SkyPix

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

Sepia Sky on the Great Plains

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I don't eat a lot of full, hot dinners on storm-intercept days.  Lunch is my main meal.  That's because in the 5-9 p.m. hour, in the warm season, I'm still in the field, either on a beautiful supercell spinning itself deep into the evening, or have navigated rearward of upscale growth in hopes of a photogenic sunset.  On the Great Plains, the latter approach seldom disappoints!  Here in … [Read more...]

Lower Yellowstone Falls

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Over many millennia, on its way to union with the Missouri River in westernmost North Dakota, the Yellowstone River has carved its way into the volcanic plateau to form Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  This gorge is about 1/5 the depth of the Arizona Grand Canyon.   Lower Falls ranks as highest of the two at 308 feet, and the largest waterfall in the Rocky Mountains, spilling over hard ledge of … [Read more...]

Sunset Hailer’s Mesocyclone

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Never to be forgotten by all who bore witness, the OKC-Norman supercell of fall 2024 left a damaging hail swath across east Norman, between the main part of town and Lake Thunderbird, while its precip-laden mesocyclone region, ragged wall cloud, and trailing, convectively crowned rear-flank arcus cloud bathed in brilliant orange sunset light.  A faint rainbow extended right in front of the clear … [Read more...]

Campo Chromatic

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Just north of the Oklahoma/Colorado border, a supercell blew up shortly before sunset, putting on a spectacular show for all who stationed themselves to its west.  This is the broader view, a minute or two later, of a previously posted zoom revealing the excellent and vibrantly colored pileated-tower action on the storm's rear flank.  For a chase day with little hope and little convection before … [Read more...]

Spooky Transitional Supercell

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For a brief time, probably less than 15 minutes, a previously somewhat elevated supercell became surface-based between Shelbyville and Shelbina in Shelby County, MO.  [This Shelby character must have made quite an impression back in the day!]  However, strong rear-flank outflow surged out south of the older mesocyclone, which was weakening at this time and represented by the shallow, shabby wall … [Read more...]

Spiked Condensation Cone

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This fat-cone-with-spike shape probably was the cleanest presentation of the 2024 "Union City" nighttime tornado, from my perspective south of town and on the north-facing southern slope to the Canadian River Valley.  Having stairstepped down to this spot from the northwest, in front of the long-lived, complex supercell, I chose this location specifically for the safe vantage it would have toward … [Read more...]