Black Hills Supercell Thunderstorm

June 28, 2010

SupercelloverhotspringsSDJun 4 10_03 (3)

Photographer: Tara Butler
Summary Author: Tara Butler; Jim Foster

The angry looking cloud formation shown above was snapped from Hot Springs, South Dakota on June 4, 2010. It was taken at approximately 5:30 p.m. just after a tornado warning had been issued for the Black Hills region of western South Dakota. Though there appears to be rotation at right center, there were no observations of a funnel cloud descending from this supercell. Nonetheless, strong winds were reported nearby. Note the blue-green coloration at center. According to some forecasters, colors like these may portend the formation of a funnel cloud when observed in storm clouds. The Black Hills Health Care System campus, with the 100 year old sandstone buildings, is featured in the mid-ground.

Photo details:
Camera Maker: Canon; Camera Model: Canon PowerShot G6; Focal Length: 7.2mm; Aperture: f/4.0; Exposure Time: 0.010 s (1/100); Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix; White Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No (Auto); Color Space: sRGB