Heavy Snow and Gusty Winds in the North-Central US; Freezing Rain Possible in the Northern Plains and Appalachians

Areas of moderate to heavy snow and gusty to high winds are expected across the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Patchy areas of light rain/freezing rain may develop along the rain-snow line over parts of the Northern Plains into the morning. A mix of light snow and freezing rain or drizzle is possible in the central Appalachians that may impact the morning commute. Read More >

Overview

On June 13, 2014 a tornado developed near Hulett, WY, and moved generally east toward Aladdin, WY. A significant number of large ponderosa pine trees were snapped and uprooted in the Bear Lodge Mountains. One mobile home was completely destroyed, and several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. There also was one injury reported. After surveying the storm damage, a National Weather Service team rated the tornado as EF-2.

Tornado
Damage Photos
Radar
Environment

Tornado:

Tornado - Hulett to Aladdin, WY
Crook County

Date	June 13, 2014
Time (Local)	4:41 to 5:12 pm
EF Rating	EF-2
Est. Peak Winds	120 mph
Path Length	Estimated 18.1 miles
Max Width	600 yards
Injuries/Deaths	1
Summary: Tornado uprooted and snapped a significant number of large ponderosa pine trees in the Bear Lodge Mountains. One mobile home was completely destroyed. Several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Also, there was evidence of strong straight-line winds along and south of the tornado track.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Damage Photos

The damage photos below were taken by NWS Rapid City during the storm damage survey.


Sheet metal around a tree approximately 3 miles northeast of Hulett	Tree damage north of Alva	Snapped trees north of Alva as the tornado crossed the Bear Lodge Mountains	Damaged trees north of Alva

Radar

The tornado developed as a supercell thunderstorm moved across the northern Bear Lodge Mountains, and the tornado dissipated as the thunderstorm came off the mountains.


June 13, 2014 438 pm MDT reflectivity image	June 13, 2014 441 pm MDT storm-relative velocity image (note the strong couplet of reds/greens, which indicates the tornado cyclone)


June 13, 2014 458 pm MDT reflectivity image	June 13, 2014 505 pm MDT storm-relative velocity image (note the strong couplet of reds/greens, which indicates the tornado cyclone)

Environment

NWS Rapid City balloon information showed an unstable air mass with moderate vertical wind shear. The surface map showed moist air streaming into northeastern Wyoming.