I was to have led a local event celebrating International Observe the Moon Night tonight but the weather has been unfriendly to such endeavors! There was one giant “sucker hole” that let me see the Moon briefly; it was quickly replaced by something pretty spectacular but much closer to home…
No Moon – Stormy Sunset
A portion of a full-spectrum rainbow and traces of concentric rings grace the eastern sky.
The skies began clearing this evening after a day of dull, gray clouds and occasional light rain. As I was driving this evening the sun began shining brightly from behind me and ahead, against a backdrop of dark cloud, a rainbow began to appear. As the sun grew brighter, so did the long, colorful arc — a full bow across the eastern sky. Of course there was little opportunity for a clear view of the spectacle so, at my first opportunity, I pulled into a parking lot, whipped out my Canon PowerShot G11, and made a few exposures of the brightest part of the rainbow. The colors were unbelievably intense and the full spectrum of visible color could be seen — most unusual! Traces of concentric bows could also be spotted but the bright bands completely dominated the scene. As I watched the colors began fading from the northern section of the rainbow, intensifying in the southern part — behind wires, trees, and buildings; the show was over for me. I’m glad I stopped as soon as I could. I’m a sucker for ordinary miracles.
Peaceful scene on the West Branch Columbia River.
It was a cool, wet, and foggy morning in Northeastern Ohio today; sometimes that’s all right. This sight on the West Branch Columbia River in North Olmsted caused me to abruptly pull off the road, grab my camera, and shoot a few photos in the light drizzle.
The Curve of the Lake Erie Beach at Vermilion, Ohio.
Open fields of Hopkins Airport allow a view of the expansive storm in the east.
Driving home can be an adventure. Exiting the parking lot this evening I looked to the east and a huge and growing pile of clouds — a thunderstorm was brewing! So I adjusted my route to keep as much open sky around me as possible and headed out. The best vista afforded me was a grassy knoll just off the road, a short driveway for public access conveniently located nearby. The site overlooks Cleveland Hopkins International Airport so there was plenty of open space between me and the photogenic clouds. I popped from my car, hiked to the top of the mound, and made my exposures. I was aware of a second storm building and coming on from the west — behind me — but didn’t worry about it until I heard some rumbles of thunder. There I was, atop a rise and near an open area with a thunderstorm about to overtake me. Time to move! So, it was back to the car. Light rain had set in and my route now carried me into tree-lined streets and suburban settings not well-suited to sky photography. I’d planned a stop at Heinen’s Fine Foods so headed down a busy four-lane street. The storm rolled over us!
Sheets of wind-driven rain keep people in their cars.
The light rain became a deluge. Winds picked up and rocked the trees. Nearby lightning with immediate thunder came like shots. What fun! Traffic was slow and visibility just good enough so I felt safe the entire time. Making it to the grocery store parking lot, I pulled into a space, rolled down a window facing away from the wind, and caught a few shots of the sheets of wind-driven rain hitting the cars and pavement. It was only a few minutes after I’d moved my car to a more suitable parking spot that the rain diminished enough for me to go inside and get some groceries. When I was done and exited the store (oh, maybe 15 minutes had passed) the rain had stopped and sun was brightly shining in a clear western sky!
A slice of the monster.
The eastern sky, however, was now filled with the towering clouds that had just unleashed such chaos. Near home I made one more weather-related photographic stop. From a parking lot overlooking church lot below I tried to take in the scope of the storm clouds now passed; it was still too close, too large to capture in one shot. So I give you this image of one slice, exposed for the clouds with the sky turning an unnatural deep blue. Yes, a simple drive home can be an adventure.
Stepping out the back door produced a wonderful view.
Lately the sky has often been a splendid combination of open and cloudy. Great, puffy cumulus clouds bloom all around and, with enough open sky between me and them, offer wonderful profile views as they evolve against a blue background. Today was especially interesting as thunderstorms passed to the north and south of my vantage point. I ducked outdoors to shoot portraits of the towers drenching towns to the south. At lunch I made for the Lake Erie shoreline mostly, I must confess, to see if I might glimpse waterspouts. No waterspouts but a heavy storm was away out over the lake and the water had a strong green coloration. Beautiful cloudy skies and a green lake made my day a happy one.
An intense thunderstorm passes to the north.
Dark clouds obscure the morning sun.
Cumulus clouds over electrical substation.
It was not storm chasing but my drive this evening certainly was interesting. Lately conditions have been ripe for cumulus clouds to billow up in the late afternoon; contrasted against a clear, blue sky they make dramatic scenes. Last night’s billowing took on the appearance of a pair of clouds that needed a brassiere! I’m not kidding! Sorry, though, I couldn’t get a photo of that! Sometimes you just can’t find a place to get >>that<< shot and it gets away. During tonight’s drive, however, I watched as a column of cloud gradually built up, then flare out. Nearly frustrated in my efforts to get to safe and good vantage points, the cloud stayed together just long enough for me to catch it at a couple of stages. The first open space with a good view was at an electrical substation. I actually like the shot of all those lines and towers crossing the building clouds.
Across the highway, over the barrier, above the trees.
Next came a stop along the freeway. Looking across the asphalt canyon and over the “sound barrier” and trees beyond, I could see that the top of the cloud column was being flattened out; strong winds must be at work. Was this a thunderhead or anvil cloud forming? Briefly, as I continued my drive, I saw lenticular shapes develop, then quickly disappear at the windward end of the column.
Towering and spreading over a modern subdivision.
Another opportunity presented itself in a subdivision. By then the cloud had really spread out to the north. I like the way the enormous billowy shape towers over and threatens to engulf the pretty houses below!
I continued my drive, watching traffic and glancing at the mushrooming cloud. By the time I reached another open space, the shape was feathering out. No storm was born. No longer of interest. Not storm chasing but It was a most interesting drive.
The big catch
Drama is all around us. When we think of drama, however, we often think of the travails of our fellow humans. Nature, perhaps, presents the fullest range of the dramatic ranging from the life and death struggles of our fellow creatures to the world-changing activities of weather. A brief stop at Hinckley Lake lent plenty of examples for me as I walked the paths this afternoon. Showing She Who Must Be Obeyed one of my favorite spots to watch Great Blue Herons, we spied one fishing. After only a couple of minutes’ observation, the bird smartly jabbed the water, pulled up a fish, and flew off to a nearby sandbar to deal with its prey. Nearing the end of our walk, the day’s very changeable sky put on a show of light and shadow in the clouds and issued a low rumble of thunder. It was a dramatic day at the lake but most people were having picnics.
Backlit storm clouds loom overhead
Even in Ohio we sometimes enjoy sunsets worthy of photographs.
A day of changeable weather in Northeastern Ohio ended with a spectacularly colorful sunset illuminating rippled clouds. We used to believe we had to travel to the Arizona desert to enjoy such color when really, all we need to do is stop and look around.
PhotonStopper 