Back on the 27th of this month I witnessed a shelf cloud pass through the area that I was at. One of the interesting things was that, while it moved through the area very quickly, at ground level it the winds were calm. I was going to take a phot or two as it passed overhead, however it started to rain at that point and I remembered that shelf clouds can produce hail, in addition to the possibility of spinning up a tornado. As a matter of fact, after it passed over where I was I found out later that it did indeed produce some fair size hail. Also interesting was just how close to ground level it was, as can be seen by the trees.

After a little perusal of the interweb I discovered that I was in error. Indeed the pictures do NOT show a wall cloud, but a shelf cloud.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: clubleaf206,

Oh my - looks like Kansas! Beautiful though!

Saw many of those growing up in Oklahoma.

U got email. Excellent pic

Not an expert but had the regular and advanced spotters classes, years ago.
That may be something else or a shelf cloud...
IIRC wall clouds look to form around or rotate around a central point, not stretch long distances.

Experts please chime in.

Impressive, and scary either way!

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
Not an expert but had the regular and advanced spotters classes, years ago.
That may be something else or a shelf cloud...
IIRC wall clouds look to form around or rotate around a central point, not stretch long distances.

Experts please chime in.

Impressive, and scary either way!

Not an expert but that's not a wall cloud. It appears to be the 'beavers tail' extending out to the NE of a wall cloud or supercell. I'll see if I can find a diagram or picture. I think it's formed from inflow into a supercell.

Regardless, it's an awesome photo.

The second diagram in the linked webpage shows what it probably is.
https://www.wunderground.com/prepare/supercell

About 20 years ago I was doing software development on contract, working in the Birmingham area, commuting home for weekends in the V-Tail.

One Sunday afternoon I was on my way back from Orlando to Alabama and encountered a solid black wall of cloud in my path. It stretched from the Tallahassee area westward, as far as I could see. I discussed it with Tallahassee Approach Control; they said that their RADAR did not show any weather activity. My StrikeFinder did not show anything either, but the cloud wall just looked ominous, so I turned west toward Pensacola to see if I could get around the end.

Maybe 50 miles of that, paralleling the wall, hoping that it would end, but no end in sight, so placing my trust in the RADAR reports and my StrikeFinder, I told Air Traffic Control that I was ready to turn north toward my destination. They cleared me, I snugged my seatbelt as tight as I could get it and flew into the vicious looking cloud.

Much to my surprise, I had a silky smooth ride for the next twenty minutes or so while I was in it, and broke out on the north side with clear skies for the rest of the trip.

In more than 50 years of flying I had never seen a cloud formation like that.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

Now that's funny, right there, you don't laugh at that then there's something wrong with you.

Years ago, when I was a young lad, one of those rolled through Edmonton, whipping up a twister that landed my father on the front page of the newspaper after his work was hit - a wall fell in and he got smacked with s brick on his hard head.

The cloud looked like an ocean wave, green as water and moved extremely fast. Any time I see clouds like the OP has posted, I am wary of things to come, especially hail.