"Mare's Tails" cirrus clouds streaked high over the autumn landscape seen here from Bowman Woods Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This image was captured at 11:20 am CST on Sunday, November 2, 2025 and looks southeast. Nikon Z6ii camera.
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A trio of celestial objects, captured at 1:56 am CDT on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Below in the image is a waning half-moon, above is the 1.15 magnitude star Pollux in the constellation Gemini, and at right is the -1.81 magnitude planet Jupiter. This is a composite image, with the moon being captured as a 1/250 second exposure at f/4, ISO 640, 55mm focal length; and Pollux & Jupiter a 1/13 exposure at f/4, ISO 640, 55mm focal length. Air temperature was 55 degrees F. Nikon Z6ii camera.
Autumn skies during a 4.8 mile walk on the Grant Wood Trail east of Waldo's Rock Park near Marion, Iowa during the afternoon of Saturday, October 11, 2025 did not disappoint--with harvested golden-brown farm fields below and wispy Cirrus Uncinus (Mare's Tails) clouds above. These four iPhone 11 camera images look north and northwest along the trail. "Mare's Tail" cirrus are formed by ice crystals at high altitudes, and are stretched and curled by high winds. These formations are often a sign of approaching precipitation, and this was the case here as rain arrived a little over 24 hours later.
Colorful pre-dawn skies while ascending through the first two miles of Mount St. Helens from the Climber's Bivouac trailhead at 6:00 am PDT, Monday, August 25, 2025. A very shrouded Mount Adams can be seen just above the tree line at center. At background left, the treeless upper slope of Mount St. Helens is seen. iPhone 11 camera.
Mount Rainier (elevation 14,411 feet) in Washington is so immense it often creates its own mini weather system, including clouds and precipitation. The following images of the (stratovolcano) mountain were taken during our recent vacation to the Cascades in Washington and Oregon. Above, Rainier sports a cap cloud as seen from the Suntop Lookout to its northeast on Tuesday, August 27, 2025. The cap cloud resembles a ring or aura, obscuring its summit.
Similar closeup of the cap cloud, also captured from Suntop Lookout.
Mount Rainier, with its "head in the clouds," as seen from the Mount Fremont Lookout structure also on August 27, and also located northeast of the mountain. This is a common appearance of Mount Rainier.
Wednesday, August 28. Much less common appearance, and us being in the right place at the right time. A nearly cloud free moment at Reflection Lake in Mount Rainier National Park.
August 28 Skyline Trail view of Rainier. Transient clouds resemble smoke blowing of summit.
Skyline Trail. Summit obscured by a line of fast moving clouds. iPhone 11 camera.
Autumn arrived on Monday, September 22, 2025 and so did a line of storms in Eastern Iowa late that evening, originating from the north and west of the Waterloo area and moving southeast. The following seven photographic images were captured from the grounds at Noelridge Christian Church in Cedar Rapids. Above, cloud-to-cloud lightning spreads under the approaching storm looking northwest at 8:04 pm CDT. Image is a 6 second exposure at f/4, ISO 400, 24mm focal length.
8:09 pm Radarscope image. Storms near Waterloo and Guttenberg are severe warned.
8:57 pm. Storms have now lost their severe warnings but are beginning to form a single linear structure.
9:10 pm. The shelf cloud characteristics of a linear storm is now evident in this image looking northwest. The illuminated areas are backlit flashes of cloud-to-cloud lightning. 5 second exposure at f/4, ISO 250, 24mm focal length.
9:12 pm Radarscope capture.
9:14 pm. Looking northwest. Underside of storm looking more ominous now. 5 second exposure at f/4, ISO 250, 24mm focal length.
9:17 pm. Similar capture. 5 second exposure at f/4, ISO 250, 24mm focal length.
9:20 pm. Looking northwest. Rain shafts in the illuminated areas under the shelf as it approaches are seen. 5 second exposure at f/4, ISO 250, 24mm focal length.
9:21 pm. Coalescing line of storms is now as close as 20 miles distant from my location.
9:26 pm. Panorama image looking north (center), consisting of five separate exposures, each 5 seconds at f/4, ISO 250, 24mm focal length. Heavy rain at center is evident.
9:27 pm. Zoom-in looking northwest, and the turbulent appearance of the incoming storm. 5 second exposure at f/4, ISO 250, 24mm focal length. Nikon Z6ii camera.
9:35 pm. Radarscope image. Storm, in true linear mode, is now about 10 miles distant. The storm, under severe limits, would produce elevated winds, lightning and periods of heavy rain.
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