05/29/2026
May 16, 2026 - Northern Missouri Supercell
For a couple of days leading up to May 16th, I had been watching the setup across northern Missouri pretty closely. Models kept hinting at a narrow corridor where moisture, instability, and increasing shear could overlap just enough for a few isolated storms to take off before sunset. I had the weekend off since it would be my last one off for a long while due to starting a new job, so I wanted to make it count. My friend Gabe White stayed the night on Friday just in case we were going chasing Saturday, I called up a few other of my friends. They were all busy. Marcus came across my mind. He has a bit of flexibility with his job, so I texted him asking if he wanted to take off early and watch some storms, he replied “yeah why not” so he got off work. Gabe and I headed up to Marcus' house to pick him up.
By early afternoon, the atmosphere was already recovering. Temperatures had climbed well into the 80s, dewpoints were creeping northward into the upper 60s and low 70s, and towering cumulus clouds were beginning to bubble across the horizon. Northern Missouri had that heavy, humid feeling that usually means the atmosphere is loaded and waiting for something to break the cap. The target gradually centered around Linn County, especially near towns like Browning, Purdin, and Linneus. The drive north was quiet at first, with scattered clouds and hazy sunshine stretching over the Missouri farmland. Storms struggled initially, but visually the atmosphere looked far more unstable than radar suggested.
As the afternoon went on, towering cumulus became more aggressive, with sharp vertical growth and stronger inflow developing across the region. Mid-level clouds raced overhead while the air outside felt increasingly warm and unstable. Eventually, radar started showing stronger development west of our position near Trenton and Laredo. A few storms quickly intensified as they interacted with the boundary draped across northern Missouri.
At that point, confidence began to increase. Missouri chasing can be frustrating because storms often become messy quickly, but this environment still looked supportive of a dominant supercell if a single storm could stay isolated long enough. As we moved closer to the Browning and Purdin area, one storm quickly separated from the rest and began to take on classic supercell characteristics. A broad lowering formed beneath the base while inflow bands fed steadily into the storm from the southeast. The contrast between the dark precipitation core and the brighter inflow region made the storm look incredibly dramatic against the open farmland.
Around 5:50 PM, radar velocity scans showed stronger rotation developing near Browning and Laredo. Reflectivity also showed a large hail core, with reports eventually reaching around two inches in diameter. Outside the vehicle, the atmosphere felt intense. Strong inflow winds pulled into the storm continuously while lightning flashed deep inside the core every few seconds. The base became massive, stretching across the sky with layered motion visible throughout the updraft.
By around 6 PM, the storm had matured into a powerful and extremely photogenic supercell near Purdin. From our position southeast of the circulation, we had an incredible view into the storm’s base. The mesocyclone showed strong motion, visible striations, and periods where the lowering appeared to tighten beneath the storm. The storm's incredible structure truly inspired awe, making me feel grateful to witness such a rare sight in Missouri. A dark vault region wrapped around the southern side of the storm while heavy rain and hail fell farther west. The inflow tail fed directly into the rotating base, giving the storm a classic appearance even though it remained heavily precipitation-wrapped at times.
There were several moments where it looked like the circulation was trying to organize closer to the ground, though visibility became difficult at times because of rain wrapping around the mesocyclone. Even then, the storm looked incredibly organized as it continued moving east-northeast across the countryside. The most memorable part of the evening came closer to sunset. As sunlight filtered underneath the storm from the west, the entire landscape turned orange and gold while the supercell remained dark green and charcoal overhead. The contrast was unreal.
At times, the storm looked like a giant rotating mothership hanging over northern Missouri. Rain curtains wrapped around the western side of the storm while smooth inflow bands streamed into the base from the southeast. Constant lightning flickered deep inside the core, briefly illuminating the structure from within. Every direction looked photogenic. The combination of open farmland, evening light, and highly organized storm structure created some of the best views of the season. For a few minutes, the storm almost appeared motionless despite the violent motion happening inside the mesocyclone. As darkness approached, the storm gradually became more rain-wrapped and precipitation-heavy. Radar still showed rotation, but visual structure became harder to see as the core wrapped around the circulation.
Eventually the supercell merged with additional storms farther east, ending the best phase of the chase. Driving home exhausted but excited, I felt a deep sense of fulfillment, knowing I had experienced one of the year's most impressive northern Missouri supercells.
May 16, 2026, was a reminder that northern Missouri can still produce incredible supercell structure when everything lines up correctly. Witnessing such a well-organized and photogenic supercell, especially near Purdin and Browning, underscored the rarity and power of these events in this region, making it a chase to remember. Missouri storms may not always offer the wide-open visibility of the High Plains, but this chase delivered dramatic skies, intense structure, powerful inflow, and one unforgettable sunset intercept near Purdin and Browning. From the first towering cumulus fields to the glowing mesocyclone at sunset, the entire evening felt like one of those chase days you remember for a long time.
