Virga Over Okanagan Lake, BC

Photographer: Stu Witmer
Summary Author: Stu Witmer

Just after 1 p.m. on September 17, 2004 I shot this photo of a thunderstorm that had been looming all morning over Okanagan Lake, B.C. The dark clouds drained most of the color out of the landscape with the exception of a tiny bit of sky. It had been showering off and on throughout the day. There was even a bit of hail. In this picture you can see a curtain of virga dropping from some of the darkest portions of cloud. About 20 minutes after this picture was taken a lovely double rainbow appeared over the lake. You might think that all this wild weather would make good conditions for the lake's fabled monster, Ogopogo, to appear, but such was not the case.

Photo details: Nikon E5700 camera; exposure 1/500 s at f/8; ISO 100; focal length 35mm