Dandy 'draft

Severe weather moved ENE from Central Iowa on the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, May 29, 2013 but just missed the Cedar Rapids and passed just west of the city. It was however, a great vantage point to view this isolated storm cell billow to life. Cloud tops rose to around 50,000 feet in minutes. The top two images show the cell behind White Ivy Place NE around 5:10 PM as seen from Noelridge Christian Church. Some lower level pileus  (saucer shaped areas) indicated the strong updraft of the cell. The bottom image is a corresponding radar screen capture of this moment, with the base reflectivity at left and echo tops at right.