Kevin Palmer

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  • Noctilucent (night shining) clouds are a rare and beautiful type of cloud. About 50 miles high in the mesosphere, no other cloud is higher. They are only seen in the summer, usually from high latitudes between 50°-65°. Occasionally they are  sighted from lower latitudes. After trying and failing many times to spot them from Wyoming, the morning of July 10th brought this incredible display.
    Treetop Noctilucent Clouds
  • It rained most of the morning at my campsite on Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. The cold rain was at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, gusty winds, and graupel (snow pellets). Nearby waterfalls grew louder and the sound of a distant rock slide echoed across the lake. My plan of summiting Darton Peak would have to wait for another day. After the last rain shower, the clouds descended and obscured the highest peaks. I took this picture while enjoying a cup of hot coffee as the rain finally stopped. It's difficult to convey just how massive these cliffs are. The sheer granite walls rise 1-2 thousand feet above the lake. If you can see the white speck at the base of the cliff on the right, that is a tent. The top of this bowl-shaped valley, known as a cirque, was carved out by glaciers long ago.
    Clouds Descended
  • It rained most of the morning at my campsite on Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. The cold rain was at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, gusty winds, and graupel (snow pellets). Nearby waterfalls grew louder and the sound of a distant rock slide echoed across the lake. My plan of summiting Darton Peak would have to wait for another day. After the last rain shower, the clouds descended and obscured the highest peaks. I took this picture while enjoying a cup of hot coffee as the rain finally stopped. It's difficult to convey just how massive these cliffs are. The sheer granite walls rise 1-2 thousand feet above the lake. If you can see the white speck at the base of the cliff on the right, that is a tent. The top of this bowl-shaped valley, known as a cirque, was carved out by glaciers long ago.
    Clouds Descended B&W
  • I couldn’t let NEOWISE leave without trying to capture it over Devils Tower. But this wasn’t the shot I had in mind. The forecast called for mostly clear skies after earlier severe weather exited. But sometimes what actually happens is so much better than what I can imagine. This supercell popped up to the west around 10PM and the anvil quickly blocked out the comet. But then just as the storm was showing its best mothership structure during a close encounter with the tower, a hole in the clouds opened up. It was perfectly placed to reveal the comet once again for just a few minutes. It’s a good thing that most of the lightning was intracloud. If bolts of lightning were jumping out they would have been too bright to expose for the comet. Every single flash highlighted or backlit a different part of the storm. While the lightning continued for most of the night, I was glad the large hail stayed away. I didn’t want to test the hailproofness of my tent.
    A Hole in the Clouds
  • This is the classic view of Lake of the Clouds that most people see. I got here just in time to shoot a few pictures before it got dark.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/30/14
    Lake of the Clouds
  • After a severe thunderstorm passed through Snakeden Hollow, it looked like mammatus clouds were trying to form.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: April 28, 2014
    Ominous Clouds
  • On a September morning the Bighorn Mountains were shrouded in clouds. But this was the view from the top of Black Mountain.
    Waves of Clouds
  • Clouds move past Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
    Heads in the Clouds
  • In the Cascade Range in northwest Washington is a peak called Mount Baker. This peak is the 3rd tallest in the state, and is among the snowiest mountains on Earth. One winter saw a staggering 95 feet of snow fall, which is the most recorded anywhere in a single season. I hiked halfway up and set up camp on a ridge overlooking this volcanic peak. Into the clouds I ascended and waited until they finally parted just before sunset. My jaw dropped as the glacier-capped summit appeared high above me. But the view was short-lived as the winds shifted and brought in heavy smoke from Canada. Even though the meteor shower would be a bust, I was thankful to get this view, however brief it was. This volcano is still active with fumaroles found in the summit crater, but it hasn't erupted since the end of the 19th century.
    Between Smoke and Cloud
  • I found these wildflowers near the top of a mountain above Red Grade Road. The sunset wasn't very colorful, but it was still interesting watching the fog below. This is looking north towards Sheridan.
    Wildflowers Above the Clouds
  • In early January I spotted this pair of lenticular clouds in the Bighorn Mountains, and I reached a lookout just in time to watch them light up after sunset. These lens-shaped clouds appear to remain stationary, and are fascinating to watch. When strong winds flow over a mountain range, the air gets deflected and standing waves are formed on the lee (downwind) side. If there is enough moisture in the air, then the crest of the wave condenses into a cloud. Mountain waves can cause severe turbulence in passing aircraft. Even though these waves may be present in clear air, lenticular clouds serve as a visual warning to pilots to stay away. UFO sightings have been attributed to these clouds as well, since many of them do resemble flying saucers.
    Stacked Plates
  • The stars of the milky way galaxy glow above Blacktooth Mountain at 1AM on a July night. From most places, clouds are easily visible at night because they are lit up by light pollution underneath. But under a sky this dark, you can't see the clouds. You only notice the absence of stars as a cloud passes by. These thin clouds gave halos to the brighter stars and planets. The bright red object on the right is Mars. To the left in the constellation Scorpius is the red supergiant star Antares. The name in Greek means "like-Mars" since it's a similar color, and often the same brightness as the red planet. Just above that is Saturn, the 2nd brightest object in the picture.
    Jewels of the Night
  • These little lenticular clouds repeatedly formed over the same area as seen from Keys View. Lenticular clouds form when strong winds encounter a mountain range. The air is forced upward where it condenses into a cloud. These strange disc-shaped clouds form often in the California desert.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 19, 2014
    Little Lenticulars
  • I spotted these Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds on a windy morning at Bighorn Canyon. The wave-shaped clouds are caused by atmospheric instability when winds are moving at varying speeds in different levels of the atmosphere. This was my first time capturing these rare clouds.
    Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves
  • I spotted these vivid iridescent clouds above the sun in Ranchester, Wyoming. The colors were more easily seen with sunglasses since the clouds were bright. It looked like an oil slick in the sky. There were plenty of lenticular clouds around, and it's common for those to show iridescence when they're in the right place.
    Iridescence
  • Mammatus clouds move overhead as a wildflower shakes in the breeze. This type of cloud usually forms after a strong thunderstorm moves through. But these clouds were unusual because they only brought light rain with no thunderstorms around.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: June 3, 2012
    Wildflower and Mammatus
  • It had been 7 months since I've even heard thunder here in Wyoming. But early May finally brought the first decent thunderstorm of the year. Throughout the evening clouds built up over the Bighorn Mountains before the storm descended and hit Sheridan after 8PM. The high moisture content combined with late evening sunlight behind the storm gave the clouds a greenish-blue tint. The storm wasn't severe, but it brought frequent lightning, small hail, and a drenching rain that made the already flooded Big Goose Creek rise even higher. The photogenic shelf cloud ahead of the rain core showed some impressive structure as it was sculpted by wind shear above.
    Big Goose Storm
  • After chasing this storm past Morton, Illinois, I took this picture north of town. The mammatus clouds were boiling overhead as the shelf cloud quickly approached. I saw a couple cloud to ground lightning bolts come out of the shelf cloud. But despite how threatening it looked, the storm died out shortly after I took this picture. It was nice while it lasted.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: June 23, 2013
    Dark Shelf
  • In a cirque at 10,000 feet in the Cloud Peak Wilderness during the middle of summer, it's pretty much paradise. There are no trails here, visitors must navigate their own route on steep boulder fields. Not knowing exactly what to expect is what makes it an adventure. At this elevation it never gets hot and some snowfields stay year round. Waterfalls and wildflowers abound under towering granite walls. 9 named lakes fill this high valley, plus countless unnamed tarns like this one. Each lake is different. One of them was still partially frozen, another had islands, and one a sandy beach perfect for swimming. It's the only place I've ever caught a fish with my bare hands. This was the easiest of the 3 creeks I waded through that day. The puffy cumulus clouds were a precursor to the thunderstorms that pop up most summer afternoons. Up here above treeline it's very exposed to the weather. I made it down to the protection of the forest before the first rumbles of thunder, but didn't escape getting rained on.
    Frozen Lake Falls
  • After a shelf cloud passes overhead and before the rain arrives, it's called being 'in the whale's mouth.' With dark, fast-moving, turbulent clouds filling almost the entire sky, and only a narrow opening letting in light, it really can feel like you've been swallowed up by a whale.
    Under the Whale's Mouth
  • After checking the sunset forecast, this seemed as good an evening as any to climb a peak that I've had my eye on for awhile. I knew there would be a great view of the Cloud Peak massif if I could make it to the top. There was no trail and the route up this forested mountainside was steep. But it was the first 60°F day of the year and enough snow had melted on the south-facing slope to make the going easier. The sun quickly disappeared once I reached the top and the light turned flat. When the sun is hidden on the opposite side of the mountains it can be hard to tell what kind of sunset it will be. Will there be any color or are the clouds too thick? But then a subtle glow slowly began to emerge to the west. It spread across the sky as the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. Minutes later the glow was gone, like it never happened.
    Short But Sweet Sunset
  • I struggled to even get my car door open as dark clouds surged across the sky. Waves moving across the grass made it look more like an angry ocean than a wheat field. It would take a dozen tries in these strong outflow winds before I could get a picture that wasn't completely blurry. The storm seemed to be saying, "eat my dust," which got in my eyes and left them irritated the rest of the day. Minutes later this mountain would vanish, gobbled up by the shelf cloud. This chase at the end of June was probably my most intense of 2019. This supercell had it all: powerful lightning, large hail, hurricane force winds and a couple of tornadoes. The cell formed slowly at first in the Little Belt Mountains of Central Montana. But once it descended onto the plains, it was off to the races. I couldn't stop for more than a few minutes at a time before being overtaken again. It was well into Canada and North Dakota before it ran out of steam the next morning.
    Dusty Outflow Winds
  • Thanksgiving morning at Bighorn Canyon brought the best sunrise I've seen this year. Even an hour before the sun rose, the clouds in the east were already showing a deep pink color, and it only got better. The clouds were sculpted by strong winds and showed lots of texture. This view is from the Hillsboro Ranch trailhead at Barry's Landing.
    Hillsboro Sunrise
  • It is no wonder that lenticular clouds often get mistaken for UFO's. This kind of cloud forms often in the California deserts as strong winds lifts air up and over mountain ranges. The air then condenses to form a cloud that stays in the same area for quite awhile.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 19, 2014
    Flying Saucer
  • My goal was to get an overview of the Teton Valley with the highest peaks lighting up at sunset. But despite the forecast for clear and sunny skies, I was dismayed when I got to the top and saw that the Tetons were hidden from view and the clouds were not going to lift. So I turned my attention to the west instead, looking towards Stouts Mountain and the Swan Valley. At first the light was flat there too, but then a gap in the clouds slowly began to open up. Sunbeams danced across the ridges and the light became better and better. Finally the sun came out for just a moment, and a pillar appeared above it caused by ice crystals suspended in the air. It wasn't the shot I had planned, but this short-lived sunset view was worth all the effort to snowshoe up this mountain.
    Big Hole Mountain Sunset
  • Steamboat Point is a favorite mountain of mine that I've climbed more than any other. But I've never been able to catch a great sunset from the top, until now. The 7,877' peak is close to Sheridan and easy to access year round. On the lower south-facing slope the snow is quick to melt. After the trail bends around into the forest, the snowpack is often a couple feet deep in the winter. But the summit itself is usually scoured clean by the frequent strong winds. I'd estimate winds were gusting to about 80mph up here, making it difficult to stand up straight. But it was these same winds that contributed to the fiery sunset. On warm winter or early spring days it's common to get lenticular or mountain wave clouds over the Rockies. They are caused by oscillations in the air flow after encountering a mountain range. When the sun catches them just right, the color and texture of these clouds can be truly stunning.
    First Sunset of February
  • Rain was falling from the clouds, but it evaporated into the dry air before reaching the ground. This is known as virga. The views were dramatic from the McCullough Peaks Badlands, especially when the sun came out and contrasted with the dark clouds.In the distance the snow capped Bighorn Mountains can be seen.
    Vanishing Rain
  • It's quite common to see clouds at night illuminated from below by light pollution. But it's strange seeing clouds turn green, illuminated from above. This was the solar wind stream I traveled to Alaska to see, and it arrived about 24 hours after I did at 2AM. The aurora was mesmerizing to watch as it became very bright, and  twisted and pulsed and flickered. It's not often that I point my camera straight up.
    Straight Up Awesome
  • Early in the morning the northern horizon glowed green. This was caused by a geomagnetic storm from a recurring coronal hole on the sun. A coronal hole is an opening in the outer atmosphere of the sun that allows the high-speed solar wind to escape, which triggers the aurora when it impacts Earth’s magnetic field. Since the sun rotates on it’s axis every 27 days, this can be predicted in advance. I saw the aurora from this coronal hole in September, but last month it was too cloudy. I was determined to see it again this weekend even if it meant staying up all night dodging clouds (aurora hunting is an addiction). The infrared satellite showed a gap in the clouds moving in at 2AM, so I made some coffee and found a dark spot on the Wyoming/Montana state line to watch and wait. It wasn’t the best display I've seen, but I’ll take what I can get during solar minimum, and the meteor was a nice bonus.
    Parkman Pond Aurora - 32
  • After waiting hours for thick clouds to clear over Grundarfjörður, I gave up and headed back to my campsite. But to my surprise the clouds parted briefly as I got close to Olafsvik. I stopped at this perfectly calm lagoon, which was lit up by the moonlight. The aurora wasn't as active as before, but it was still visible.
    Inverted S
  • As soon as I stepped outside this vivid halo commanded my attention. I have never seen one this vivid. The colors at the bottom were very obvious although I didn't see the color in the corona until looking at the picture afterwards. It didn't last long as low-lying clouds came in and obscured the icy cirrus clouds higher up. A full moon on Christmas is somewhat rare. But even more rare is the fact that it was in the mid-60's late at night in Maryland when I took this.
    Christmas Eve Halo
  • Colorful clouds light up the sky over the Loess Hills at dawn. On this morning, the best colors happened before the sunrise, the sun came out for a few minutes, and then the light went flat as it went behind the clouds. This view is from the top of Murray Hill.
    Loess Hills Sunrise
  • Early in the morning the northern horizon glowed green. This was caused by a geomagnetic storm from a recurring coronal hole on the sun. A coronal hole is an opening in the outer atmosphere of the sun that allows the high-speed solar wind to escape, which triggers the aurora when it impacts Earth’s magnetic field. Since the sun rotates on it’s axis every 27 days, this can be predicted in advance. I saw the aurora from this coronal hole in September, but last month it was too cloudy. I was determined to see it again this weekend even if it meant staying up all night dodging clouds (aurora hunting is an addiction). The infrared satellite showed a gap in the clouds moving in at 2AM, so I made some coffee and found a dark spot on the Wyoming/Montana state line to watch and wait. It wasn’t the best display I've seen, but I’ll take what I can get during solar minimum, and the meteor was a nice bonus.
    Parkman Pond Aurora - 54
  • After waiting hours for thick clouds to clear over Grundarfjörður, I gave up and headed back to my campsite. But to my surprise the clouds parted briefly as I got close to Olafsvik. I stopped at this perfectly calm lagoon, which was lit up by the moonlight. The aurora wasn't as active as before, but it was still visible.
    Shallow Lagoon
  • On my last morning in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, I drove to Fonts Point to shoot the sunrise. To get here you have to drive up a dry wash while avoiding the sandy areas. The colors were amazing, even 45 minutes before the sun rose, the clouds in the east were lit up with an intense red glow. The clouds are reflected in the Salton Sea, California's largest lake. The lake was created in 1905 when engineers accidentally diverted the flow of the entire Colorado River for 2 years.
    Sliver of Gold
  • The rivers in Alaska are unlike anywhere else I've been. They are very wide, but split into many channels separated by sandbars. Their courses are ever-changing, influenced by floods and ice jams. Some rivulets were deep and fast-flowing, while others were shallow and calm. This river is fittingly named the Delta. To reach the flowing water I had to walk farther than the map showed. The setting sun painted the high clouds gold while lower clouds hugged the peaks of the Alaska Range 40 miles away. There are no bridges over the Delta River so getting across it is tricky. Much of the land in between the river and the mountains is undisturbed forest and tundra. But there also exists unexploded ordnance since it's a testing range used by the military. After this I stumbled across a large carcass which reminded me that this isn't always the friendliest of places. Alaska is home to approximately 32,000 grizzly bears and I didn't want to stick around here long enough to meet one.
    Delta River Sunset
  • Steamboat Point is a favorite mountain of mine that I've climbed more than any other. But I've never been able to catch a great sunset from the top, until now. The 7,877' peak is close to Sheridan and easy to access year round. On the lower south-facing slope the snow is quick to melt. After the trail bends around into the forest, the snowpack is often a couple feet deep in the winter. But the summit itself is usually scoured clean by the frequent strong winds. I'd estimate winds were gusting to about 80mph up here, making it difficult to stand up straight. But it was these same winds that contributed to the fiery sunset. On warm winter or early spring days it's common to get lenticular or mountain wave clouds over the Rockies. They are caused by oscillations in the air flow after encountering a mountain range. When the sun catches them just right, the color and texture of these clouds can be truly stunning.
    Vertigo Inducing Sunset
  • Up until the lunar eclipse started, I still wasn't sure I would be able to see it. In between an overcast day and an incoming snowstorm, weather models were showing a brief clearing. The clouds parted not a moment too soon. Compared to the last recent eclipse, the moon was a lot higher in the sky at 50°, which made it more challenging to shoot with a foreground. I needed to find something tall, where I could set up my camera underneath and point it southeast. The Needle's Eye is a natural arch that stands at the entrance to Tongue River Canyon in the Bighorn Mountains. I knew I wouldn't be able to fit the moon inside the arch, but just above it. The scattered clouds which remained made a red halo around the eclipsed moon. Closer to the arch is a cluster of stars known as The Beehive.
    Threading the Needle
  • After chasing storms for most of the afternoon, I ended the day by watching this storm recede into the distance over the sand hills near Torrington. The hanging pouches in the sky are known as mammatus clouds. They are somewhat rare and this was the best display I've ever seen. Mammatus clouds typically form underneath the anvil of a severe thunderstorm and are caused by sinking cold air. This storm was a cyclic supercell which produced multiple tornadoes in western Nebraska. Lightning was very frequent and I caught this bolt in one of the time lapse frames.
    Torrington Mammatus
  • On my last morning in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, I drove to Fonts Point to shoot the sunrise. To get here you have to drive up a dry wash while avoiding the sandy areas. The colors were amazing, even 45 minutes before the sun rose, the clouds in the east were lit up with an intense red glow. The clouds are reflected in the Salton Sea, California's largest lake. The lake was created in 1905 when engineers accidentally diverted the flow of the entire Colorado River for 2 years.
    Salton Sunrise
  • I stood on top of a peak in the Big Hole Mountains of Idaho after snowshoeing up. At first I was disappointed by all the clouds hiding the Tetons from view and making the light flat (the forecast called for sunny and clear). But then the clouds began to break up in the west and golden sunbeams (also known as crepuscular rays) danced across the ridges.
    Light Breaking Forth
  • Rain was falling from the clouds, but it evaporated into the dry air before reaching the ground. This is known as virga. The views were dramatic from the McCullough Peaks Badlands, especially when the sun came out and contrasted with the dark clouds.In the distance the snow capped Bighorn Mountains can be seen.
    Virga and Badlands
  • A partially eclipsed sun sets over the skyline of Saint Louis, Missouri. About 40 minutes before the sun set, it moved behind some thick clouds to the west. There was a small gap in between clouds, but it kept getting smaller. As the sun sank lower, the gap wasn't big enough to fit the entire disk of the sun. So I just shot the upper portion of the sun where the moon was. I had to time it just right, because this lasted only a few seconds. The sun looked like it would appear one more time, but it never did. <br />
To see the sun setting over the city skyline, I had to find a location a few miles northeast of the city, with enough height to see over the trees. The 100 foot high mound at Cahokia Mounds turned out to be the perfect place. 100 feet may not seem very high, but this mound was built entirely by hand over 1,000 years ago by an ancient Indian civilization. The base is as wide as the Great Pyramid of Giza and it took hundreds of years to build by hauling baskets of soil and clay. Dozens of mounds in the area are preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    St. Louis Eclipse
  • I was in Joshua Tree National Park when monsoon thunderstorms passed by throughout the night keeping me awake. Just before sunrise it started raining. With thick clouds above I was not expecting a very colorful sunrise. But then this happened. The rising sun highlighted the wisps of rain as they fell into the dry air. The clouds cast an orange glow across the desert floor as flashes of lightning streaked across the sky. And a minute later a spectacular rainbow appeared behind me. This entire light show only lasted a few minutes so I had to rush to capture it all. It was the most awe-inspiring sunrise I've ever seen and my pictures could hardly do it justice.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 20, 2014
    Raining Fire
  • The rainbow was contrasting strongly with the dark storm clouds and sunlit rocks. But seconds later, it faded away as the sun went behind the clouds.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 20, 2014
    Sunlit Rainbow
  • After driving for over 5 hours I finally reached the edge of this powerful supercell just west of Faith, South Dakota. From a distance I could see wall clouds and funnels, but up close they disappeared. I was having trouble recognizing the storm structure until I noticed this horseshoe-shaped RFD cut. The back of the horseshoe shows where a potential tornado would form. There was a short-lived funnel, visible at the bottom center. At the time there was a mobile dopplar radar parked down the road scanning the skies.
    RFD and Funnel
  • At the end of March Venus was at it’s greatest elongation. That is when the 2nd planet from the Sun is at it’s highest and brightest in Earth’s sky. Outshining every star and planet, it’s even bright enough to see during the day under the right conditions. Because Venus is an inferior planet orbiting inside Earth’s orbit, it never strays more than 47° from the Sun. When Venus is east of the Sun it is the Evening Star. But when it is west of the Sun it becomes the Morning Star. Counterintuitively Venus appears brightest during it’s crescent phase because that’s when it’s closer to Earth. The Moon was also a crescent on this evening. It’s always challenging to capture the Moon with the stars as they appear to the eye since it's so much brighter. But the passing clouds acted as a filter and helped to balance the exposure. Above the glowing cloud is the Pleiades, the most recognizable star cluster in the sky. A week later Venus would pass through the Pleiades, an occurrence that happens every 8 years.
    Filtered Moonlight
  • While camping at Garden of the Gods, I watched a storm roll through at 8am. I would have liked to make a time lapse but the storm was just approaching too slowly. A proper shelf cloud never formed, it was mostly dark scud clouds that drifted across the sky. Once the rain started falling, and the lightning started striking nearby, I quickly made it back to my car where I waited out the storm.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    Garden of Gods Storm
  • A shelf cloud approaches a field of soybeans near Delavan, IL. The late evening light made the clouds a cool blue while the lightning caused a warm glow.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: June 19, 2014
    Dark Blue
  • I spent the fourth of July chasing tornadoes in Chugwater, Wyoming. Chugwater has a certain legendary status among storm chasers. Storms form over the Laramie Mountains to the west, and the local terrain seems to enhance tornadic potential. On at least 3 other occasions I've seen funnel clouds here. And having one of the few paved, east-west highways also makes it a great place to target. Luckily there is not much around for a tornado to damage. I had to pick a spot either below the bluff or on top. I chose on top, which put me a little over a mile away from the developing tornado. Powerful cloud to ground lightning bolts were dropping during tornadogenesis. My camera was left outside to shoot automatically while I stayed in my car.
    Chugwater Tornado
  • This morning in Joshua Tree National Park was unlike any other. Distant thunderstorms passed by throughout the night. Then around 5 am, it started raining. When the sun rose an hour later, it shined through a gap in the clouds which created a dramatic sight with vivid red and orange everywhere. To top it all off, this giant rainbow appeared. I know my photos did not do the scene justice. It was amazing how fast the light changed. One minute the sky was nearly colorless, then it exploded in color, and a few minutes later the display ended when the sun went behind a cloud. I felt blessed to see rain, considering I was only there for about 18 hours. Joshua Tree receives barely over 4 inches of rain in a normal year. When you consider that California is currently experiencing its worst drought ever recorded, this is a rare sight indeed.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 20, 2014
    Magical Morning
  • Even though 2019 was a very active storm season overall, it started quite late. It was well into June before there were any thunderstorms worth chasing locally. I caught up with this long shelf cloud on the plains outside of Broadus, Montana. When air cooled by rain hits the ground, it spreads out ahead of the storm. This lifts the warmer, moist air ahead of it, which condenses into a shelf cloud. They are usually associated with strong winds and heavy rain, but rarely tornadoes because they do not have the right shape.
    Hammond Shelf Cloud
  • In December the planet Venus graced the western sky shortly after sunset. Aside from the moon, no other object in the night sky shines brighter. Venus always follows or precedes the sun in the same path known as the ecliptic. It’s also called the Evening Star or Morning Star, depending on which side of the sun it’s on. Because it’s an inner planet, Venus is never more than 47° from the sun in Earth’s sky. Anyone who points a telescope at the planet would notice that Venus goes through phases much like the moon. It is fully illuminated when it’s on the opposite side of the sun farthest from Earth. When it’s closest to Earth it turns into a narrow crescent. Galileo first observed the phases of Venus 400 years ago, which helped confirm the heliocentric model of the solar system. I attempted to capture Venus setting over Cloud Peak, but clouds were hugging the tops of the peaks and hid them from view.
    The Evening Star
  • A wall cloud descends behind Crow Peak in the Black Hills. Not long afterwards a tornado would knock down parts of the forest.
    Crow Peak Wall Cloud
  • Near Kinsey, Montana, I found myself in between a wall cloud from a stationary supercell and an advancing gust front from an MCS. Eventually the gust front overtook the wall cloud and everything merged together. At this point it was very windy with lots of dust in the air, but I had to get a couple last shots before the rain started. I was glad I wasn't in the precipitation core on the left since 2.5" hail and flooding was reported there.
    Kinsey Wall Cloud
  • Bats emerged from their hiding places and fluttered about as the rumbles of thunder drew closer. A herd of bighorn sheep and a couple of bison were grazing around me as I awaited the arrival of the storm. The sun had already gone down over the South Dakota Badlands, but the nearly continuous flashes of lightning provided enough light for my camera. The storm was advancing slowly, but once this striated shelf cloud emerged ahead of the rain core, then it picked up speed. I could hear and smell the rain before I felt it. Once the wall of water hit, the downpour wouldn't let up until 3 hours later. This perhaps wasn't the best night to be camping in the Badlands. Although my tent held up well enough with minimal leakage, the entire campground was a muddy mess the next morning.
    Badlands Shelf Cloud
  • The northern milky way shines bright above the Kelso Sand Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve. At the top left is the Andromeda Galaxy. Clouds were moving across the sky quickly on this windy night.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 1/30/14
    Kelso Night
  • Just outside of Brockway, I managed to get a few miles ahead of this ominous shelf cloud. The NWS would later classify this storm a derecho.
    Surging Shelf Cloud
  • The weather changed quickly on this windy morning in Mojave National Preserve. It looked like it was going to stay sunny for awhile. But then the clouds descended and obscured the Granite Mountains.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 1/31/14
    Obscured Granites
  • A wall cloud hangs underneath a storm base near Lingle, Wyoming. This storm would produce a tornado 5 minutes later, but it wasn't visible from my position.
    Lingle Wall Cloud
  • A series of lightning bolts strike in the distance beyond Spring Lake. This storm was part of a derecho that formed over Nebraska and caused extensive damage as it headed towards Illinois. Even though this part of the storm was weaker it still displayed a nice shelf cloud and put on a great lightning show.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: June 4, 2014
    Spring Lake Shelf Cloud
  • The stars Aldebaran, Rigel, Orion, and Procyon along with Jupiter formed a pentagon in the sky. In the middle is the star Betelgeuse with Orion's belt and nebula to the right. Thin clouds were causing halos to form around the brightest points of light. This view was seen looking up from my campsite in the Mojave National Preserve, which has some of the darkest skies in Southern California.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 1/30/14
    Winter Pentagon
  • I rarely stop to photograph deer since they are so common. But I liked the way these bucks were standing on top of a hill, with storm clouds behind them. Plus I rarely see bucks with antlers.
    Two Bucks On a Hill
  • One of my goals this summer was to capture a lightning storm from the Bighorn Mountains. But it’s not easy since by the time a storm pops up it may be too late to get to the right spot. And once I’m in the mountains, lack of cell data makes it hard to know what’s happening with the weather. But storms weren’t even expected on this night. I was camping near an overlook called Freeze Out Point. At 11PM I went up to the overlook one last time and was surprised to see flashes to the east. The cell was some 75 miles away in Montana, and at that distance lightning often appears red as it’s seen through the thicker lower atmosphere. Distant lightning strikes that are silent and without thunder are often called heat lightning. But heat lightning isn’t really a specific type, thunder simply can’t be heard from more than 10 miles away. There was just enough time to shoot a time lapse of this moonlit lightning storm before low clouds and fog came in and obscured the view.
    75 Mile Strike
  • Clouds drift past the medieval village of Conflans in Albertville, France, as a storm clears.
    Conflans Fog
  • I've seen pictures of this arch at Bighorn Canyon before, and haven't been able to locate it. But after visiting a 3rd time, I finally found it. The arch frames an incredible view of what is sometimes called Montana's Grand Canyon. After waiting here until 9PM, I gave up on seeing any color in the sky. But before I could make it back to my car, an orange glow emerged in the west and pink clouds briefly overtook the sky. I hurried back to the arch to take this final picture. It always amazes me just how empty this place is. It's not unusual to see more wild horses than people. I had to drive very carefully back to the campground to avoid hitting the mustangs that were standing on the road in the dark.
    Through a Window
  • It was a cold and moist night at Devil's Tower with a few too many clouds. But the milky way was visible for a short time.
    Galactic Tower
  • Quick moving clouds pass above an old abandoned bridge in Tazewell County, Illinois, on a winter night.
    Abandoned Bridge
  • Vivid fall colors fill the valley of the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This state park preserves one of the largest areas of wilderness left in the Midwest The steep cliffs known as The Escarpment rises 500 feet above the Lake of the Clouds. It is a fitting name since I never did see this lake without a cloudy sky above it. On the other side of the cliffs is Lake Superior. It can just barely be seen in between two hills at the top of the picture. This picture was taken at the beginning of a 28 mile backpacking trip into the wilderness.<br />
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Date Taken: 9/30/14
    Escarpment View
  • This was the only time I was able to see the Snæfellsjökull volcano in it's entirety. The clouds on the left would soon move in and block the view of the glacier.
    Snæfellsjökull Barn
  • Fog moves around a field as the milky way galaxy rises higher in the sky. This was taken near the Iowa and Missouri border in some of the darkest skies in the entire midwest. The only evidence of light pollution was in the yellow clouds lit up by a small town 15 miles away. The green dots on the bottom right are from a firefly fleeing the scene.
    Humid Summer Night
  • The aurora borealis turns the sky purple and green over Frenchtown, Montana. Passing clouds were hiding part of the northern lights.
    Colorful Night
  • The time was after 11PM, yet still the light of sunset lingered in the northwestern sky. It gets dark quite late here in Montana in the middle of summer. This peak has been on my radar to climb for quite awhile. Like a spine, the long and narrow Bridger Range is situated in the middle of the state. The 9,665’ Sacagawea Peak, named after the famed guide of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is the apex of the mountain range. Views stretched far and wide in every direction and were some of the best of any peak I’ve stood on. After sundown the lights of Bozeman and smaller towns came on. Then Comet NEOWISE slowly appeared through the deep blue twilight sky. Just a few minutes makes a big difference in visibility because while the coma is bright, the tail of the comet is faint even though it’s huge. After this more clouds moved in along with a couple flashes of lightning. It was time to leave, but I was thankful for the short window of opportunity I had. Descending the steep trail by headlamp was no small task. I made note of the tricky parts on my way up and was extra careful in the dark, trying not to butt heads with any mountain goats.
    Sacagawea Comet
  • I had a few hours to shoot the stars over the Tetons before clouds would move in.
    Night at Willow Flats
  • On Memorial Day I spent the afternoon following multiple supercells, funnel clouds, and tornadoes across the high plains of Colorado. After a long day I was ready to head for home. But at 7PM the atmosphere still wasn’t done producing. This last storm spun up near the town of Wray. It displayed some impressive structure as it passed over the hills covered with sage brush and yucca. The NWS surprisingly issued a tornado warning for this cell, but nothing came of it. Most of the day had been fast-paced and hectic, dodging hail while surrounded by crowds of chasers there for the same reason. But now it was quiet and peaceful. This was the perfect storm to end the day with before beginning the long drive back.
    Wray Supercell
  • I love all the abandoned structures found in Eastern Montana. I came across this one while storm chasing outside of Ekalaka. Mammatus clouds were boiling above.
    Broken Windows
  • Just as I had hoped, the sun began to break through the clouds while I climbed Kirkjufell.
    Breaking Through
  • On a frigid winter night I rented the Muddy Guard Cabin from the USFS. The log cabin was very rustic with no running water and a wood-burning stove, but it did have electricity.  My goal was to capture the Quadrantid meteor shower, but it wasn't the best night for it. The clouds cleared somewhat in the evening, but came back later on as snow showers moved in.
    Thousands Above, Fifteen Below
  • I came to Laguna Beach to photograph the milky way. But the marine layer had other plans and only a few stars were visible in between clouds.
    Hole in the Sky
  • A wave crashes against a rock as the clouds in the west start to light up at Crystal Cove State Park.
    Crashing Sunset
  • Ever since I found this area of dead trees in the water at Banner Marsh, I wanted to get some pictures of it under the milky way. After driving out here, clouds began covering the sky. I thought I wouldn't get any pictures of the stars, but then it cleared shortly before 2am.<br />
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Date Taken: June 6, 2014
    The Dead of Night
  • I wasn't sure if the storm clouds would move out in time, but they did and made for a spectacular sunset over Fort Peck Lake.
    Sunset at Hell Creek
  • All night long lightning flashed to the north over Steamboat Point in the Bighorn Mountains. Then at 2:30AM Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE rose above the horizon. Finally as the first light of dawn came, noctilucent clouds appeared. It was the brightest display I've ever seen. Seeing all these things at the same time made it a night to remember.
    A Night to Remember
  • Crow Peak is a mountain in the northern Black Hills just outside of Spearfish, South Dakota. On a clear day the views are expansive, stretching into 3 states. But yesterday was not a clear day. The weather was cold, cloudy, and damp, and more rain showers loomed. But this was a peak I've been wanting to climb for awhile now, and I was in the area already so I pressed on. After hiking for 3 miles this window to the west opened up just below the summit. It only lasted for a minute or 2 and then the view was gone. I still want to come back another day and see what the clouds were hiding. But sometimes hiking in bad weather has its own rewards.
    Window to the Valley
  • Badlands are a type of terrain that experiences rapid erosion, estimated to be an inch per year at Badlands National Park. Much of that erosion happens during thunderstorms like this one. When the downpour first started I was disappointed because I didn’t get any shots of the storm structure beforehand. But then there was a break in the rain. It lasted just long enough for me to rush back to this overlook and capture the dark menacing clouds above surrounded by two blueish-green rain cores. Hidden in the ravine below were big horn sheep climbing the steep muddy terrain. The second wall of water hit even heavier than the first and dropped visibility to almost zero. A local told me they had never seen a spring with more rain. And they were right, 2019 was to become the wettest year on record in western South Dakota.
    Wall of Water
  • There was an outbreak of at least 3 tornadoes in southeast Wyoming. September tornadoes are very rare in this state. But 2019 has been a strange storm season, both starting late and ending late. This supercell north of Torrington developed a long inflow tail (aka a beaver tail) feeding moisture into the storm. It’s common to feel cool outflow winds coming out of a storm. But when you feel warm and moist inflow winds blowing into the storm that’s when you know tornado potential is high. These opposing winds help tighten up the rotation near the ground. The southeasterly winds were kicking up so much sand and dust I could feel it in my eyes, ears, and mouth. Because of poor ground visibility I didn’t get a very good view of the twister, but the structure was still impressive. When the sun came out it provided a stark contrast between the dark blue clouds and the bright golden grass.
    Beaver Tail and Bluff
  • It looked like there wouldn't be a colorful sunset since a snowstorm lingered into the evening. But then it started to break, revealing the peaks of the Alaska Range underneath fiery clouds. As far as I can tell this peak has no name but it is in front of Mount Moffet which remained mostly hidden.
    Sunset Over the Alaska Range
  • After the storms passed off to the east, the anvil filled the entire sky with mammatus. A small clearing to the west allowed sunlight to shine through and illuminate the clouds. All the ingredients were there for an incredible sunset, so I went to Glendo Reservoir and waited. The colors did not disappoint.
    Glendo Lake Sunset
  • I came to central Montana because it had the best chance of clear skies this night. But the clouds didn't clear out until after dark, which was fine with me since it led to an amazing sunset. The Crazy Mountains can be seen in the distance.
    Road to the Crazies
  • After a very cloudy day, the clouds broke just enough to allow for a colorful sunset over Lake Geneva near Veytaux.
    Lake Geneva Sunset
  • The village of Ormont-Dessus, Switzerland, sits in a valley 6,000 ft below the peak Scex Rouge. It was only visible for a short time before the clouds lowered.
    Ormont-Dessus
  • Clouds swirl around the peaks Mettenberg on the left and Eiger on the right.
    Eiger and Mettenberg
  • Clouds swirl around the peaks Mettenberg on the left and Eiger on the right.
    Eiger and Mettenberg
  • I've seen pictures of this arch at Bighorn Canyon before, and haven't been able to locate it. But after visiting a 3rd time, I finally found it. The arch frames an incredible view of what is sometimes called Montana's Grand Canyon. After waiting here until 9PM, I gave up on seeing any color in the sky. But before I could make it back to my car, an orange glow emerged in the west and pink clouds briefly overtook the sky. I hurried back to the arch to take this final picture. It always amazes me just how empty this place is. It's not unusual to see more wild horses than people. I had to drive very carefully back to the campground to avoid hitting the mustangs that were standing on the road in the dark.
    Overarching
  • Thin clouds caused a large halo to appear around the planet Jupiter. It reminded me of the movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," which was filmed at Devil's Tower.
    Close Encounter
  • Clouds swirl around Bighorn Peak before sunset as seen from the High Park lookout
    Bighorn Peak Panorama
  • While the sun set behind clouds to the west, these anticrepuscular rays were shining to the east over Sheridan. They appear to converge at the anti-solar point directly opposite the sun and the rays are actually parallel even though they don't look like it.
    Anticrepuscular Rays
  • March has been a very active month for geomagnetic activity. But unfortunately it has also been a very cloudy month where I live. On Monday night I was finally able to catch a glimpse of the aurora while dodging clouds near Decker, Montana. The northern lights were rather weak but I was still glad to have seen them.
    Decker Aurora
  • After coming around a bend in the trail in Tongue River Canyon, the Keyhole Arch came into view with some colorful clouds behind it.
    Keyhole Arch Sunset
  • The first light of the last day of 2016 touches Grand Teton while clouds swirl around Mount Owen. This mountain is nothing short of grand. It towers 13,775 feet above sea level, just shy of Wyoming's highest peak. From the moment the Tetons first come into view while driving through the valley, I find it hard to look away. These dramatic, sawtooth-shaped mountains are spectacular any time of the year, but especially so in winter. The summit is flanked on both sides by 2 glaciers.
    Grand Opening
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