Encore - Cloudburst in West Texas

November 11, 2017

RainshaftIMG_0149-watermarked-cropped (3)

Today and every Saturday Earth Science Picture of the Day invites you to rediscover favorites from the past. Saturday posts feature an EPOD that was chosen by viewers like you in our monthly Viewers' Choice polls. Join us as we look back at these intriguing and captivating images.

Photographer: Steven L. Templeton 
Summary Author: Steven L. Templeton; Jim Foster

January 2012 Earth Science Picture of the Day Viewer's Choice The photo above shows a cloudburst I observed just before sunset in Jones County, Texas on September 17, 2011. This rain shaft looked more foreboding than was actually the case and indeed any rain in drought-stricken Texas was welcome. January through July of 2011 was the driest six-month period ever recorded in Texas. Additionally, the summer of 2011 was the hottest on record. Convective storms can sometimes produce very localized rains; a deluge in a particular spot but only a few drops just a few hundred yards away.

Photo Details: Camera Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II; Focal Length: 28.0mm; Aperture: f/4.0; Exposure Time: 0.033 s (1/30); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Macintosh.