SkyPix

A digital photographic storybook of clouds, weather and water by Roger Edwards.

Rainy Sunset

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Some of the most eerily beautiful sunsets are seen through the rain, when skies are clearing to the west.  Here, the sun's rays cast a broad pink swath on the trailing anvil of a squall line, which was softened by refraction across miles of light rain.  I was headed to Dallas to visit my dad, who was comatose in the hospital after a nearly fatal wreck; and this scene was so calming and soothing I … [Read more...]

Abandoned on Wyoming Prairie

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Withstanding the Wyoming wind for decades, this abandoned barn and its attached tool shed somehow still appear on satellite imagery ten years later.  That's the mark of good craftsmanship by the homesteader who built it many decades ago.  Having intercepted a tornado-producing supercell earlier near Chugwater, and barely dodging huge, damaging hailstones, we came upon this scene rather tired.  It … [Read more...]

Wolfe City Wall Cloud

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This low, ominous wall cloud rotated vigorously for 15–20 minutes, becoming encircled and occluded by rain and hail from a strong rear-flank downdraft, while a new mesocyclone (at right) tried to form.  As often happens in my presence, it did no more than that.  The entire storm wound itself into a murky, foreboding, heavy-precip (HP) supercell, heading off past Greenville and into the dark … [Read more...]

Lefors Wall Cloud and Tornado

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I've shot more distant, low-contrast tornado photos than I care to count or admit or display in SkyPix, but will include this scan as a spotting lesson.  Darkness and low contrast are common impediments to photography under severe storms, especially with relatively unforgiving 1990s-era slide film.  Can you identify the tornado?  It produced F0 damage to fences and utility equipment.  We saw it … [Read more...]

Scud Silhouetting Sunset Sky

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With their silhouetted, textured forms, fractocumulus and ragged, strongly sheared cumulus layered this splendid central Kansas sunset of brilliantly painted cirrus.  It had been an otherwise rather nondescript chase day, but soon before entering Hutchinson for a late dinner, this kiss of color from the west soothed my mind and saved the trip from being a waste.  Even on a "bust" day, one usually … [Read more...]

Glacial Sunrise: Mt. Rainier

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On this cool Cascade Mountain morning, the intricately textured glacial ice that caps Mt. Rainier spectacularly reflected the earliest direct sunlight of the day, while surrounding countryside remained silhouetted in shadow. Ice cliffs more squarely facing the sun, of course, reflected more of the sunrise back at us, accentuating the glaciers' crumpled, rugged form. A short, tripodded time … [Read more...]