WunderPhotos®

Great shot still but snow with hail is IMPOSSIBLE.This must be Sleet/Ice Pellets.FAR from the same.

Sleet/Ice Pellets : Caused by a warm front moving on, The hot area will get into the colder one.As it will get under one you will have thoses changes in order : Snow->Sleet/Ice Pellets->Freezing Rain->Rain.

Hail : Bigger, anc come from a SEVERE Thunderstorm.In other words, the rain in the cloud is pushed SO HIGH, that it can reach 50 000 to 72 000 feets in worses cases! Of course, contidions this high are extremely Severe and cold.Temperature can easily get down to under -100F in the top of a big Cumulo-Nimbus.If the ascendant current in the cloud is strong enough, the Hail won,t melt completely and will hit the ground.Hail generaly melt completely under 5000 feets.The more the ascendant current on a thunderstorm is strong, stronger is the storm.

Many thunderstorm have their ascendant and descendant currents mixed.But, coming sometimes to a point where thoses currents are separated form eatch others! We call this : A Supercell.So now you have an Updraft (Where the ascendants curents are) and the Downdraft (Or often called: Rear Flank Downdraft), this is where deescendants currents are, with Rain, Hail, and TORNADOES are.In other words, VERY calm weather is dominating in the updraft.

Often, peoples goes right though it by thinking there is no danger, HOMEWER, this is very dangerous because Posivite Lightning (That can reach 500 000 Amperes, compare to 30 000 for a negative one) can STRIKE ANYWHERE IN THE ZONE, AND UNPRECICTABLE. Because they generaly come from the TOP anvil cloud if the dominate winds push it in front of the thunderstorm.So from 50 000 to 72 000 feets!

You rather get behind the downdraft so you can see all, be outside of the thunderstorm and be 90% safe.(A rare risk that a strike can get out of the cloud and the thunderstorm zone up to 15 miles away, is possible, but rarissime).

So!, happy chassing and Happy Easter to you !!!

Super weather photo!

amazing capture !

Looks like an oil painting, nice work!

Very cool!