Rime often forms from freezing fog, or spray blown off of bodies of water. In this case, it was fine spray—flung several yards inland off the tops of waves crashing into Lake Thunderbird's shoreline, in bitter-cold and windy conditions. The howling norther of the day before calmed down overnight, sunrise revealing a sparkling array of crystals clinging to the blades of lakeside grass. Norman, … [Read more...]
Cryptic Sky
This scene encapsulates the irony of the supercell. For all of its striking beauty, it continually threatens grave consequences for those in its path: lightning (including lightning-started fires), severe wind, giant hail, and sometimes tornadoes. This supercell ultimately would produce all of the above. Conscientious storm observers want no human harm, hoping against destruction while tracking … [Read more...]
Protection Supercell at Sunset
The supercell known as "Protection", after the name of a nearby Kansas town, showed off its knuckle-dragging strength before the sunset hour. Then the storm put on a dazzling reflective light and color show, here seen from just over the Oklahoma border. With the solitude of a dirt side road, the accompaniment of moist prairie winds, meadowlarks and crickets offered the ideal surround sound for … [Read more...]
Knuckle Dragger
Growing by the minute, by means of multiple, intense updraft thrusts roaring upward from an increasingly moist source layer, this young low-precipitation (LP) supercell drifted eastward parallel to (and just north of) the Oklahoma-Kansas border. Meanwhile we observed from a pleasant distance, enjoying whole-storm structural views across the rolling, red-dirt prairie. Part of that marvelous … [Read more...]
Lightning-Lit Left-Mover
This fascinating, marvelous little anticyclonic supercell sped northeastward into the deepening twilight blue, sparking and hailing, twirling laminar skirts of cloud material in a clockwise dance across the remote Palo Duro Canyon country southwest of Goodnight, TX. A "good night" it was for those of us fortunate enough to behold the spectacle! This was the most visually stunning left-moving … [Read more...]
Catchin’ Rays
I had enjoyed a relaxing afternoon from the seat of a camp chair, cold Dr Pepper in hand. Soon the fish would start biting, but before that, it was time to reel in the last rays of a marvelous day on a quiet southwest Florida beach and enjoy the deepening colors of this sunset event. Sanibel FL (16 Nov 15) Looking WSW 26.4497, -82.1434 … [Read more...]
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