Night on fire from Lightning flashes like this one I photographed last Spring
Celebrating the Year of the Dragon's dawning, Mother Nature added her own fireworks.
The show for me began just after I left work around 4:45 pm in North Dallas. Swirly charcoal grays of thunderstorm cell hugged the S.W. sky, moving northward.
Beautiful purplish bolts of lightning danced and curled between earth and sky, replied to by the most beautiful whispers of earth rattling thunder that warmed my heart.
Between 6:45 pm and 9:45 pm, occasional to frequent flashes of light filled the sky, from "elevated thunderstorms", or storms set off when unstable warm air over-rides a stable cold air mass at the surface.
My wife and I watched for about 45 minutes, looking out the window as if it were open curtains to a grand theatre stage, celebrating whenever flashes revealed brilliant spikes across the sky. Loud rolls responded.
My spirit hungered to take a walk out in this; within moments after I stepped out the door, everything intensified into a exhilarating unleashing.
Sudden seas of windswept rains enveloped me, blasting into my body. Brilliant platinum strobes bathed my world again and again with in-your-face intensity.
Roll after roll of thunder filled the night while trees swayed in sheets of splattering drops that faded streetlights to mists.
I savored pure raw excitement & semi-shivered in wetness that turned my waterproof shoes into puddles & soaking my jeans as if I had jumped into a swimming pool.
All ended by 9:45. Then at 1 a.m. I awakened to an amazing swell of energy, similar to the energy that one may feel when walking towards a rushing waterfall.
For awhile I heard or saw nothing, but suddenly the entire night opened up in cloudburst rains, punctuated by only occasional flashes and rumbles.
Very, very occasional lightning and thunder along with heavy rains returned at 5 a.m.
The backyard rainguage measured about 3.75" when I left for work at 7:30 this morning. When I returned it had reached 120 mm, or about 4.5".
This brings our January total to nearly 6", pretty amazing and good insurance for the heat and drought to come later this year.
(C) 2011, Stephen Eric Levine, All Rights Reserved
That was some storm on the 24th. That storm flooded out the creek near our house, making it very hard for us to travel to school and work on Wednesday. I had to find another alternate route that added at least 20 minutes to the commute time on the 25th. I am glad that you enjoyed the storm, Stephen. Another outstanding job.
Posted by: Anne | January 28, 2012 at 08:52 AM