SkyPix

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

Surf the Fog

By

Ocean, land and air diffuse together into the distance, a symbolic (and partly literal) testament to their interdependence.  These quiet beaches along the Strait of Juan De Fuca, the northern edge of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, are wonderful for losing oneself in the fog.  This might be a pleasant dream for the seeker of solitude; but for many a ship captain, such a scene is a nightmare. 2 NE … [Read more...]

Ada Adieu

By

We had spent much of the afternoon on a separate supercell farther south, watching its tornadic exhibition.  Although we missed (by mere minutes) getting a shot of the Ada supercell's last tornado, its twilight structural extravaganza didn't disappoint.  On the southern outskirts of town, we found a vantage to view the storm's colorful splendor.  A ragged funnel cloud dangled from the base, … [Read more...]

Stack of Plates

By

In June 2003, this skeletal supercell erupted on the High Plains plateau of northeastern New Mexico, between Abbott and Mills, then twisted its way conveniently south-southeastward beside the only paved road in the region.  For the few fortunate enough to witness its whole evolution, it will be remembered for a lifetime, despite never having a reasonable chance of producing a tornado.  Beauty was … [Read more...]

Mesocyclone Tandem

By

This southeastern Oklahoma supercell—here seen in an uncommonly open view for that area—was more complicated than it may appear!  Despite the promising look of this wall cloud, and the fact that it was indeed rotating in real time, the supercell was between tornadic cycles.  The first we barely missed; the second would start to our east in a road hole, unseen.   What cut short the mesocyclone in … [Read more...]

Glacial Wall

By

Small ice floes littered Glacier Bay below the imposing bulk of Margerie Glacier.  This steady (not retreating nor advancing in the net) ice mass flows just 21 miles off 12,860-foot Mt. Root.  The visible height of these ice cliffs was about 250 feet, with another 100 feet of underwater ice bringing the total waterfront glacial depth to 350 feet.  This is a renowned area for watching big … [Read more...]

Knobby Severe Hailstones

By

An old, well-worn drafting ruler from high school—not very long for the world—measured knobby and/or wrinkly hailstones that fell from the hook of the infamous Tushka supercell, in the town of Milburn.  The variety of evident formative and cumulative processes for hailstones landing on the same patch of ground can be fascinating!  It's obvious, for example, that the lower right piece, with its … [Read more...]