SkyPix

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

Storm that Handed Off

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Two "Brady supercells" highlighted this unusual central Texas chase day in mid June.  A strong subtropical jet provided deep shear to support them, as readily seen here in the pronounced eastward tilt of the first storm's updraft.  Of course, moisture and instability were fine, as is usually the case this far south this time of year, with shear typically quite lacking.  Not this day!  The newer … [Read more...]

Rush Sparks and Flash Flood 3

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Back sides of thunderstorm complexes can offer tremendous electrical shows, and this epitomized that.  While a flash flood coursed through a farm field, the display of sparks from overhead to the southeast was frequent, bright and sharp, thundering continually.  This took a back seat to no other such experience in my long history of storm observing in terms of sheer frequency and quantity of … [Read more...]

Mauna Kea’s Somewhat Snowy Summit

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[Click Image to Enlarge] On the Big Island of Hawaii (Hawaii Island), volcanic Mauna Kea reaches 13,803 feet above sea level and 30,610 feet from its deep, mid-Pacific underwater bottom, the highest base-to-top measure of any mountain in the world.  The altitude above sea level here would be the highest of any mountain in the U.S. outside Alaska, if it weren't for the fact that the tremendous … [Read more...]

Radium Sky

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[Click Image to Enlarge] Even though the digital algorithm struggled with the light difference from the right side of one frame to the start of the next (instead of smoothly transitioning across them as usual), I kept this image because it nicely showed the character of an ominous and large, severe, heavy-precip supercell.  As this storm churned toward the east-southeast, it produced numerous … [Read more...]

Sunset Scene South of San Angelo

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Crisply textured in the clean, cool outflow air, a row of cumulus congestus towers built up into the transitional golden-orange sunset light.  With clouds in the near west (behind), the sky was spotlit in its most brilliant place and way, satisfyingly ending a long chase day that otherwise didn't yield much.   2 N Christoval TX (12 May 24) Looking ESE 31.2233, -100.4891 … [Read more...]

Sunset in the Land of Enchantment

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A big, bright sunset show drifted across the sky as the reddening rays illuminated old anvil material long separated from any causative updraft.   Such was the picturesque denouement to a storm that fell apart after it had moved of the Caprock, following much hail on Mosquero and nice mesocyclonic cloud features near Solano.  We proceeded on into Tucumcari for the night after a satisfying chase … [Read more...]