Ying and Yang – 2022

The 2022 Saskatchewan storm season was incredibly active and one where I witnessed some spectacular supercell structures, tornadoes, and big hail. July 7, 2022, was the outlier. The storm setup that day looked best in west Saskatchewan/east Alberta, and I debated whether I should spend the time and money chasing that far from home. It was still early in the season, and, as yet, I hadn’t experienced the best storm structure of the season. My decision to drive most of the way to Medicine Hat that afternoon reeked of desperation. As I passed the Maple Creek turnoff on the highway, I saw my storm in the distance to the northeast. It looked healthy, and even though it was 100 km out, I could see some good rotation in person and on the radar. One problem – it was heading straight for The Great Sandhills, a 1900 square kilometre area of dunes with no roads. I drove quickly north along the highway that skirts this land and intercepted the storm ten minutes before it disappeared into The Great Sandhills.

I was 4.5 hours from home with no images, and the chances of me seeing structure before dark were near zero. Making the best of my time with the fuel already burned, I skirted around the south end of the Sandhills, waiting for the storm to come into an area with a decent road network. It took several hours, but the storm finally emerged as the sun set. It was a rainy mess in the front with no structure, so I decided to duck behind the storm to take advantage of the setting sun and potential rainbow. Little did I know exactly what kind of magic was in store for me.

This photo is available as a fine art print. Please use the button below for more information.