SkyPix

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

The Aroya Antisupercell

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Most supercells spin counterclockwise (cyclonically) in the Northern Hemisphere and move to the right of the average wind direction in their environment. However, some supercells peel away to the left instead.  They inhale much of their supply of unstable air on the opposite flank from cyclonic supercells, and rotate the opposite way (clockwise)!  Notice, in the mirror image below, how classic … [Read more...]

The Cheyenne Wells Antisupercell

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What is the deal with looking NW at photogenic, anticyclonic, left-moving supercells, amidst NW winds aloft, in Cheyenne County, CO?  I had to wonder, observing another one six years and four days after the first.  As in that case, I'll present the actual wide-angle view (left) and mirror image (below) for conceptual comparison.  Unlike the one in 2002, a Monthly Weather Review article probably … [Read more...]

Gotebo Supercell Sunset

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A March splendor, this supercell moved slowly ENE from near Rocky OK to N of Gotebo and beyond, almost reaching Oklahoma City well after dark, then being entrained around another, later-developing supercell.  The relatively slow storm motion and outstanding cloud definitions reminded us of a June storm, and was a welcome break from the frantic chases and brief observing stops that typically … [Read more...]

Rocky Hailer

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Rounded, striated, tiered storm structures, often known as "stacks of plates", are a common visual characteristic of dryline supercells like this, where low clouds or rain often don't interfere with viewing from the inflow region.  Notice the strong resemblance of the Rocky storm here to the "flipped" version of the Aroya anticyclonic supercell from several years before in Colorado.  I surely did, … [Read more...]

Splitting Storm: Part 2

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See Part 1 for an earlier stage of the storm-splitting process, as seen from the same spot.  In this case, the resulting mirror-image supercells both survived; but as usually happens, the right split had access to stronger storm-relative inflow and shear, and lasted longer.  Another (cyclonic) supercell would develop from the separate anvil cloud in the distant left, becoming our primary target … [Read more...]

Splitting Storm: Part 1

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Many supercells split, especially early in their lifetimes.  The faint but growing crack in the cloud material, above a small rain core and the center of the storm's collective base, reveals this.  Even though this storm started small, it had no problem dividing itself in two like some giant protozoan, thanks to surrounding winds that supported both leftward and rightward moving storms. The … [Read more...]