Extensive damage began on the west side of Arthur shortly thereafter. As the tornado passed Highway 6, it was at its peak strength. The tornado had a separate companion for a brief time, a thin black appendage that swept around the front of the main circulation. As the main tornado crossed the highway, it destroyed a barn full of hay which tinted the tornado yellow for a brief time. The tornado's parent supercell also became more intense. A torrent of rain and hail preceded the tornado around the north side of the path.