SkyPix

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

US-12 Supercell

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Shortly after constructing a very well-defined but somewhat rain-wrapped wall cloud, the supercell's main updraft region actually shed much of its precipitation cloak and reorganized.  The result:  a brief but dazzling spectacular, directly astride US-12 in northeastern South Dakota.  This sublimely stacked structure didn't last long, however.  Within an hour, the storm heaved forth a large load … [Read more...]

Comet Pan-STARRS, Okie Smoke and a Crescent Moon

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In late twilight sky, the faint Pan-STARRS comet lines up near a very newly waxing crescent moon, the shaded side nicely bathed in earthshine, all behind assorted layers of smoke from several wildfires burning across portions of Oklahoma, reddened before the horizon's twilight glow.  The comet was unusual enough, but the combination of all these elements was downright bizarre, as seen from high … [Read more...]

7-11 Lightning: Strike Four

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Four strikes aren't allowed in baseball, but they most certainly are from any spectacular thunderstorm I'm photographing!  Actually, this was just the fourth decent discharge I caught.  This storm was flinging 'em fast and hot—including several I was unable to catch with an open shutter.  In this brief respite from its profuse production of miles-long lateral discharges from high aloft, the … [Read more...]

Aberdeen Wall Cloud

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This supercell moved directly over Aberdeen, a regional population node also containing a weather forecast office, before cruising eastward along US-12 and treating motorists to a frightening spectacle.  Fortunately for residents along and near the highway, the supercell never spawned a tornado.  At this stage, the storm had endured some cell mergers and still was laden with wrapping … [Read more...]

Window to Color

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Twilight on the High Plains can be an experience simultaneously soothing and awe-inspiring. We had finished a grand day of storm observing and photography, and were headed for Cheyenne and food and lodging.  Quickly, a window of splendor opened in convective clouds to our southwest.  Then nearly as rapidly, another window closed, unseen in the northwestern sky behind the heavy shadows overhead.  … [Read more...]

Headed past Headrick

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What had been a wet classic supercell seemed to gust out as it merged with other, smaller cells, but instead organized a very intense, rain-wrapped mesocyclone and surged eastward past Headrick.  In this view, the arc of the rear-flank gust front is in the foreground, wrapping back into a dark, hidden, dangerous mesocyclone region.  Any unfortunate persons hiking on those granite hills without … [Read more...]