SkyPix

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

Core Edge CG

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Turbulently formed and intricately textured, the underside of a shelf cloud surged overhead, as the electrically active core region responsible for the outflow surge blasted forth a furious fusillade of lightning.  This was one of at least 20 CG strikes from the same part of the storm in a five-minute period, only a handful of which I was able to catch on digital film.  The fact that I could bag … [Read more...]

Wintry Summertime

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A fast-moving little supercell left a 100+ mile trail of hail across southern South Dakota into northern Nebraska, including this wintry-looking accumulation of mostly 1/2 to 1-1/2-inch stones (measured with photo report tweeted to the Rapid City NWS).  Hail washed from the hills and accumulated in fence lines and roadsides, as flash flooding drained toward the Little White River, just to my … [Read more...]

Refractive Retreat

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After sweeping across the road just to my northeast with blustery force, this fast-moving, outflow-surfing, post-cold-frontal supercell emerged into sunlight with spectacular effect, flashing a brilliant mid-afternoon rainbow for a long time and many miles, near to far.  Post-cold-frontal?  Yes, supercells can happen in any environment where enough lift, moisture, instability, and shear exist, … [Read more...]

Millsap Tornado: Wide View

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Ignored but surely noticed by drivers on I-20, despite the thin moat of rain wrapping around the vortex, the Millsap tornado slowly swirled across the Western Crosstimbers countryside near the Parker/Palo Pinto County line, just off the western outskirts of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.  Fortunately, even though it had produced a couple tornadoes already and would go on to spawn two more very … [Read more...]

Hail Slush: Traffic Hazard

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Following the dissipation of the pretty Torrington supercell and its remnants' merger into a larger cluster of storms, I headed up the road in hopes of a marvelous sunset (fulfilled!).   Along the way, I found a copious deposit of hail from that supercell, and/or another severe storm trailing behind it, precip shafts from which can be seen at left.  The largest hailstones I found were about 2-1/2 … [Read more...]

Tornadic Hide and Seek

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[Part 2 of 2]  A substantial tornado was playing hide and seek, and I wasn't about to go in there and tap it.  One of the better views I had was my last sure look here, shown wide-angle.  It still was hard to make out:  a dark barrel shape on and above the horizon, just to the right of lower center.  Continuity from earlier peeks, combined with centering an obvious rim of fast rotation, and … [Read more...]