Slow Meltdown

The ultra-inclement winter of 2013-2014 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa produced the deep mounds of snow seen in the top image, shot from our backyard. The location of the last lingering spot of snow and ice is marked in the top image (February 18) by a red X, and in the bottom image (March 21) by a white X. Also included in the bottom image is an inset closeup of the last snow. Despite lamenting that this snow field would not fully melt until May, it took just 32 days to go from Image 1 to Image 2.

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Unexpected Mammatus

I stopped off at a store on my way home from work on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, and as I prepared to get in my car to go home, I noticed mild but very distinguishable mammatus formations in the west sky. Considering the fact that most mammatus form under the anvil of a cumulonimbus cloud, this was a little unusual. Weather conditions at this time more winter like: 48 degrees F temperatures, 64% humidity, 35 degree dew points and winds out of the southeast at 15 mph. The top image was captured at 3:14 PM from Hy-Vee Drugstore at Boyson Road and C Avenue NE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The middle image was shot about five minutes later from Bowman Woods Park. The bottom image is a radar capture of the moment.

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