SkyPix

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

Dynamic Beachfront

By

Wild, remote beaches of the Olympic National Park's seacoast invite amazement and respect at the power of the ocean to effect change through its relentless action.  In some indefinite number of years, these rocks will be pounded down to sand, the log moved up and down the coast and carved into fragments of driftwood, destinations unclear and likely widespread. 2 NNW La Push WA (22 Aug 16) … [Read more...]

Old Duke Wall Cloud

By

The young wall cloud quickly aged as precipitation from the rear of the hook began wrapping into the adjoining occlusion-downdraft surge, shooting stable air into a western and southern crescent of this circulation's inflow and eroding the wall cloud. In fact, a more ancient occlusion—manifest as a rain-wrapped wall cloud farther west (background), outlasted its successor.  A mesocyclone never … [Read more...]

Young Duke Wall Cloud

By

Along a persistent, east-northeast/west-southwest-oriented convergence axis, the youngest occlusion of a cyclic, somewhat wet, classic supercell spun forth a small but vigorous mesocyclone, part of which manifest visually in the form of this wall cloud.   Although it displayed strong convergence and rising motions, only weak to moderate rotation appeared—never strong or tight enough for me to be … [Read more...]

Elm Springs Blast 2

By

The Elm Springs storm continued to surge eastward, surfing its own outflow down those lowest reaches of the Belle Fourche River valley before reaching the Cheyenne River. All the while, it occasionally smacked the countryside with a really big spark, two of which I was able to capture in still photography.  Soon after this shot, we left our post because of the storm's passing north of us into a … [Read more...]

Fractocumulus—Orographic Scud

By

Air condenses into ragged, cumuliform scud, while ascending the steep incline of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (a.k.a. Drei Zinnen in German).  This three-pronged mountain, part of the range known as the Dolomites, is one of the most famous features in all the Alps, with the highest peak reaching 2,999 m (9,839 ft) above sea level.  We were fortunate to catch such fine late-afternoon lighting on its NW … [Read more...]

Stovepipe Tornado

By

This long-lived (over half an hour) tornado was obviously well-organized and probably quite intense at times, capable of great damage to a populated area. During its early and small stage it injured two kids in an overturned vehicle along I-80 and destroyed some unanchored mobile homes.  Fortunately, the vortex missed nearby settlements and passed over open farm and ranch land as it briefly … [Read more...]