Lightning Video Frame Capture

This cloud-to-cloud lightning bolt was captured from a video frame still during our storm chase in western Iowa around 8:50 PM, Saturday, April 9, 2011. Our chase vehicle was northbound on US Highway 71, about 5.5 miles south of Early, Iowa. Note the blurred and bent tree silhouettes, caused by high winds. The view looks east, as seen through the right rear window. The lightning display of which this image was a part of was vivid and continuous--a testament to the storm's awesome power. About ten minutes after this moment our chase team of two vehicles viewed a wedge tornado to our north near Early--seen only during lightning flashes.