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
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
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
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
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...]
Towering Cumulus and High Country Foliage
At 9,000 feet high in the Colorado mountains, deep convective clouds and brilliantly peaking fall aspens are an uncommon combination to witness. Still, the passing of a mid-upper level trough over seasonally warm and moist conditions for the area produced this outstanding high-country vista—a summertime sky over a decidedly autumnal landscape. 6 S South Fork CO (28 Sep 12) Looking … [Read more...]
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