SkyPix

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

Supercell and Sticknet

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By now, a supercell that already had produced a tornado in another state had been well-sampled by the 2009 crews of the V.O.R.T.EX.-2 project.  Yet, with persistence and favorable road alignments, they followed along, sampling the air mass all around with a myriad of methods, including one of a series of "StickNet" devices.  These were, in effect, portable weather stations residing on heavy-duty … [Read more...]

Cumulus Humilis and Cloud Shadows over Painted Desert

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Cumulus humilis clouds that texture the big sky of northeastern Arizona also dapple shifting shadows across the rolling red and white badland layers of the Painted Desert, rendering a richly variegated landscape of depth, hue and light. 6 NNE Adamana AZ (1 Aug 17) Looking NE 35.0811, -109.7834 … [Read more...]

Monument Valley Summer Overcast

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Monument Valley is one of the most-photographed natural wonders of the world, and for good reason.  It's next to impossible to get a unique shot here anymore.  That said, I caught it in a seldom-photographed scenario: summertime high-sun overcast from the remnants of elevated morning convection.  Rain can be seen in the background middle and left, while altostratus at right blended into bases of … [Read more...]

Supercell across Lake McConaughy

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This situation is unsuited to safe boating.  Fortunately I didn't see anyone still out on the lake as a previously tornadic, always messy, now-HP supercell churned over the biggest reservoir on the central High Plains.  As seen from this overlook on the south side of the "Big Mac" dam, the newest mesocyclone was located to the left of the intake tower, strongly rotating but now obviously tornadic, … [Read more...]

Delayed Gratification

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My crew and I were not eager to make the long trip home from western Nebraska after what seemed like a terribly underachieving event.  The day held great severe-weather potential, yet this LP "barber pole" was all we got photographically.  Problems at home hung heavily on my mind, blinding me to the world of awe that would normally glow brilliantly for such a scene as this. Then, that night, we … [Read more...]

Fog in the Appalachians

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The wilderness road rose into a stratus deck high up near the ridge line of Potts Mountain, cloaking us in a cool fog so uncharacteristic of late July.  Slide film captured the look but couldn't translate the sound, smells and feel of the moment.  It was a surrealistically calm scene—very quiet and misty, the only sound being the dripping of water off leaves in the forest.  The smell was … [Read more...]