CSSS: Storms - S T O R M S C A P E S
View allAll Photos Tagged Cloud_based
As sunset neared, the sky was alive with some brushstroke clouds, a cake like cloud base and a deep blue sky background.
Cumulonimbus Wolke*
Eine massige und dichte Wolke von großer vertikaler Ausdehnung in Form eines mächtigen Berges oder hohen Turmes.
Ein Cumulonimbus entsteht aus einem Cumulus.
Die deutlich abgegrenzten, rundlichen Aufquellungen verlieren sich im oberen Teil der Wolke, die scharfen Umrisse lösen sich auf und führen zu einer faserigen, streifigen Wolkenmasse, die schliesslich in eine Ambossform (incus) münden kann.
Unterhalb der häufig finsteren Wolkenuntergrenze befinden sich oft niedrige zerfetzte Wolkenstreifen, die mit der Hauptwolke zusammengewachsen sein können.
Der Niederschlag aus dem Ambossteil fällt gelegentlich als Virga.
Cumulonimbus cloud *
A massive and dense cloud of great vertical extension in the form of a mighty mountain or high tower. A cumulonimbus arises from a cumulus.
The clearly delimited, roundish swellings are lost in the upper part of the cloud, the sharp outlines dissolve and lead to a fibrous, streaky cloud mass, which can ultimately lead to an anvil shape (incus).
Below the often dark cloud base there are often low, shredded cloud stripes that may have grown together with the main cloud.
The precipitation from the anvil section occasionally falls as Virga.
Today’s shot is of one of my favourite lighting effects.
The whole day had been cloudy and not just overcast, I’m talking about clouds with attitude. The atmosphere was dark, moody and heavy with moisture. The clouds clung to everything and visibility seemed to stop a few feet above your head wherever you were on the island. So imagine my delight when heading home for the night after a wasted day trying to shoot anything in the flat light I saw this delightful effect of the sun appearing beneath the cloud base. This was the effect of the sun finding a gap under the clouds in those few moments before it approaches the horizon at sunset. The world just seemed to explode in light in comparison to how dark and grey everything had been under the moody skies. The light show lasted for no more than a few seconds and then it was back to grey, grey and more grey. Ah well…sigh!
I didn’t get to see Harris at it's best, in fact I would say I probably saw it's worst, but little glimpses like this may be enough to make me think of that return visit.
For my 2nd (& last) full day in Scotland, I had decided to head a little further north and perhapsup a little higher than Ben A'an's 454m (1490ft).
However as I headed through Callendar the rain set in more heavily and the cloud base dropped: not what I wanted at all. However it did give rise to this atmospheric scene across Loch Lubnaig.
Managed to capture the last light through the cloud base at Colliford Lake yesterday.
I'm very grateful for all your visits and would like to thank you now for stopping by, and any comments you may leave. Much appreciated, John...
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. ©2018 John Baker. All rights reserved.
July 2020 lockdown lifting hike Wasn't all 'stuck in low cloud base' all day, .... the cloud lifted on the Ptarmigan ridge descent to the south west of Ben Lomond , made oor day!! #epic ... why go anywhere else #visitscotland #staysafe
As we start to reach the summit plateau of An Socach, we also climb into the cloud base as we look back the way we've come. It was swirling around us and formed a wall of white, not like fog at all really. Eating the sandwiches in the lee of a shelter cairn, we had wisps of cloud blowing just beyond our feet, a quite magical experience.
After a few test runs and weeks of chiropractic care on my back, it's finally time to start the climbing season with a climb up An Socach. An Socach (pronounced An S-Oh-Ack) is my 17th Munro and stands at 944 meters (3097 feet), and although not the longest of climbs parts of it are very steep.
Most of our visitors to Alnwick have experienced really lovely weather (even ones who visited in February last year!). Sadly this wasn't the case when our friends Rob & Barbara paid us a flying visit last November. The cloud-base was barely above the hilltops and sometimes even lower, with occasional outbreaks of rain. Thus a coast walk/visit to Lindisfarne wasn't on the cards.
However Rob & Barbara are both engineers, and less than 15 mins drive from us is the wonderful National Trust Cragside property. This is most famous as being the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity, introduced by its owner William /Armstrong - who was first and foremost a pioneering engineer. Thus we spent a fascinating, albeit damp, few hours exploring some of the grounds and buildings. This is the lovely footbridge which spans the gorge just below the main house.
Typical summer weather in the middle of Norway :(
Low cloud base and rain in the air for days. Backseat view from the left bubble window in a Seaking MK43b. About 2000 ft I think.
Huge cumulus clouds with their characteristic vertical growth from the flat lifting condensation level (LCL) on a warm late spring day.
In the foreground are lights from an intramural playing field and the top of an inflatable recreation center at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and a water tower of the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
AP195283-HDRm
July 2020 lockdown lifting hike Wasn't all 'stuck in low cloud base' all day, .... the cloud lifted on the Ptarmigan ridge descent to the south west of Ben Lomond , made oor day!! #epic ... why go anywhere else #visitscotland #staysafe
Sunrise from my office in Cardiff, I think 5 October 2022.
A sequence of three photos, taken within about two minutes as the rising sun shone on the cloud base. This the second as light floods the sky. .
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
The Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force display team, putting on an outstanding 'flat' display at the Scottish International Airshow 2018 in Ayr, Scotland.
Despite the cloud base forcing a 'flat' display, the routine was just as breathtaking. The world class precision was evident in every single shot that I captured and it was a perfect way to close out the airshow for the day.
Captured handheld with my 200mm lens and 2x extender. The extender does reduce image quality a little, as well as obviously reducing light reaching the sensor, but in the absence of being able to afford a truly long telephoto lens - it works well enough for some great shots of an airshow display. Enjoy!
On 13 March 2021, this supercell moved over Ghent, which had an internal mesocyclone within its cumulonimbus cloud, that somehow seemed to have detached from the cloud base itself and continued in one direction whilst the cumulonimbus drifted in another direction, providing a large number of visible circulations - some of which you can see in the foreground and which I've indicated. This supercell spawned a multitude of circulations, mesocylones, and small tornadoes, as well as multiple heavy downdrafts, positive lightning strikes, and a wall cloud.
I took this picture from the eighth floor of a parking garage once I noticed the presence of multiple mesocyclones right overhead, and was very pleasantly surprised to have such a good view of this amazing storm floating over my city.
These layered clouds are shelf or arcus clouds. They are attached to the main cumulonimbus storm cloud and are often the leading edge or gust fronts. Aside from their dangerous wind gusts, they are quite photogenic. To create this panorama, I used three moderate wide angle shots stitched together in Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw and finished off in Topaz Studio, ramping up the color contrast to make the clouds appear as actually seen. The Great Marsh wetlands during the summer are a lush green as the spartina alterniflora, aka marsh grass, is in its prime. Note: It seems these shelf clouds sometimes form yet another newly recognized distinct cloud type or subspecies, the "undulatus asperatus". "Pretor-Pinney described the formations as “localized waves in the cloud base, either smooth or dappled with smaller features, sometimes descending into sharp points, as if viewing a roughened sea surface from below. Varying levels of illumination and thickness of cloud can lead to dramatic visual effects.” Asperitas clouds tend to be low-lying, and are caused by weather fronts that create undulating waves in the atmosphere." So as I get it, the shelf clouds that are on the leading edges of the storm, because of waves of instability, etc, cause waves in the clouds that are so named. www.theverge.com/2017/3/24/15049766/undulatus-asperatus-a...
Sunrise from my office in Cardiff, I think 5 October 2022.
A sequence of three photos, taken within about two minutes as the rising sun shone on the cloud base. This the third, after which it faded very rapidly
A view south east from the summit of Sgor Mor where the low clouds still cover some of the southern Munro's.
At a height of 2667 feet (813 meters), Sgor Mor doesn't quite qualify as a Munro as it's 333 feet (111 meters) short, but it is a Corbett and offers some great views of the Cairngorms.
66715 having run round at Blea Moor U.G.L. approaches Ribblehead station heading south with the 1125 Arcow Quarry to Hunslet Tilcon which I think is near Leeds.It was one of those days when the sun was more in than out and the cloud base was encroaching more and more southwards as the day progressed.
Shot in Harding County, New Mexico, USA in July 2024. I was out driving around to take in the majesty of the thunderstorms that afternoon - there's nothing quite like a good Great Plains thunderstorm. The massive "mothership" storm seemed to be reaching down towards some cows with a "finger." I don't think this was a tornado, as I didn't see any obvious rotational activity, but it looked really cool. It may have been some sort of arcus cloud, based on my limited research. To my knowledge, the cows actually did fine. I can't wait for more dramatic, summertime storms.
Camera: Fujifilm X-T5
Lens: Tamron 18-300 mm
Settings: ISO 500, f/8, 1/160s, 109 mm
Shot handheld.
The mountains on the south side of Loch Earn in the centre of Scotland are quite impressive and exceed 2,000 feet with the highest, Ben Vorlich, rising to over 3,200 feet. When this was taken the cloud base was already quite low, and more clouds were rolling in to obscure the tops of the mountains.
AI racing was great 'n all but even with cloud-based Drive Assist the buggies still need some numpty on hand to keep them in the competition.
Leaving the bike further down the slope, I enter the cloud base as I make the final push to the summit of Glas Tulaichean. Looking back I get a great view of the track I have been following, but most of the rest of the landscape is obscured by the mist of the clouds.
Glas Tulaichean is my 5th Munro of the season and the 28th in total, bringing me to a Munro completion rate of near enough 10%. The mountain stands at 1051 meters (3448 feet) and is the last one I will do as I have now moved away from Scotland and back to my roots in South Yorkshire as the pull of the Grandchildren was just too strong.
Another panorama because I can’t help myself. Was hoping to capture some sunrise color or alpine glow, but sadly no clouds. Based on the position of the sun and the high humidity it was more of an Alpine haze then a glow. It’s a wonderful location that I hope I can visit again someday.
This is a strange sunset phenomena I see once in awhile. The rays such as these here are actually not in the west but are in the east as the sun goes down. They appear to be related to shadows cast by clouds based on this image, but if anyone knows what this effect is called or can explain why it does this-- please do. Edit: and flickr comes through, I knew I could count on the hive mind to find the term! Thanks goes to algo, larigan, and ER Post for finding these are anti-crepuscular rays, fascinating!
Note:the rays were not added in photoshop, I emphasized them here with a blend of hdr and non-hdr layers to create the final result. A total of two hdr images composed from 8 exposures 1 ev apart and two original frames were used to create the final result that best shows off the rays in the east to my tastes.
These type of clouds are formed by strong updraft at lower altitudes, acting upon moist air above, causing the air to cool to its dew point. As such, they are usually indicators of severe weather, and a pileus found atop a cumulus cloud often foreshadows transformation into a cumulonimbus cloud, as it indicates a strong updraft within the cloud.
Today, with temperatures in the low 70's, these clouds would have developed into thunderstorms if it were 4 to 6 weeks later when the sun's ability to enhance instability in the atmosphere is much greater. Note the virga below the dark cloud base.
Picture of the Day
t's taken me over a year and half to get around to processing this photograph properly. I did a truly (and objectively) terrible job of this the first time around, applying a very over jealous teal and orange colour grade, to get what silly me thought was a "cinematic" look.
The main shot in question is of a lone Rowan tree on Cold Side (north western flank of Mam Tor) on a wild morning of wind and a extremely low but thin cloud base in October 2021.
This was only my second trip to the Peak District since my teenage years and looking back now I realise how special the conditions were and think of all the places I now know about that would have looked amazing. But hey! I've had a lot of fun exploring and getting to know the length of Hope Valley and beyond.
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Your summer isn't complete without a folder full of bikinis! Join us at Fab Free and I'll tell you where to pick up this free Pride bikini and flag, but you need to hurry!
Fab Free: fabfree.wordpress.com/2025/06/06/cool-for-the-summer/
"Cool for the Summer" by Demi Lovato
Don't tell your mother
Kiss one another
Die for each other
We're cool for the summer (Ha!)
Nimbostratus cloud over the dutch landscape
Nimbostratus are dark, low-level clouds accompanied by light to moderately falling precipitation. Low clouds are primarily composed of water droplets since their bases generally lie below 6,500 feet (2,000 meters). However, when temperatures are cold enough, these clouds may also contain ice particles and snow.
The sun or moon is not visible through nimbostratus clouds, which distinguishes them from mid-level altostratus clouds. Because of the fog and falling precipitation commonly found beneath and around nimbostratus clouds, the cloud base is typically very diffuse and difficult to accurately determine. So if a metereologist corrects me, I'll be happy, because learning new things is a good thing.
This weather picture was taken in South-Holland , the Netherlands, in the early evening.
Where do I begin? In the tent again, I guess. Morning two and I woke up to find the inside of my tent frozen! Inside my sleeping bag I was toasty and it took some real effort to not go back to sleep. It was way too cold to get organised in the tent, so I took all my gear into the bothy and defrosted somewhat unsure of what to expect for the morning.
Outside was a thick fog, with visible ice crystals in the air. I tried to keep my excitement in check, the possibilities were two; a very low cloud base or a temperature inversion. I headed in the direction of Grindsbrook, reaching the gate at Heardman’s Plantation, still enveloped in fog. Hmm, not promising. As I passed through 320m I could suddenly see a starry sky and just like that, I was above the clouds!
My first stop was The Nab, a location I’ve photographed from twice before, once during Storm Arwen and another in December 2021. The view from this spot provides a gorgeous winding curve right from foreground down to the end of the vale, I really like overlapping lines where I can find them, so this spot ticks the box for me. I set up my composition and waited for the first bits of light to hit the gritstone in front of me, nature obliged, creating a scene of contrasting warm and cool hues.
Looking down from moorland above Harrogate in North Yorkshire. A wonderful day for cloud photography, complete contrast from one minute to the next with conditions changing by the second.
On all previous occasions that I have been lucky enough to come across a Brocken Spectre whilst in the mountains I have been able to see my shadow within the glory rings. For some reason, perhaps the fact that the cloud base was quite some way below my spectre didn't appear. This must be the only time I can recall coming across such a display.
By way of a little explanation here is an exert I have found online which explains the creation of these rare phenomenons.
The Brocken Spectre materializes when a mountaineer gazes downwards into the mist from a ridge or peak, with the low sun positioned behind them. As the climber's shadow extends forward through the mist, it creates the shadowy figure that is commonly referred to as the "spectre." What adds to the mystique of this spectacle are the shimmering rings and glow surrounding the spectre, known as a glory. The glory is centered directly opposite the sun at the antisolar point, where all shadows converge. It is similar to other atmospheric phenomena such as anti-crepuscular rays and cloud shadows.
By way of the topography of this view, the photo was taken from near the summit of Fairfield and looks down on part of Cofa Pike (the rest was engulfed in the cloud) with the whaleback ridge of St Sunday Crag in the background. My return home route would take me down the treacherous icy descent of Cofa Pike and then back up and over St Sunday Crag. Of course the location of the Brocken Spectre would depend upon where I was on this return track. At one point it partially appeared just twenty yards infront of me.
May 14, 2025 - Maxwell Nebraska
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Just to the east of North Platte Nebraska. Maxwell Nebraska...
A landspout touches down over a rural landscape under a dramatic sky, where the swirling column of wind is starkly visible against intense cloud formations. The foreground features a few trees and farmland, emphasizing the stark contrast between human activity and natural phenomena.
We were not set up & riding parallel with this storm.. so only a few shots eh...
For folks that don't know the difference between a tornado & a landspout... Please Read Below!
*****
What is the Difference between a Landspout & a Tornado?
A landspout and a tornado are both rotating columns of air that can cause damage, but they differ in their formation, structure, and characteristics:
Formation:
Landspout: A landspout is a type of non-supercell tornado that forms from a growing thunderstorm or cumulus cloud without a mesocyclone (a rotating updraft within a supercell). It typically develops from the ground upward when converging surface winds create a vortex that is stretched by an updraft in a developing storm.
Tornado: A tornado usually forms from a supercell thunderstorm with a mesocyclone. It descends from the cloud base downward as the mesocyclone tightens and intensifies due to strong atmospheric dynamics, such as wind shear.
Structure and Appearance:
Landspout: Landspouts are often narrower, more rope-like, and less organized than tornadoes. They typically appear as a slender, tube-like vortex extending from the cloud base to the ground, sometimes resembling a waterspout over land.
Tornado: Tornadoes are generally wider, more robust, and can take various shapes (e.g., wedge, cone, or rope). They are often associated with a visible funnel cloud and a debris cloud at the surface due to stronger winds.
Intensity and Duration:
Landspout: Landspouts are usually weaker (EF0–EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale) and shorter-lived, lasting a few minutes. They cause localized, less severe damage compared to tornadoes.
Tornado: Tornadoes can range from weak (EF0–EF1) to extremely violent (EF4–EF5), with some lasting over an hour. They can cause widespread, catastrophic damage due to higher wind speeds.
Associated Weather:
Landspout: Occurs in less severe weather, often under developing thunderstorms or cumulus clouds with minimal wind shear. They are not typically associated with large-scale storm systems.
Tornado: Often occurs in severe thunderstorms, especially supercells, with strong wind shear and dynamic atmospheric conditions conducive to powerful, long-lived storms.
Detection:
Landspout: Landspouts are harder to detect on radar because they lack a mesocyclone and may not produce a distinct radar signature.
Tornado: Tornadoes from supercells often show a mesocyclone signature on Doppler radar, aiding in their detection and warning issuance.
In summary, while both are rotating columns of air that contact the ground, landspouts are weaker, shorter-lived, and form without a mesocyclone under less severe conditions, whereas tornadoes are typically stronger, longer-lasting, and associated with supercell thunderstorms and mesocyclones.
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On another occasion there would have been a stunning view of Cadair Idris and the other Welsh mountains in this southern part of the Snowdonia National Park, but this time the cloud base was extremely low. However, the famous Grade II*-listed railway viaduct across the Afon Mawddach stood out in stark contrast.
The bridge was originally constructed in 1867 and was designed by Benjamin Piercy, engineer to the Cambrian Railways. The single-track railway viaduct (751 yards long) has 113 groups of timber supports (pile bents) and a 5-span steel section incorporating a swing bridge (built in 1899) towards the Barmouth end. A lower boarded pedestrian walkway, which I remember walking across as a child, was added in 1868-79.
It has been a pretty good week. I have had the good fortune to witness 2 incredible sights. I also had a wonderful surprise yesterday that set my weekend up perfectly.
I have seen the starlings gathering locally and decided to go on a murmuration chase. I knew the approximate direction they were coming from so I sat and waited. Bang on time they appeared. Thousands of them swooping and changing direction at blistering speed. I set off down the lanes hoping to catch them up. Eventually they settled on some power lines. I pulled over the car and managed one frame before something spooked them and they were off again. I've never seen cables bounce around so much as the starlings took flight. However, they set off in the wrong direction! I quickly spun the car around only for them to head back the way they came. I have decided my next car needs to go as fast in reverse as it does forwards:)
I lost them over the brow of a hill. As I crested the hill myself they had disappeared into thin air! I was about to give up when out of nowhere they came speeding up the hillside. They looked like minute missiles being fired from the adjacent field over the roadside. As I got closer they had to avoid my car. The instant direction change was astonishing! The car was engulfed with thousands birds soaring through the air... A simply breathtaking sight and one I will never forget.
I could no longer follow them. The lane was too narrow to turn around and I had to admit defeat. Looking at maps later it looks like they were headed towards the woods near Alton Towers. Maybe next week!?
The second amazing sight was the snowstorm clouds. A good source has told me they are very rare Mammatus clouds. Reading about them they are almost as rare as NLC's.
According to the Met Office:
Mammatus clouds are some of the most unusual and distinctive clouds formations with a series of bulges or pouches emerging from the base of a cloud. The shape of mammatus formations can vary widely; from the classic protruding shape, to a more elongated tube hanging from the cloud above.
Mammatus clouds are usually formed in association with large cumulonimbus clouds. Typically, turbulence within the cumulonimbus cloud will cause mammatus to form, especially on the underside of the projecting anvil as it rapidly descends to lower levels. This reverses the usual cloud-forming process of upward growth, making for an uneven cloud base.
This is a 5 shot uporama as I just couldn't get it all in at 24mm.
All in all a fab week :)
The building on the left is the IBM Tower and is 50 stories tall..... so this fog/cloud base really had things covered. What I thought was remarkable was how clear the sky was.
As we climb higher towards An Socach, we start reaching the cloud base, which is already touching the tops of the hills across Glen Baddock.
After a few test runs and weeks of chiropractic care on my back, it's finally time to start the climbing season with a climb up An Socach. An Socach (pronounced An S-Oh-Ack) is my 17th Munro and stands at 944 meters (3097 feet), and although not the longest of climbs parts of it are very steep.
Unexpected sunset after a downpour of rain during Storm Abigail 2015 creating fantastic amber glow on the low lying cloud base
An anvil crawler emerges from the cloud base as it snakes along the sky. I love that in the left side of the frame you can see the dim leaders looking for paths through the clouds/air.
McGregor, ON
Here is the Missouri River reflection on the 2600' cloud base again, same as the other day (other than some idiot actually bringing his camera today to get a better shot.) The light is hitting the river about 20 miles west.
1/20/2023
LPPT. Under terrible meteorological conditions with torrential rain and low cloud base / Sob condições meteorológicas terríveis com chuva torrencial e nuvens baixas....
1225 Boeing C-17A Globemaster III United Emirates Air Force.
This was our second visit to the Coastguard cottages at Cuckmere Haven in East Sussex. We had been planning the trip for several days and had calculated that the sun would rise in an optimum position above the Seven Sisters. The weather forecast was favourable! We put the alarm on for 3:30am to leave us plenty of time to navigate the 65 miles, plus the hike down to our planned shooting location on the beach.
As we sat there on the beach looking at a huge bank of cloud and fog, it became obvious our efforts had been in vain and the enthusiasm drained from our bodies. The Seven Sisters were barely visible and the sun was nowhere to be seen. Battleship grey was the only game in town.
We started our laborious trudge back up to the car stopping frequently for oxygen intake and it was on one of these stops that we turned around and this is what we saw.
Crepuscular rays were beaming from the sun which had finally broken through the cloud base. Not only that, but while we desperately fumbled to assemble our kit, a hot air balloon wafted right over the Seven Sisters! All was not lost and we both got a couple of decent snaps from the trip.
Thanks as always for your interest and support.