On an intercept day with several visually vibrant supercells, including one that swirled over nearly the same area less than half an hour prior, this may have been the most breathtaking. Being near the back side of a complex array of convection and clouds, windows through the cloud cover opened to permit the setting sun’s rays to cast warm tones across the storm’s base, and to redden the rain wrapping around the SW side of the wall cloud. This was the final supercell for our spring 2012 Great Plains journey, the last of a flurry of four this final chase day, and a gloriously fitting farewell tune sung colorfully by the Dakota sky.
2 W Clear Lake SD (17 Jun 12) Looking NNW
44.7539, -96.7301
Sunset-Lit Supercell Base
On an intercept day with several visually vibrant supercells, including one that swirled over nearly the same area less than half an hour prior, this may have been the most breathtaking. Being near the back side of a complex array of convection and clouds, windows through the cloud cover opened to permit the setting sun’s rays to cast warm tones across the storm’s base, and to redden the rain wrapping around the SW side of the wall cloud. This was the final supercell for our spring 2012 Great Plains journey, the last of a flurry of four this final chase day, and a gloriously fitting farewell tune sung colorfully by the Dakota sky.
2 W Clear Lake SD (17 Jun 12) Looking NNW
44.7539, -96.7301