Or least it looked like the End of the World when I drove home tonight. Those were the weirdest clouds I have ever seen. Ever. Saint Louisans, back me up.
At about 6:00 I was headed over the river and was a little freaked out by the cloud combinations.
On one hand, there were finely etched detailed Mountainous clouds overhead. Clouds that looked liked they'd been struck from a silver nitrate print, then colorized.
Then there were clouds that looked like some angelic civil servant had seen the pretty clouds, decided they were pornographic graffiti, and painted over them with some cloud whitewash.
It was the most striking as I looked down the river valley. Of course, I was tooling along at 60 mph, and I wasn't going to stop to take photos. I really should have, because the photos I got when I stopped at a light don't give you the whole picture.
Mentally stitch these photos together into a vista of detail clouds with scribble clouds on top:
I'm so glad you stopped before taking the photos (unlike another blogger I read recently), otherwise it might well have been the end of the world for you.
So, did they just passs over with no drama?
Posted by: Big Dot | April 20, 2009 at 09:55 PM
Sorry, I've seen weirder, but only a couple of times. But I always love those clouds that look like they could spin into a tornado with no notice, like the one in that bottom photo.
Posted by: Caroline | April 20, 2009 at 10:25 PM
I didn't even notice any clouds. It was mostly sunny on the south side.
Weirdest weather in recent history? Thunderstorm that apparently wetted only one side of my building.
Posted by: Kathy | April 21, 2009 at 04:57 AM
> It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fiiiiiiine.
It was typical "it's sunny, no it's rainy, just kidding" St. Louis weather. Every 100 feet I kept having to put my visor up or down.
Posted by: #0.75 | April 21, 2009 at 08:47 AM
I miss Texas weather. The wind, the clouds tinged with color, the smells of the storms coming in.
This post made me vahklempt.
Posted by: SurprisingWoman | April 21, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Tornado clouds. Saw way too many of those in Florida, even if ours were baby ones that just ripped up metal garden sheds.
Posted by: Becs | April 21, 2009 at 11:11 AM
They do look ominous.
Posted by: greenwords | April 21, 2009 at 06:17 PM
just try and keep those on your end of 1-70, wouldja? kthxbai
Posted by: jenny | April 21, 2009 at 08:47 PM
Big Dot - You would have seen better photos. Hey - weather comes from the west here. Does weather blow in from any direction down there in NZ?
Caroline - I saw a waterspout over the river once. Never seen a tornado. Sigh.
Kathy - I can believe that. I've had it rain in the back yard and not in the front.
.75 - You are such a delicate flower!
Surprising Woman - Must be whu I like storms. I was born in Texas.
Becs - Sky wasn't green (with grass) or amber (with clay soil) though. And no sounds of trains.
Greenwords - And they only resulted in a light sprinkle.
Jenny - Hey! It came from the west. You all sent it.
Posted by: TheQueen | April 21, 2009 at 10:26 PM
Queen - I am all soft inside! It's just a butch exterior.
Posted by: #0.75 | April 21, 2009 at 11:22 PM