Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Huge Thunderheads Today Over Julian...

Huge thunderheads gathering today over Julian. This is a three-shot panorama – it's much wider than the camera can gather in one.  Underneith, are huge "cumulous" clouds, billowing, and moisture-filled. As they rise, there's a point that they turn to rain. When a cloud begins to get a mushroom shaped top (called an anvil) as it is here slightly left of center, the cloud is called a cumulo-nimbus (nimbus meaning rain). It's raining. As the anvil widens and releases its moisture, it fades and loses shape, and gradually disappears into "thin air."  –Rob D