SkyPix

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

Two-Stroke Supercell

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Well-structured July supercells are uncommon in these parts, but we found one on the way back from a trip to Colorado.  During daylight, and back in southern Kansas, the storm's prolific production of "dry" lightning (away from the precipitation regions) set numerous fires.  After sundown, the storm turned hard right, moving almost due south (right to left), and headlong into a modest low-level … [Read more...]

No Parking on Shoulder

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Vehicular crashes are as much a part of winter weather in these parts as icicles and snowmen.  After the Christmas Eve blizzard, this was one of numerous cars simply abandoned for a few days, pending the inevitable melt.  Nissan sedans are not built for off-roading in heavy snow.  The car's owner was fortunate to have gotten it stuck in a low-crime area.  I've lived in places where, snow or not, … [Read more...]

Altocumulus Castellanus

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Crepuscular rays of the setting sun bathe altocumulus castellanus (ACCAS) clouds in their golden glow, as another spring day ends on the Minnesota glacial prairie.  ACCAS is a sure sign of an unstable layer aloft, whether or not any deeper and lower convection ever takes advantage.  In the distance, a low stratus band signals the approach of a cold front. 4 N Clarkfield MN (7 Jun 4) Looking … [Read more...]

Funnel Cloud Zoom

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Zooming in on a later stage of the first well-developed Canadian (Texas) funnel cloud, we see filamentous scud that, in motion, rose helically around the edges as one might expect.  When a funnel cloud is evident this close to ground level, chances are that some form of its circulation exists at the surface, even if it is too weak to raise dust or to be called a tornado with certainty.  Put … [Read more...]

Sunrise Service

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Above the twinkling lights of the end of night, a richly textured orange glow rose in the eastern sky, as if forming a painting of light reshaped by the minute.  When alone with such a beautiful spectacle, high above the ground, a secular observation deck can become a temporary temple, evoking a measure of worship for the Creator who made this possible. Norman OK (4 Apr 15) Looking ENE 35.1814, … [Read more...]

Alien Cave Form

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The fossil reef holding Carlsbad Caverns dates from the Permian period, about 250 million years, with the caves less than a tenth as old.   these caves formed and grew as the surrounding land rose well above sea level and mildly acidic rainwater percolated through natural faults and fissures, slowly dissolving and expanding the gaps.  Around every turn a wonder of water works appears on scales … [Read more...]