A Tornadic Supercell over Elevated, Complex Terrain: The Divide, Colorado, Storm of 12 July 1996

A supercell storm that produced a tornado and large hail over the Rocky Mountains is documented with WSR-88D data, a damage survey, and visual observations. This case study demonstrates how well the WSR-88D Doppler radar was able to detect this storm and used to issue a timely tornado warning. It also alerts us that supercell tornadoes can form over elevated, complex terrain.