SkyPix

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

Nighttime Elevated Supercell

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For over two decades, I did not scan this slide, thanks to a struggle with perfectionism and the presence of some reflection artifacts (against the side of the window through which I was shooting) that were too much trouble to attempt to ameliorate.  Yet here it is regardless.  Despite those flaws, this image tells an important and beautiful story of a formerly tornadic supercell, spitting … [Read more...]

Nimbostratus on the High Plains

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A line of strong to severe thunderstorms formed not far from the Front Range, cruising eastward over the top of a pool of cold, relatively stable air left behind by earlier storms in northeastern Colorado.  The moist air mass, blanketed with chunks and bands of fractus (scud), trended back into the slate darkness of the nimbostratus beneath the storms themselves.  This dark, brooding scene of … [Read more...]

Mammatus over Downtown Kansas City

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The KC skyline frames a fiery display of mammatus.  At the time of the photo, the supercell spawning the mammatus was also producing a killer tornado with F2-rated damage, 58 miles NNW of the photo site.  This storm is the subject of a pictorial display at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman OK.  Nearly a year later, another amazing mammatus-festooned sunset display unfurled across the sky, seen … [Read more...]

Coast Light

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From the log-strewn sands of Ruby Beach, out across the chilled vastness of North Pacific waters, breaks among marine-layer stratocumulus cloud formations allowed shafts of sunlight to reach the water's surface, offering mesmerizing scenes of tranquility and reflection such as this, and captivating dances of spotlighting effects across the seas.  Higher clouds only permitted 15 minutes of this … [Read more...]

The Sculpted Storm

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Other observers described this storm as an "upside down wedding cake" or likened its wild appearance to stacked Frisbees or flying saucers.  For me, over two decades later, it still ranks among the top few most beautiful supercells I have ever seen.  In person the scene was more stunning than ever could be rendered on slide film, with pastel pinks and oranges refracted thru the background … [Read more...]

Cauldron’s Colorful Edge

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Exotic minerals and colorful bacteria combine to form peculiar colorations within and bounding many of Yellowstone's surface geothermal waters.  This was no exception—a bubbling, gurgling cauldron neat the Echinus Geyser where a deep red ochre shade stands out through the steam.  Being directed mostly by hydrothermal processes, the micro-geology of these places changes so quickly that this area … [Read more...]