Is this anything?

[CanadianChaser]

Noticed a low hanging cloud in front of the lightning in this pic when I got home. Is this anything? I enhanced it a bit in photoshop to bring it out but didn't add anything that wasn't there, edited and original attached. This is the north side of a storm heading southeast, radar image attached (Square showing the general area).

Obviously hard to tell at night, can't quite see if it's just part of an overall lower cloud / inflow etc. Still new to all this but just curious if that could be a funnel cloud or is just something else.

 

[CanadianChaser]

Any tips on good places to upload pics so I can repost full size?

 

[brice.coffer]

Just at first glance, you might be looking at a pretty stout updraft in the distant getting partially lit up by the lightning. Kind of like this:

 

[CanadianChaser]

Much more likely that, there wasn't even a severe thunderstorm warning on the storm

 

[Mark Blue]

Any tips on good places to upload pics so I can repost full size?

I like Photobucket and have a pro account which has some added benefits, but there are a ton of different websites out there to choose from. Here's a list if you are interested.

 

[CanadianChaser]

Thanks Mark! Will check that out

 

[joel ewing]

From all my years of experience, it seems clear to me that where that bright green light is lighting up that farm house, you've got a couple of 19 yr. olds arc-welding the broken axle on the one kid's 72 Chev Impala. And there is an elderly woman baking homemade potato bread in the home on the far left of the screen. Other than that...I don't think there's much else in this photo.
Ok, all smart--- remarks aside, I've taken a long hard look at your photo. There are two pairs of lightning bolts hitting the ground, obviously. Where the pair on the right intersect the clouds directly above this area....I'm not so sure that this isn't an area of scud that sits directly in front of whatever it is that is hanging down behind it. I'm inclined to say that this 'bent' feature is an old orphan updraft that has it's lowest area being bent to the left from perhaps downdraft winds. To me, this photo is a "toughie"....as it's hard to tell from what we can see here. I don't think it's anything related to tornadic features...if that's what you're thinking. Now, just because that storm wasn't "severe".....don't let that fool you into thinking that it would be impossible for a funnel to protrude out of it. Do remember though, that severe and often times tornadic storms have all kinds of weird, hanging protrusions coming out of the base of them....things that are not tornadic at all.....but can darn sure look like tornadic features. I believe that I wrote in some other area of StormTrack recently that I think the BIGGEST lesson that a newbie must learn in this chasing game is having the ability to discern exactly what is a tornadic funnel hanging down from a storm and what isn't. Often it is really, really difficult to tell.....especially at night. I respect chasers who have the restrained presence about them to not blurt out "tornado" until they are 100% SURE that it is a tornado or funnel that they're observing. And I think only a lot of time out in the field can bring that about in a person. I'm sure you know by now if you've been chasing for awhile that it seems that tornadic storms do not always present their features in an easily-recognized manner....like what you see when you watch The Wizard of Oz. At least that's been my experience for all these years. And I still get fooled once in a while...but as I mentioned before...I NEVER NEVER make a phone call to report a tornado unless I'm dead certain of what I'm seeing. Best of luck to you as you chase this season! And I extend that wish of good luck to all of us in the StormTrack family. joel in tucson