Looking out the window the ground was a great shade of orange so I went outside and took a few shots...
:eek2:

i hate the hail. it effed my car up. :(

Alex

Looking out the window the ground was a great shade of orange so I went outside and took a few shots...
:eek2:

What you are looking at there is the sun reflecting off the bottom of the thunderstorm's anvil-shaped top...which is caused by the storm's updraft hitting the top of the troposphere and encountering strong winds aloft that spread it out horizontally. The pockets that bulge down that you see are called "mammata" and indicate great turbulence in the storm......strong winds, large hail, and even tornadoes.

Thanks for the explanation - we had all those outcomes around here apparently! (Hail, winds, rain, a tornado I believe)

The pockets that bulge down that you see are called "mammata" .....

C'mon admit it.... you just made that up :p

No, Dave....that is the correct term for those type of clouds.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/july13.htm

I am not only a car buff, Dave, but a licensed pilot, a Flight Procedures Specialist and a trained severe storm spotter.
Mammatus clouds alone do not necessarily indicate a twister is coming but they are often seen on the undersides of severe thunderstorms (cumulonimbus) with anvil tops and often indicate turbulence at high levels.

Paul, anything damaged?

Looking out the window the ground was a great shade of orange so I went outside and took a few shots...
:eek2:

Beautiful pic, but it sure did get nasty after that. Fortunately, I got my car in the garage only a few minutes before it started. However, a guy I work with got his 6 month old F-350 beat to hell. He said the hail was the size off golf balls! :eek2:

Beautiful pic, but it sure did get nasty after that. Fortunately, I got my car in the garage only a few minutes before it started. However, a guy I work with got his 6 month old F-350 beat to hell. He said the hail was the size off golf balls! :eek2:

Typical of early spring in the Gulf states....the most severe storms usually run from February to May. After that the belt moves north with the sun.

If possible, try and park under cover while you are at work....if you drive to work.

Nice picture, though....usually you don't get the sun's reflection that brightly on the underside of an anvil cloud.

Paul, anything damaged?

Thanks for asking Richie. Nothing at my home as far as I can tell. My car was in the garage, and my wife's truck seemed to be fine.

mmarshall, phunkyGS - thanks for the compliments. mmarshall, the bright orange reflected light was so bright when my wife and I looked out the bay window from inside the house our entire back yard was bathed in orange light. The pine straw even looked bright orange. Very eery!

thats a beautiful shot.

Thanks for asking Richie. Nothing at my home as far as I can tell. My car was in the garage, and my wife's truck seemed to be fine.



Good to hear Paul. :thumbup:

Gorgeous gorgeous shot Paul.

This Sunday, what are you doing? I want to catch up with you before you move away :(

Gorgeous gorgeous shot Paul.

This Sunday, what are you doing? I want to catch up with you before you move away :(

Thanks Brendan. Can't do it this Sunday, sorry. Next Sunday?