Sulfur Springs Valley Lightning Bolt

March 16, 2010

20100316 – Tuesday - Sulfur Springs Valley Lightning Bolt

Photographer: Greg Polm; James Polm
Summary Author: James Polm

The photo above showing a lone lightning bolt piercing a stormy sky was captured near Pearce, Arizona in mid October of 2009. Though it had been clear and sunny all day, just before sundown storms started to build to the southwest along the Dragoon Mountains. From here they plodded across the Sulfur Springs Valley towards the northeast. Since in this part of Arizona we tend to get a fair share of electrical storms, I set up a video camera and waited to see what would happen. This was the first strike I captured. However, it wasn't long before we were in the midst of a spectacular display of copious cloud-to-ground and cloud-to-cloud lightning. Note the approaching shaft of rain to the left of the bolt. After this riveting storm finally moved off, there was just enough remaining daylight to surrender a peaceful sunset.