Here's an uncommonly photographed version of common vista and frequent situation. The Hohensalzburg fortress offers all the classically sweeping views of the city of Salzburg, which is a rainy place. A thunderstorm with heavy rain and cool outflow moved overhead while we were in the upper part of the structure, offering this placid perspective on a fine Austrian city. Salzburg, Austria (22 … [Read more...]
High Plains Hailer
Awkwardly zigzagging and sparse roads compelled us to let this high-based, southward-moving supercell pass to our east, about an hour after observing a well-defined wall cloud. Along the way, the storm dumped copious quantities of ice balls from this huge, downburst-blasting hail core, most of which we managed to avoid in person. The almost blindingly bright core forced me to apply some strong … [Read more...]
Mesocyclone Road
One long and lonesome road on the New Mexico High Plains led directly toward a southbound spinning cloud. The destiny of any westbound traveler was jeopardized by lightning, severe winds and damaging hail in the similarly translating core to its north. Fortunately we could jump back eastward a short distance, head south by southwest on the only other road for many miles, and stay ahead of the … [Read more...]
Memphis Sunset
Memphis, Texas, that is! Another fascinating Panhandle chase day ends with a bountifully textured, copper-toned sunset sky, thanks to anvil material backsheared off a bunch of storms. These are the times when we as storm observers unwind from the day's road travel, standing outside for many minutes, unloading the worries of the world while immersing in the soothing beauty of the moment, and … [Read more...]
Deadly Forks
A rapid-fire series of forked cloud-to-ground strokes split the rainy night sky, sending their collective crescendo of explosive reports reverberating with authority across the water. I know a few people living near the opposite side of the lake, in that general direction, who were having a rather loud and unsettled experience at this moment. Any closer, and it would have been unsettling to even … [Read more...]
Whale’s Mouth
Once in a thunderstorm's cold outflow, but not yet embedded in deep precipitation, observers often witness the upward-sloping maw of the shelf cloud's underside. This shape is known colloquially as a "whale's mouth", sometimes accompanied by a resemblance of the rain core to baleen. 4 NE Matador TX (19 Apr 9) Looking NE 34.0557, -100.7749 … [Read more...]
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