Materializing Meso

This unintentional image frame capture of the edge of a mesocyclone at left was the result of taking night video of a brilliant lightning display in NW Iowa around 8:50 PM, Saturday, April 9, 2011. The vivid lightning display was a testament to the power of a tornadic storm system occurring in this part of the state on this evening. The video, taken through the rear passenger-side window of our chase vehicle, was looking NNE along US Highway 71, a quarter-mile south of 280th Street and about 5.3 miles south of Early, Iowa. The meso produced a wedge tornado in the Early vicinity about ten minutes later. Lightning flashes allowed the details of this image to be seen.