
The view 10 minutes later when the hail was still coming down.
Hail covering the ground

The biggest mess came as rush hour traffic along I-76 was brought to a standstill!  The overpass at 120th was completely filled with people taking cover from the massive hailstorm.  I took some time to shoot as I had nowhere I could go.  Emergency vehicles were everywhere as the storm began to push on.  Hail as deep as 4 inches piled up in the street and took nearly an hour to completely melt away.

Traffic slowly got moving again as the underpass finally cleared.
Line of cars slowing gets moving after the storm clears.

For the second day in a row, my video made television, this time opening the evening 9 Newscast.

Storm Chase Logs2003 Storm Chase LogsChase Log: April 29, 2003

What I Observed/Documented

TORNADOES:

None

MAX HAIL:

1.25"

FLOODING:

None Observed

DAMAGE:

None Observed
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