In New Mexico storms, the action can get wild and intense! I was glad to be sitting ringside, instead of in the ring getting pummeled. After the storm became very active electrically, I grabbed the camera sporting the zoom lens to capture some of the discharges; this attempt worked. This supercell flung frequent, bright, hot lightning strikes, along with severe outflow and hail. The lower funnel-shaped cloud with apparent “debris” beneath actually was a non-rotating scud mass, situated behind a chaotic precipitation shaft. The peculiar mid-August supercell not only survived its own outflow heaving, but developed spectacular vertical structure an hour later near Sabinoso. The southern end of the Sangre de Cristo range, which formed the storm through orographic lift and heating of the higher terrain, can be seen behind it.
2 NNW Mills NM (13 Aug 17) Looking WSW
36.1113, -104.2597Mesa Country Zapper
In New Mexico storms, the action can get wild and intense! I was glad to be sitting ringside, instead of in the ring getting pummeled. After the storm became very active electrically, I grabbed the camera sporting the zoom lens to capture some of the discharges; this attempt worked. This supercell flung frequent, bright, hot lightning strikes, along with severe outflow and hail. The lower funnel-shaped cloud with apparent “debris” beneath actually was a non-rotating scud mass, situated behind a chaotic precipitation shaft. The peculiar mid-August supercell not only survived its own outflow heaving, but developed spectacular vertical structure an hour later near Sabinoso. The southern end of the Sangre de Cristo range, which formed the storm through orographic lift and heating of the higher terrain, can be seen behind it.
2 NNW Mills NM (13 Aug 17) Looking WSW
36.1113, -104.2597