With autumn making it’s presence felt, the storm season in Chicago is pretty much over. Despite the drought and lackluster storm activity in the area, there were a few beautifully photogenic storms that I had the opportunity to photograph from my balcony and rooftop. Below are my top 11 (one for good luck) photos of this year’s storms in Chicago. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll get out of the city and head out to the plains in 2013 for some real big storms… Until then, enjoy what 2012 brought us!
-Click to embiggenate-
Shelf Over Chicago – This is a 6-frame panoramic stitch of a mean looking shelf cloud that rolled into Chicago on 9/17
Quintuple Strikes – This is a composite of 5 separate bolts that struck within a few minutes of each other on 7/26
Fire & Ice – A 4-frame panorama of the partially eclipsed sunset as a storm moves through the south side of Chicago. 5/20
Ominous Skies – A shelf-cloud rolled over Chicago on 6/29
Double Take – This is a 2-frame panoramic stitch of two lightning bolts striking. In between, curtains of rain fall on the South side of Chicago on 6/29The Mothership – A towering cumulonimbus cloud with rotation, possibly a mesocyclone, wrapped in lightning. Taken 5/3
Take Cover – A large shelf-cloud engulfs the SW side of Chicago. 7/1
A 3-frame panoramic stitch of small rain shaft. A rainbow has formed to the east of as the sun sets in the West. Taken 3/1
My first attempt at compositing two separate bolts together in one frame. Taken 6/29
A wide shot of the mesocyclone as lighting leaps from the cloud tops. Taken 5/3
iPhone shot as a shelf cloud rolled over Chicago on 6/29
