Quite simply, this was one of the most stunning supercells I’ve ever witnessed. That’s saying something, out of many hundreds overall and at least a couple dozen that offered mesmerizing, jaw-dropping structure. Given that this was a wide-angle view, a substantial fraction of the sky appeared to be spiraling upward into the lofty netherworlds. A jury selected this image for exhibit at the 2015 NWC Biennale, the second of two art and photography competitions in Norman devoted to weather subjects. The shot itself was very fortunate in that the storm’s anvil furiously attacked our immediate proximity with numerous, rapid-fire lightning strikes. I managed to dart downhill away from some intervening obstacles, and grab this one in between two of the frightening barrage of bolts. Just a couple of seconds after I clicked the shutter, a strike hit the dirt in a field to the left of this position, on the other side of the green berm. Deciding that more of this photography wasn’t worth my life, I ran for survival’s sake back up to the safety of the vehicle. The relentless electrical barrage went on for another 20 minutes or more.
5 WSW Arcadia NE (16 May 13) Looking W