The scene at the end of this storm day was one of rich texture, not only in shape but in hue. Four minutes after the last glimpse of the sun vanished from view, its warm glows diffused through rain before brushing the lowest descending cloud elements of the arcus that rushed overhead, contrasting brilliantly with the blues of shadows in between. This short time exposure dug right into those tones and pulled them out marvelously. Through all my years of storm observing, I hadn’t seen quite this richly quilted appearance to the underside of a shelf cloud, a fleeting moment of beauty above that temporarily took me out of the less pleasant flip side of the experience—shivering-cold outflow winds.
1 NNW Burlington CO (14 Jun 9) Looking W
39.3157, -102.2797Sunset Blowout
The scene at the end of this storm day was one of rich texture, not only in shape but in hue. Four minutes after the last glimpse of the sun vanished from view, its warm glows diffused through rain before brushing the lowest descending cloud elements of the arcus that rushed overhead, contrasting brilliantly with the blues of shadows in between. This short time exposure dug right into those tones and pulled them out marvelously. Through all my years of storm observing, I hadn’t seen quite this richly quilted appearance to the underside of a shelf cloud, a fleeting moment of beauty above that temporarily took me out of the less pleasant flip side of the experience—shivering-cold outflow winds.
1 NNW Burlington CO (14 Jun 9) Looking W
39.3157, -102.2797