Kevin Palmer

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  • While I was visiting Illinois I had the chance to chase this storm outside of the town of Benson. The storm wasn't much, although it had some OK structure. But it was nice being back, since central Illinois is where I first learned how to storm chase.
    Benson Barn Storm
  • On my way back from South Dakota I had a chance to intercept this severe storm at Devils Tower. I got there in time to watch the shelf cloud roll by over the tower. This storm was a prolific hail producer. I misjudged the movement of the storm and ended up getting caught on the edge of the hail core as I fled east towards Sundance. Golf ball-sized chunks of ice left additional dents in my car. But I got off easy, there were a lot of cars with smashed windshields. Hailstones up to 4.5" in size damaged crops further east where the storm also produced a tornado.
    Tower and Storm
  • 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
  • A storm begins to block the sun as it gets closer near Emden, Illinois
    Sunshine and Storm
  • 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 severe thunderstorm rolls across the hills of northeast Wyoming. This storm formed from orographic lifting over the Big Horn Mountains, before moving southeast. The curl at the base of the rain shaft is an indication that a wet microburst is occurring. Caused by evaporational cooling weakening a thunderstorm's updraft, it results in a sudden release of torrential rain and strong damaging winds in a localized area. But no damage was reported with this storm because it was in such a remote area. There are no paved roads (other than I-90), towns, or services for at least 25 miles in any direction.
    Losing the Storm
  • I got to the Crystal Creek Overlook just in time to watch this storm roll in off of the Bighorn Basin. I've always wanted to watch a storm from here and this one was perfect because there was no lightning occurring.
    Storm in the Bighorn Basin
  • Sometimes I chase storms, and other times storms chase me. This beast rolled out of the Little Belt Mountains at 5PM and roared onto the Central Montana plains. It was a challenge to keep up with as it felt like I was never more than a few minutes ahead. The rollings hills provide limited spots to overlook the storm and I couldn't shoot any time lapses because there simply wasn't enough time. I tried to stay to the south of the tornado-warned portion of the storm so I wouldn't be in harm's way. While shooting this picture a rancher stopped by and I asked him if he'd ever seen anything like this. He said he had; apparently sights like this are not uncommon around here in the summer. Big Sky Country certainly lives up to its name. The central part of the state is filled with numerous island mountain ranges, and this shelf cloud swallowed them up like they were nothing.
    Beast of a Storm
  • Last summer I spent some 4 hours watching this thunderstorm. From the time it formed before sunset until it receded into the starry night, it was producing a ton of lightning. Even though the storm wasn't severe it provided plenty of time lapse opportunities as I shot over 1,000 pictures. The best part is I never had to go more than 30 minutes from home. This picture is a blend of 2 images since the lightning bolt struck a few minutes after the best storm structure. The old barn/shed is one of the few structures remaining at the nearby ghost town of Monarch. In the early 1900's this area was home to thousands of people, exceeding the population of Sheridan. But after the numerous coal mines closed it was mostly abandoned.
    Monarch Storm
  • I had been wanting to shoot a storm rolling out of the mountains from this overlook next to I-90. But this particular storm was dying just after sunset and produced hardly any lightning.
    Dying Storm at Twilight
  • A shelf cloud approaches a grassy field near Mackinaw, Illinois. This storm hit a half an hour before sunset. It actually became so dark that fireflies started to come out.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 8/28/2014
    Mackinaw Storm
  • A storm chaser photographs a tornado-warned supercell south of Holyoke, Colorado.
    Storm Chaser
  • I was very surprised by how photogenic this storm was. It had a beautiful circular, rain-free base. This was just a smaller cell out in front of a bigger supercell and it didn't even look that interesting on radar. I was glad I came across this small prairie near Emden when I did.
    Prairie Storm
  • I encountered this storm in Joliet, Montana, while driving to Red Lodge. It was spitting out plenty of lightning bolts, but I wasn't successful in capturing any.
    Storm in Joliet
  • An old house sits on the prairie as a storm moves overhead.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: June 21, 2014
    Storm Structure
  • In front of me was a rainbow, lightning to the left, a colorful sunset behind me, and to my right were baby bighorn sheep prancing around. When the downpour ended and the sun came out, it was an overwhelming few minutes and I didn’t know where to point my camera. I was just lucky to be at this overlook in Badlands National Park. When the storm was closing in I made a bad decision to turn down a very muddy road. But somehow my car made it back out after spinning the wheels for 5 minutes. My last 2 visits to this South Dakota national park were both very short and involved waiting out heavy thunderstorms, which isn't all that enjoyable in a tent. One of these days I'll return when the weather is actually nice. But bad weather makes for the best pictures.
    End of the Storm
  • Outside of St Onge, this supercell started showing some ominous structure. It would soon be dropping very large hail and a tornado.
    Fleeing the Storm
  • This severe thunderstorm rolled out of the Black Hills and approached Bear Butte Lake near Sturgis.
    Sturgis Storm
  • I wasn't even planning on hiking Tongue River Canyon this day. But once I saw the snow line just a few hundred feet above the river, I was drawn right in. The weather was harsh, alternating between sleet and a fine mist that gets in everything. But the low clouds swirling around the peaks added drama.
    Fall Storm in the Canyon
  • A severe thunderstorm rolls across the grasslands near Aberdeen, Montana.
    Aberdeen Storm
  • Bear Butte is a mountain outside of Sturgis, South Dakota. A severe thunderstorm was forming in the distance when I climbed it on a July afternoon.
    Bear Butte Storm
  • This isolated supercell formed near Miles City out ahead of the advancing MCS. It barely moved at all while slowly organizing and developing a wall cloud.
    Montana Prairie Storm
  • A beam of sunlight shines in between passing clouds at Holland Lake, Montana. A thunderstorm had just passed through and patches of fog were moving across the mountains.
    Storm and Sunbeam
  • With severe weather in the forecast, I headed downstate to do some storm chasing. This cell formed over the Laramie Mountains before pushing east onto the High Plains. At first it took it's time maturing. But just before 4PM it transformed from an ok looking storm into this in only 10 minutes. As the storm moved into a better wind shear environment, it turned into a mothership supercell displaying very impressive structure. I was mesmerized watching it roll across the Nebraska stateline outside of La Grange. Despite the ominous and otherworldly look, the storm wasn't severe at this time. As it passed over me it brought small hail and blowing dust with lots of tumbleweeds.
    Mothership Supercell
  • 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
  • Mid-June brought a tornado outbreak on the high plains with dozens of twisters reported in 4 states. I intercepted this strongly rotating mesocyclone while tornado sirens went off in Fort Laramie (the very first settlement in Wyoming according to the sign). Storm chasing in Wyoming is different than in other places. Because roads are so few and far between, it's unlikely that you'll be able to follow a storm for very long. Instead you have to anticipate the storm's movement so you can get ahead of it while staying aware of all the paved road options and escape routes. Then you just have to hope to get some good shots before losing the storm in a roadless area. On the lower right a funnel can be seen under the tightening wall cloud. Even though I didn't see it touch the ground, the time corresponds with a tornado reported to the southwest. After this I packed up my tripod and left in a hurry as small hail began to fall. This supercell had already dropped massive grapefruit-sized (4.5") hailstones and I prefer to keep my windshield intact.
    Funnel and Mesocyclone
  • Paved roads were few and far between. Cell phone signal was non-existent. Hills and bluffs sometimes blocked the view. Mosquitoes swarmed around me and stubborn cows formed a roadblock. These are some of the challenges of chasing storms in Montana. Elsewhere crowds of storm chasers may converge on a supercell. But here it’s not uncommon to be the only one on a storm, and I feel an extra responsibility to report what I see to the National Weather Service. When everything comes together just right the supercells here can be truly incredible. This storm first went up over the Crazy Mountains before tracking east along the Musselshell River, into a part of Big Sky Country I’d never been. It was one of the roundest, most obviously rotating supercells I've ever seen. Evening sunlight snuck in underneath to turn the hail shaft gold. Just when the storm was at its most photogenic I came upon this scene of an abandoned house on the open prairie. It was exactly what I was looking for.
    Melstone Supercell
  • 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
  • On my way back from South Dakota I had a chance to intercept this severe storm at Devils Tower. I got there in time to watch the shelf cloud roll by over the tower. This storm was a prolific hail producer. I misjudged the movement of the storm and ended up getting caught on the edge of the hail core as I fled east towards Sundance. Golf ball-sized chunks of ice left additional dents in my car. But I got off easy, there were a lot of cars with smashed windshields. Hailstones up to 4.5" in size damaged crops further east where the storm also produced a tornado.
    Dark Sky Over Tower
  • A supercell lurked in the darkness. Every few seconds a flash would illuminate the thundercloud and show a silhouette of the sharp spires of the Badlands. This was the 4th storm I watched this evening. Rumbles of thunder slowly grew louder as yet another storm approached from the west and threatened to block the view of this one. Badlands National Park is one of my favorite places to capture storms. Even when they’re 100 miles away, the views here are excellent. And distant storms are preferred when I’m camping. The Badlands are very exposed to the elements. There is no escaping the rain, wind, and mud. An earlier downpour soaked me to the skin but the wind that followed dried me in minutes. The mud is the type that cakes to the bottom of your shoes making every footstep heavier. But a few hours in the hot sun and the mud is baked dry. At the time of this picture tennis-ball sized hail was reported in the Pine Ridge Reservation to the south. The lights are from the metropolis of Interior, population 94. The lightning was mostly cloud-to-cloud; this was the only strike I captured out of 500 shots.
    Strike Beyond Interior
  • The air felt heavy and still. As it rotated closer, this supercell seemed to grow wings. Within a couple of minutes Sundance Mountain was swallowed up by the precipation core. The 'calm before the storm' does not happen with every storm, but when it does it's very noticeable. Then a giant bolt of lightning struck out of frame, with a deafening thunder shattering the silence. An errant hailstone, big enough to leave a bruise, bounced off of the ground with a thud. It was time to move. This cell turned out to be an ice machine, piling up baseball-sized hail on the road, and making the temperature plummet which created hail fog. Chasing storms in and around the Black Hills has it's challenges. Winding roads through hilly terrain makes viewpoints limited and cell signal sporadic. But when everything comes together just right, the structure and color of the storms around here are incredible.
    Swallowing Mountains Whole
  • Earlier in the spring I came across this overlook on a hilltop with a view of the mountains to the west. I knew it would be be the perfect spot to watch a storm roll out of the Bighorns, I just needed to wait for the right storm. My first attempt didn’t yield the pictures I wanted as the cell went too far south. But the second time’s a charm. This storm intensified after I got here and started spitting out dozens of close lightning bolts. It was dark enough that I could use a longer shutter speed, and capture about 40% of the strikes that occurred. But there were many more out of frame to the right. This is a composite image showing 5 of the best strikes. By the time I left there was a small stream running under my car as well as some minor street flooding in Sheridan.
    5 Strikes
  • On this evening I headed up into the hills to watch lightning. The first storm that made me head out the door wasn't any good for pictures, since most of the lightning was intra-cloud. But then I watched another cell pop up to my south. As this updraft exploded into the starry sky, it started producing positive lightning strikes. Positive lightning accounts for 5-10% of all lightning, and is up to 10X more powerful than negative strikes with a peak discharge of 1 billion volts. It originates from the top of a thundercloud and travels through miles of air before striking the ground. Positive bolts can hit up to 25 miles away from the parent thunderstorm. These "bolts from the blue" are especially dangerous because people may assume they're a safe distance away from the storm when they strike.<br />
The night couldn't have been more perfect for watching lightning.A full moon helped to light up the landscape and gave the thundercloud a silver lining. I stayed in the same spot for hours as multiple storms followed the same path.
    Under Jupiter
  • Pictured is a highly unusual weather event called a derecho. Derechos are a long-lived wind storm that may travel across multiple states and cause widespread damage. They occur a few times a year in the Midwest or Eastern US. What was unusual about this derecho is that it began in Utah at 9AM. Normally the Rockies disrupt organized storm systems, but this one had no problem plowing 750 miles all the way to North Dakota. Hundreds of wind reports ranged from 60 to 110 mph. I intercepted the squall line near the Wyoming/South Dakota border. The severe thunderstorm warning mentioned a storm motion of 100 mph which was a bit difficult to comprehend. I tried to make it to a mountaintop, but then had to go with plan B, which turned into plan C which was pretty much the side of a road off of I-90. The shelf cloud was very ominous. The air was notably calm and quiet just before it struck. One mountain after another vanished into the rain and dust. Then seconds later the wind was roaring and I couldn't even stand up straight.
    Beulah Derecho 3:1 Panorama
  • While I was visiting Illinois I had the chance to chase this storm outside of the town of Benson. The storm wasn't much, although it had some OK structure. But it was nice being back, since central Illinois is where I first learned how to storm chase.
    Wet Soybeans
  • Pictured is a highly unusual weather event called a derecho. Derechos are a long-lived wind storm that may travel across multiple states and cause widespread damage. They occur a few times a year in the Midwest or Eastern US. What was unusual about this derecho is that it began in Utah at 9AM. Normally the Rockies disrupt organized storm systems, but this one had no problem plowing 750 miles all the way to North Dakota. Hundreds of wind reports ranged from 60 to 110 mph. I intercepted the squall line near the Wyoming/South Dakota border. The severe thunderstorm warning mentioned a storm motion of 100 mph which was a bit difficult to comprehend. I tried to make it to a mountaintop, but then had to go with plan B, which turned into plan C which was pretty much the side of a road off of I-90. The shelf cloud was very ominous. The air was notably calm and quiet just before it struck. One mountain after another vanished into the rain and dust. Then seconds later the wind was roaring and I couldn't even stand up straight.
    Beulah Derecho 2:1 Panorama
  • On this evening I headed up into the hills to watch lightning. The first storm that made me head out the door wasn't any good for pictures, since most of the lightning was intra-cloud. But then I watched another cell pop up to my south. As this updraft exploded into the starry sky, it started producing positive lightning strikes. Positive lightning accounts for 5-10% of all lightning, and is up to 10X more powerful than negative strikes with a peak discharge of 1 billion volts. It originates from the top of a thundercloud and travels through miles of air before striking the ground. Positive bolts can hit up to 25 miles away from the parent thunderstorm. These "bolts from the blue" are especially dangerous because people may assume they're a safe distance away from the storm when they strike.<br />
The night couldn't have been more perfect for watching lightning.A full moon helped to light up the landscape and gave the thundercloud a silver lining. I stayed in the same spot for hours as multiple storms followed the same path.
    Lightning and Moonbeams
  • A severe thunderstorm roars across a corn field near Vale, South Dakota. Corn fields are not common in this area, it almost felt like I was back chasing in Illinois. Minutes earlier, 79 mph winds were recorded with this gust front in nearby Belle Fourche. The ragged, detached clouds underneath the storm (known as scud) were rapidly rising into the storm's updraft. I tried to get as close as I could to the core of the storm without getting pummeled by the 2" hail, which my car would not have liked.
    Under the Rising Scud
  • On this evening I headed up into the hills to watch lightning. The first storm that made me head out the door wasn't any good for pictures, since most of the lightning was intra-cloud. But then I watched another cell pop up to my south. As this updraft exploded into the starry sky, it started producing positive lightning strikes. Positive lightning accounts for 5-10% of all lightning, and is up to 10X more powerful than negative strikes with a peak discharge of 1 billion volts. It originates from the top of a thundercloud and travels through miles of air before striking the ground. Positive bolts can hit up to 25 miles away from the parent thunderstorm. These "bolts from the blue" are especially dangerous because people may assume they're a safe distance away from the storm when they strike.<br />
The night couldn't have been more perfect for watching lightning.A full moon helped to light up the landscape and gave the thundercloud a silver lining. I stayed in the same spot for hours as multiple storms followed the same path.
    The Hills Are Electric
  • On this evening I headed up into the hills to watch lightning. The first storm that made me head out the door wasn't any good for pictures, since most of the lightning was intra-cloud. But then I watched another cell pop up to my south. As this updraft exploded into the starry sky, it started producing positive lightning strikes. Positive lightning accounts for 5-10% of all lightning, and is up to 10X more powerful than negative strikes with a peak discharge of 1 billion volts. It originates from the top of a thundercloud and travels through miles of air before striking the ground. Positive bolts can hit up to 25 miles away from the parent thunderstorm. These "bolts from the blue" are especially dangerous because people may assume they're a safe distance away from the storm when they strike.<br />
The night couldn't have been more perfect for watching lightning.A full moon helped to light up the landscape and gave the thundercloud a silver lining. I stayed in the same spot for hours as multiple storms followed the same path.
    Moon Behind the Anvil
  • 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
  • I wasn't expecting to see such a scene on this day, since the storm chances were low. But once I heard the thunder rumbling at 11am, I quickly left the house. After driving southeast I let the storm overtake me near the town of Kenney, and shot this panorama shortly before it started raining.  This time of year the corn is often 8 feet tall which restricts the view of approaching storms. I have to look for somewhere else to shoot such as this field of soybeans.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 14, 2014
    Kenney Thunderstorm
  • 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
  • Anytime I’m out storm chasing, I love finding some old structure such as a church, barn or abandoned house. Buildings that have weathered many storms, bare the scars, but still stand. This little white church I came across outside of Wolf Point, Montana. A shelf cloud was closing in from the west. It seemed to be approaching rapidly, but at the same time in slow motion. The storm stalled out over town. Excessive rainfall brought street flooding and left drifts of dirty hail on the highway. As it got closer the sky turned green, reflecting the suspended hailstones above. When the gust front finally arrived, it turned brown as winds picked up dust from the surrounding fields. A wind gust of 86mph was reported.
    Prevailing Church
  • It was an intimidating sight watching this monster barrel towards me. It’s amazing how something can be so beautiful and so destructive at the same time. Within minutes the sky changed from bright and sunny to black and the quiet turned into a roaring wind. This supercell first formed in Montana, before charging southeast along the Black Hills. Enhanced wind shear next to the mountains helped sculpt the clouds into this ominous structure. 2 tornadoes were reported, the first knocked down swaths of forest, while the second destroyed buildings farther east. Experts disagree on why exactly some storms appear green. But it is a good indication that a storm reaches high into the atmosphere and contains much precipitation, which often includes hail. At the time of this shot hail stones 3-4” in diameter were falling just a few miles away in downtown Rapid City. As much as I wanted to stay and time lapse this scene, I continued to flee south instead out of the damage path. I've found my windshield to be more effective when it stays in one piece.
    Ominous Green
  • 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
  • This tornado near Broadwater, Nebraska, developed almost on top of me while I was attempting to core punch the storm. At the intersection of Rd 78 and Hwy 385 I was close enough to hear the roaring waterfall sound and feel the intense RFD winds. But I couldn't see it because the storm had become HP (high precipitation) and visibility was horrible. As I fled south on Hwy 385 debris started flying past me including sheet metal hitting my car. A semi truck that I passed would be flipped over on it's side and all the sign posts at the nearest intersection snapped in half. Once I made it a safe distance away (about 5 miles) I stopped and took this picture looking north. Visibility was still bad, I couldn't see the tornado and I even missed it the first time after reviewing my pictures. But after enhancing the contrast the twister became visible in the rain shaft on the left.
    Broadwater Tornado
  • This was a wild day of weather in Illinois. It was the first warm day after a cold and snowy winter.  A cold front moving across the midwest caused severe thunderstorms to form. This storm produced a tornado earlier, but at this point it had weakened. The snow that remained on the fields caused a thick ground fog to form, which reduced visibility to near zero at times. It was an interesting scene.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: Febrary 20, 2014
    Destination Unknown
  • An updraft is a rising current of air that often leads to thunderstorms. The updraft of a developed storm is also the most active part with large raindrops and hailstones constantly rising and falling. As the rain and hail collide, this creates an electric field and eventually lightning. As the sun set, it gave this storm a beautiful orange color and highlighted the details and the structure.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: May 3, 2012
    Heart of an Updraft
  • 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
  • The horizontal cloud stretching out from the supercell is known as a beaver tail. It is formed from moist inflow winds feeding into the storm. The winds were very strong as you can see from all the dust picked up underneath. There was a tornado ongoing at this time which damaged 2 homesteads near the Nebraska/Wyoming border. But it wasn't visible from my location and I couldn't get any closer because there weren't any roads heading east.
    Beaver Tail
  • After the main storm cleared out, this mini supercell popped up in the Black Hills behind it. It briefly reached severe limits before weakening.
    Black Hills Mini Supercell
  • 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
  • It was a very hot summer day in Illinois with oppressive humidity and extremely unstable air. At 5PM this storm exploded into existence near Utica and in less than an hour it was dropping 4" hail. After leaving the storm to cross the Illinois River and avoid getting caught in the hail, I met back up with it here. The supercell was showing some of the best structure I've seen with an obvious spiral shape. The clear slot caused by the rear flank downdraft made it easy to pinpoint where a potential tornado would form. A likely funnel cloud can be seen just above the distant group of trees. But even though conditions in the upper atmosphere were more than enough to support a tornado, the winds at the surface were too weak. I followed the supercell for most of it's life cycle but nothing ever touched down.
    Red Barn Supercell
  • This storm was at my heels, but I had to make a quick stop for this view near Whitewood before getting on I-90. A tornado warning was issued a few minutes later.
    Acorn Ridge Road
  • It was a beautiful night last night. A very active lightning storm receded into the distance underneath an otherwise clear and dark sky filled with stars. Mars was shining a brilliant red above the storm, and I was just barely able to fit the milky way in the frame.
    Flashing Galaxy
  • All summer long I had been waiting for a storm like this one. It seems like most of the thunderstorms this year would clear out in the evening, instead of persisting into the overnight hours. But it's a lot easier to capture lightning when it's dark. At night I can use a long exposure of 30 seconds, which increases the chances of capturing lightning. This wasn't a particularly strong storm cell, it produced no more than a couple dozen strikes. But that was enough. By positioning my tripod inside my car and shooting out the window, I was able to keep raindrops off my lens. This image is a stack of 5 separate pictures. The light trail curving around on the left is from a plane coming in for a landing at the Sheridan airport. The passengers would have had quite a view out the window.
    Last Night of July
  • In this part of Montana there’s a whole lot of nothing. The sprawling ranches have more acreage than many towns. I’ve previously driven hours along this road east of Decker without seeing another human. You're more likely to encounter wildlife such as pronghorn antelope, which I've raced across these plains and found that they really can run 60 mph. On a warm August evening I followed this storm for awhile. The radar showed it was producing hail the size of baseballs. But since the core passed through a roadless area, any severe weather went unseen and unreported. Abandoned houses are not hard to find as they are more common than lived-in houses. By now I know where most of them are so I kept driving until I could shoot the storm above this one. When the evening sun came out it highlighted the puffy cumulonimbus clouds receding into the distance. The white containers next to the tree are bee hive boxes. I've noticed them popping up more and more across Montana as it's one of the top honey-producing states.
    Home On the Range
  • 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
  • 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
  • Mammatus clouds are a common sight while storm chasing, but never have I seen them in a sunset like this. They seemed to become more defined and filled nearly the entire sky as the sun sank lower. The fiery colors were so intense that I had to cut back on the saturation. A strong MCS (mesoscale convective system) had moved off to the east as I was passing through Wheatland on my way home. When I noticed this sunset developing I searched for something nearby to serve as a foreground and this old tractor did the trick. Mammatus clouds usually form beneath the anvil of a strong thunderstorm, which means they can be either ahead of or behind the storm. The lobes are about 500m wide on average and show a sinking motion, making it look like the sky is falling. Pilots typically give mammatus a wide berth because of the turbulence they bring. Even though they happen frequently, their formation is not very well understood.
    Farmer's Delight
  • This was a day I won't soon forget. The forecast called for very humid air, extreme instability, and strong wind shear in the MT/ND/SD area. Having all these conditions come together at the same time is quite rare and I knew something incredible would happen. I just had to be there. The day involved lots of waiting around in eastern Montana until I set my sights on this supercell in the late evening. The storm structure was otherworldly, looking like a tsunami in the sky. When the first tornado dropped there were hills in the way and road options to get closer were limited. But outside of Buffalo, South Dakota, finally the twister became visible. The tornado lifted and planted again about 4 times. It was looking the best as the sun was setting at 9pm. I was never closer than about 9 miles, but this gave me the advantage of seeing more of the storm's structure. Now I finally have a tornado clip to finish up my time lapse film.
    Buffalo Tornado
  • A tornado-warned supercell is the last thing I expected to see in Arizona in November. When I stopped in Petrified Forest National Park for a few hours, I noticed a strong storm heading for the Holbrook area. I briefly considered chasing it when I saw a velocity couplet on radar indicating rotation, but decided to stay in the national park instead. I forgot about it until later when I went up to Blue Mesa to shoot the sunset. I immediately noticed this mesocyclone to the west, backlit by the colors of sunset. A tornado never touched down. But I was glad I was able to photograph this storm with a beautiful landscape of colorful eroded buttes and mesas, even though I was 40 miles away.
    Arizona Mesocyclone
  • In late September a high speed solar wind stream reached earth, causing a G1 geomagnetic storm. The aurora borealis became visible in the northern part of the United States. Around here the weather was completely clear and there was no moon making conditions perfect for viewing the northern lights. I went to the grasslands outside of Lodge Grass, Montana, where there was very little light pollution. The aurora was at it's best shortly before midnight. While the pillars danced from right to left, nearby cows mooed and coyotes howled. Quite a few meteors and satellites lit up the sky as well. The geomagnetic storm is ongoing and the aurora may be visible again tonight.
    Lodge Grass Aurora
  • A severe thunderstorm approaches the farmland near Edgington, Illinois. This storm brought strong winds, large hail, and frequent lightning as it marched across Iowa and crossed the Mississippi River a few miles away.<br />
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Date Taken: May 12, 2014
    Edgington Squall
  • Even after driving up Highway 14 dozens of times, I almost always stop at this scenic overlook. It’s where the Bighorn Mountains meet the endless plains stretching across eastern Wyoming and Montana. The towns of Dayton, Ranchester, and Sheridan are seen thousands of feet below and it’s a popular spot for launching hang gliders. For years I’ve wanted to capture a good lightning storm from here. But it required just the right storm, one that comes in from the northwest in a path parallel to the mountains. It needed to be close enough to light up the valley, but far enough to stay out of danger and out of most of the rain. It also needed to be predictable, so I could get there in time. At 10PM sheets of rain began to envelop the ridges to the north one by one. Then this brilliant flash illuminated the foothills and switchbacks just before the lights of Dayton disappeared into the downpour. I’ve always loved the challenge of capturing something that lasts a fraction of a second and preserving it in a picture.
    Electric Rain
  • 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.
    Out of the Darkness
  • 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 />
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Date Taken: June 23, 2013
    Dark Shelf
  • On this late June day in central Montana, I didn’t think I would end up with any storm pictures. Just as the storms started firing at 5PM my car suffered a flat tire. After all the miles I’ve driven while stormchasing, it was bound to happen eventually. But thankfully this cell took it’s time and let me get my spare on before I could catch back up. Near the aptly named town of Grass Range, the sun came out as the rain and hail moved to the north. The golden light contrasted with the cool blues on the other side of the sky. Outflow winds gave meaning to the term (not yet amber) "waves of grain". I tried to use a long enough exposure to show some of this movement in the wheat. From here it would be a long 250 mile drive home on a donut tire.
    Waves of Grain
  • This was the best lightning storm I saw all year. A couple thunderstorms passed very close, but the rain stayed out of the way. Sometimes I stack lightning shots, but this is just one exposure. The two lightning crawlers occurred about 15 seconds apart within the 30 second exposure. After chasing some storms to the south and coming back home I think I saw about 10 thunderstorms on this day. There are often deer in this field at night, you can see a couple under the bright streetlight.<br />
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Date Taken: June 25, 2013
    Night Crawler
  • 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
  • After watching the northern lights for hours, I finally went to sleep at 3AM. Just 3 hours later I awoke to this view. It doesn’t get much better. I knew this was a risky spot to camp near the top of the Judith Mountains in Central Montana. If a storm popped up it was very exposed to wind, rain, and lightning. There was only a 20% chance of storms, but this was the lucky day out of 5. Rainbows are always biggest (84° wide) when the sun is at the horizon. The rainbow and amazing sunrise only lasted about 10 minutes. After this I hastily packed up my tent and took shelter in my car as a 2nd thunderstorm threatened behind this one. There’s a reason the Air Force built an early warning radar station on this mountaintop during the Cold War. The views out over the plains seem to go on forever, no matter which direction you look. This small but scenic mountain range north of Lewistown also contains gold deposits and two ghost towns. Even though I was still tired, I couldn’t complain. Rarely are the most memorable days the ones in which I get plenty of sleep.
    Sunrise Rainbow
  • Storms can either bring epic sunsets or none at all. It's all about the timing, and where you are in relation to the storm when the sun goes down. This severe MCS rolled through Miles City, Montana around 7pm. The rain slowly came to an end and a glow began to emerge in the west. I wasn't expecting much, but I found a place to wait (Spotted Eagle Lake) just in case something special happened. The sun only popped out for a couple minutes. But that was enough to light up the entire sky with intense orange and pink. A double rainbow appeared for 15 minutes, which was long enough to allow me to shoot a time lapse of it fading away. The wind died down for just a moment and the reflection in the lake made an almost perfect circle. Even though the long drive wouldn't get me home until after midnight, I'm glad I didn't leave early and miss out on this.
    Reflected Rainbow
  • On the last day of June, 2 severe storms known as derechoes formed and moved across Illinois. After the 2nd storm passed through, it provided an amazing show of lightning. As the rain and wind ended, bolts of lightning slowly crawled across the sky, lasting up to 5 seconds. Even though it was 11pm, the field of soybeans was lit up like day.<br />
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Date Taken: June 30, 2014
    Static Charge
  • It was a beautiful day for a storm chase. Visibility was great and storms were visible a long ways off. The updrafts were crisp and puffy underneath a dark blue sky. This was at the Wyoming/Montana stateline near Biddle.
    Biddle Supercell
  • Outside of Ekalaka, Montana, the structure on this mothership supercell was incredible. At times it looked like a giant tsunami in the sky. This storm would go on to produce at least 8 tornadoes.
    Montana Mothership
  • The remnants of a low-precipitation supercell moves past a prairie outside of Norfolk, Nebraska. This storm dropped large hail earlier on, but started to die shortly before the sun set. After watching the sun slip beneath the horizon in the other direction, I went up the road a little bit and came across this stunning sky. I was fortunate to find these purple wildflowers on the side of the road to include in the foreground. The sun sets late here this time of year, this was shot after 9:00.
    Dying Beauty
  • On the longest day of the year, a thunderstorm came rolling through Antioch, Illinois. Lightning is a lot more challenging to capture during the day. At night you can use a long exposure of 30 seconds and try to catch a bolt of lightning in that time frame. But during the day, you have to use shorter exposure times. This storm was dark enough that I could use a 2 second exposure and eventually caught these twin strikes.<br />
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Date Taken: June 21, 2011
    Day Lightning
  • A vivid rainbow appeared on the other side of this storm near Crazy Woman Canyon.
    Rainbow at the Ranch
  • As I drove into the Absaroka Mountains towards Kirwin, a storm was clearing. I loved this view looking up a valley with fog between the trees.
    Fog After the Rain
  • It wasn't until 7:30PM that I decided to intercept this supercell to my south. The rotation here was very apparent. It was nice seeing some of the best storm structure of the year so close to home.
    Ucross Supercell
  • The mammatus looked impressive on the back of this storm after sunset.
    Blue Mammatus
  • Tumbleweeds rolled across the road as I drove through the Nebraska panhandle with this stunning supercell behind me. I was looking for something, a barn, winding road, etc, to shoot in front of the storm. But mostly I wanted to capture a time lapse without power lines getting in the way. Finally I found what I was looking for: a lone tree on the edge of a barren field. I ran out to the tree and had 6 minutes to take pictures before the winds would blow over my tripod.
    Tree Vs Supercell
  • During the most intense part of the geomagnetic storm, I looked straight up and this is what I saw. It's known as a corona, and it looks like the aurora is radiating outward from a single point in the sky. This was the first time I've seen a corona and it didn't last long.
    Aurora Corona
  • This severe thunderstorm rolled across the grassland near Decker, Montana late at night. There were dozens of wildfires burning across Montana. Before this storm hit, the air was mostly clear. But the strong winds brought in thick smoke from the northwest. It smelled like there was a fire nearby, even though there were none in the immediate area. All the lightning had a reddish-orange tint to it.
    Orange Lightning
  • If you have never seen the aurora, you should definitely make it a goal. This was a once in a lifetime show for me as I have never seen a better geomagnetic storm. I was only in Wisconsin but it felt like I was in Alaska. The aurora was pulsating, moving rapidly and it covered much of the sky. Most of my pictures were taken with a 10mm lens which tells you just how much of the sky was filled with color. This was taken from the top of Blue Mound, which is the highest point in southern Wisconsin.
    Rising Intensity
  • If you have never seen the aurora, you should definitely make it a goal. This was a once in a lifetime show for me as I have never seen a better geomagnetic storm. I was only in Wisconsin but it felt like I was in Alaska. The aurora was pulsating, moving rapidly and it covered much of the sky. Most of my pictures were taken with a 10mm lens which tells you just how much of the sky was filled with color. This was taken from the top of Blue Mound, which is the highest point in southern Wisconsin.
    Once in a Lifetime
  • A rain squall approaches Peoria, Illinois. The heavy rain was close, but it never actually fell where I was shooting from. The top of a bluff in East Peoria provided a perfect view to the west of this storm.<br />
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Date Taken: June 18, 2014
    Peoria Rain Squall
  • A rain squall approaches Peoria, Illinois. The heavy rain was close, but it never actually fell where I was shooting from. The top of a bluff in East Peoria provided a perfect view to the west of this storm.<br />
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Date Taken: June 18, 2014
    Distant Rain
  • 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 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
  • Early in the morning a very active lightning storm passed by north of Peoria. An overlook on Grandview Drive was the perfect place to watch it approach. The overlook sits on a bluff 300 feet above the Illinois River. This is the part of the river where it widens and forms Peoria Lake. It was raining heavily with plenty of lightning bolts striking on the opposite side of the river. But from where I was it stayed dry enough to take over 400 pictures.<br />
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Date Taken: 9/3/2014
    Strike Three
  • 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
  • This morning brought a G3 geomagnetic storm, which was strong enough to make the aurora visible through the moonlight in Sheridan, Wyoming.
    Aurora Outside Sheridan
  • 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
  • In front of me was a rainbow, lightning to the left, a colorful sunset behind me, and to my right were baby bighorn sheep prancing around. When the downpour ended and the sun came out, it was an overwhelming few minutes and I didn’t know where to point my camera. I was just lucky to be at this overlook in Badlands National Park. When the storm was closing in I made a bad decision to turn down a very muddy road. But somehow my car made it back out after spinning the wheels for 5 minutes. My last 2 visits to this South Dakota national park were both very short and involved waiting out heavy thunderstorms, which isn't all that enjoyable in a tent. One of these days I'll return when the weather is actually nice. But bad weather makes for the best pictures.
    Badlands Bow
  • It was half past midnight on the last day of August. A solar wind stream blowing at 700 km a second reached Earth a little sooner than predicted. The northern lights had been dancing on and off for the past few hours. But then I noticed a strange pattern, which was dim enough that I wasn’t sure it was really there. A long exposure revealed greater detail and color. The picket fence pattern is related to a rare, recently classified type of aurora called STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.) STEVE most often appears as a bright, pinkish ribbon of light found away from the main band of aurora. STEVE may or may not be accompanied by this green picket fence, but on this night the brighter streak of light was absent. It was my first time seeing it this far south in Wyoming. Lake DeSmet provided a beautiful blurred reflection when the wind let up. This night was the first of 4 in a row that I’d capture the aurora. The weeks surrounding the spring and fall equinoxes tend to be the most favorable for geomagnetic storm conditions. But around here the weather tends to be a lot clearer in the early fall, which is why I have more aurora sightings in September than in March.
    Emerald Waters
  • It was great to get out for my first storm chase of the year. This supercell was showing it's best structure near Upton.
    At the Logging Camp
  • 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
  • A telephoto lens was very important to have on this storm chase, since I never got closer than about 9 miles to the tornado. This is the 3rd tornado that I saw this day and it was on the ground for about 20 minutes.
    Cone Tornado
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