Looming Large--Even A State Away

Long distance didn't matter here. The immense storm cell shown in the top image was still impressive and located at an average of 160 miles from the camera's location at the new Bowman Meadows housing development south of Boyson Road and west of Alburnett Road in Marion, Iowa around 8:10 PM on Tuesday, May 15, 2012. Also shown at right in the (8:00 PM) radar image, the cell stretched some 60 miles and its eastern edge extended into the Chicago area. It moved from between the Madison/Janesville, Wisconsin area at 5:00 PM; to between the Janesville, Wisconsin/Rockford, Illinois area by 6:00 PM; between the Rockford/Aurora, Illinois area by 7:00 PM; at the Aurora area by 8:00 PM;  and between the Aurora/Marseilles, Illinois area by 9:00 PM.