Kevin Palmer

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  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • An ominous looking shelf cloud approaches an old abandoned house near McLean, Illinois.<br />
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Date Taken: June 21, 2014
    Approaching Shelf Panorama
  • On this day a severe MCS (mesoscale convective system) roared across eastern Montana. Since I was out ahead of the storm near Miles City I had plenty of time to find an interesting place to watch it roll in. The Kinsey Bridge is a 4-span truss bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River. The single-lane bridge was built in 1907 and the poor condition made it unnerving to drive across. According to the National Bridge Inventory database, the Kinsey Bridge has a sufficiency rating of 56 out of 100 when it was last inspected. Just after 7PM the gust front passed overhead bringing with it strong winds, blowing dust, and heavy rain.
    Yellowstone River Shelf
  • On June 3rd, a derecho formed in Nebraska and moved across Iowa causing plenty of wind and hail damage. By the time it reached Central Illinois after midnight it had weakened. Spring Lake was hit by the northern part which wasn't as severe. But it still displayed some nice structure and put on a good lightning show.<br />
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Date Taken: June 4, 2014
    Illuminated Shelf
  • A severe thunderstorm approaches over a corn field near Morton, Illinois. A shelf cloud can be seen on the lower left and the anvil extends to the top right.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: June 23, 2013
    Morton Thunderhead
  • 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
  • This shelf cloud first blew over me outside of Jordan, Montana. It was very dusty and windy.
    Jordan Derecho
  • 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
  • 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 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 />
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Date Taken: June 19, 2014
    Dark Blue
  • A shelf cloud quickly approaches over a corn field near Lincoln, Illinois. It was fascinating watching the rapid motion of the leading edge as it got closer.<br />
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Date Taken: June 25, 2013
    Rapid Motion
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • After driving for over 5 hours I finally reached the edge of this powerful supercell just west of Faith, South Dakota. The shelf cloud looked amazing, backlit by the sunset and spitting out lots of lightning bolts. Once the storm hit it brought 1.5" hail which left some dents in my car.
    Faith Supercell
  • This storm was at it's most impressive outside of La Grange, Wyoming. But I only had a couple minutes to get these shots of the shelf cloud before it started to hail.
    Bluffs of La Grange
  • A shelf cloud passes over a red barn near Denton, Montana.
    Red Barn Ranch
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Chasing storms in and around the Black Hills is a challenge. Finding a good viewing spot isn't always easy, but I was lucky to find this overlook outside of Sundance. When everything comes together just right, the colors and structure of the supercells here are stunning.
    Sundance Supercell
  • This severe thunderstorm rolled into northern Wyoming from Montana after 8PM. This north-facing railroad track was the perfect place to shoot a time lapse of it approaching. The NWS warned of winds up to 70 mph as the gust front passed over.
    Off The Rails
  • A bolt of lightning jumps out of the gust front of a severe thunderstorm in South Dakota. This was one of my final shots before taking shelter in my car to escape the close lightning and 1.5" hail.
    Out of the Gust Front
  • A turbulent sky moves above a soybean field near Tremont, Illinois. The gust front brought very strong winds that made it hard to take a steady picture. Seconds after this shot, it started raining heavily.
    Tremont Turbulence
  • 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
  • At the end of April, I went out to photograph severe storms to the northwest of my town. I found myself in the area of Snakeden Hollow State Park, a place that I've always wanted to check out. So I went into the park and waited as the severe squall line approached. Seconds after this was taken, heavy rain and hail started falling along with strong winds and lightning.<br />
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Date Taken: April 28, 2014
    Snakeden Gale
  • A severe storm passes over Lone Tree Canyon between Chugwater and Hawk Springs.
    Lone Tree Canyon Storm
  • This severe thunderstorm developed rapidly east of Sheridan. Usually lightning is very difficult to capture during the day. But it was frequent enough that my camera captured 3 bolts in the time lapse.
    Dusty Strike
  • This storm coming out of the Bighorn Mountains near Buffalo was dying. But it was still very scenic while it lasted before sunset.
    Stone Mountain Storm
  • An old house sits on the prairie as a storm moves overhead.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: June 21, 2014
    Storm Structure
  • 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 />
<br />
Date Taken: May 12, 2014
    Edgington Squall
  • Outside of Bill, Wyoming, sits a lone windmill on the prairie. It was the perfect foreground for watching a photogenic supercell approach at sunset.
    The Wind and the Windmill
  • While my main camera took a time lapse, I used my backup camera to take a few additional shots of the lightning to the west. The lightning was very frequent and I stayed out as long as I could until taking shelter in my car. This storm brought 1.5" hail which left some dents on my car.
    The Other Side of Sunset
  • Sunset Shelf Panorama
  • An impressive looking shelf cloud approaches north of Peoria. I was in the perfect location to watch this storm. Heavy rain fell on the other side of the Illinois River but it stayed dry where I was.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/9/2014
    Grandview Drive
  • 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
  • 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
  • Delavan Shelf