07/14/07 REPORTS: FL

[Chris Kridler]

Cheryl Chang and I kept an eye on the radar yesterday and went out just as all the various storms were producing outflow boundaries. The Florida radar can really look like a pinball machine with all the colliding boundaries this time of year. We saw the collision of at least two shelf clouds, with an amazing interface, swirls of rotation and intriguing features over Rockledge, FL. Then we crossed the Indian River to Merritt Island and saw a distinct white cone. It turned out to be a real funnel, not just one of those suggestive Florida scud bombs. I started shooting video after it lost some of that conical shape, but it elongated and then dissipated before our eyes (in the rain, so not the best contrast). Cheryl called it in to NWS, but I guess since it was dissipating, they didn't see a need to issue a warning. See pix of the shelf clouds, the collision and the funnel - a bit contrast enhanced - at
http://skydiary.com/gallery/chase2007/chase2007l.html

For other awesome shelf clouds and lightning we've seen in the past week, see
http://skydiary.com/gallery/chase2007/chase2007j.html
and
http://skydiary.com/gallery/chase2007/chase2007k.html

cheers,
Chris K.