SkyPix

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

Interstate in Danger

By

We already had seen several tornadoes with a separate, bizarre, midday to early-afternoon supercell near the center of a deep-layer cyclone, well west-southwest of here.  After that storm died, I knew that some young convective towers, visible on the dryline far to our east, could grow into supercells.  We also had an unusual but reasonable chance to intercept the "second-phase" event via I-80—a … [Read more...]

First Alma Nocturnal

By

A wide-angle view of the southern Nebraska night reveals a strangely sculpted supercell in dramatic shape, its ambient anvil region festooned with an encircling moat of radial high-cloud textures.  This was the first of two magnificently constructed nighttime supercells to roll eastward just to our N on this uniquely special occasion for nocturnal storm observing.  Its otherworldly, breaking-wave … [Read more...]

Alien Surge

By

Eating 10:30 p.m. fast food within view of Ogallala's extraterrestrial-themed water tower, I thought, "What a great shot that would make with a big fat CG blasting through the air behind it."  Most such imaginary photo compositions remain just that, especially when reckoning with something as sudden and out of control as positioning a nearby lightning strike.  Yet, less than an hour later, it … [Read more...]

High Lake

By

Record May rains in central Oklahoma hoisted the level of Lake Thunderbird well above normal shorelines, inundating piers, overlooks, boat ramps, lakeside woodlands, and in this case, a campground.  The dumpster itself offered an interesting composition as an "unsanitary abstraction". 2 NW Little Axe OK (10 May 15) Looking ESE 35.2487, -97.2383 … [Read more...]

Seastack Skyline of the Quillayute Needles

By

The Quillayute Needles, part of a large, namesake, offshore national wildlife refuge, form a majestic rampart of sea stacks across the surface of the Pacific, as viewed through the cool, misty twilight of the Olympic Peninsula shoreline.  Typical for the Northwest coast, a deck of stratus with some fractostratus imparts a cool and somber mood to the scene. La Push WA (25 Jul 11) Looking … [Read more...]

Wind Farm Tornado: Multiple Vortices

By

The "Wind Farm Tornado's" main cone got fuzzy for a short spell, with ragged but visually fast-whirling condensation vortices on both sides.  Positioned along the east (left) rim of the main mesocyclone, and eventually shunted eastward by a segment of the rear-flank downdraft, the tornado translated at a very oblique angle to the alignment of the facility.  This kept some part of the wind farm in … [Read more...]