Photo Album: Thunderstorms 2005

Special page: Tornadoes of November 15, 2005

A copious amount of pea sized hail falling near Bowling Green on March 27. Michael Lee Russell, Bowling Green

A small spin-up in downtown Louisville April 22. Photo: Christopher J. Helbert of ChristopherJHelbert.com.

Lightning from the storm that passed through Hardin County during the evening of April 22. Steve Townsend, Elizabethtown

Shelf cloud along the leading edge of a strong gust front, April 22, as viewed from east of Jeffersontown, KY. Doug Rivers

Shelf cloud from the April 22 thunderstorm event as the gust front approached the Lexington area. John Bradshaw

Sunlight illuminating thunderstorm clouds during the April 22 severe weather event, as viewed from Franklin County. Josh Stamper, Frankfort, KY

Winds associated with a line of severe thunderstorms blow against a tree April 22. Ben Schott, New Albany, IN

Thunderstorm anvil as viewed from northwest Hart County (June 8). Nathan Webb, Priceville, KY

Thunderstorm anvils viewable around sunset from near downtown Louisville of storms 150 to 175 miles away in southeast Illinois. This image shows the satellite picture around the time the inset photo was taken looking northwest (~915 PM EDT on June 24). Chris Smallcomb, NWS

Backlit cumulonimbus with mammatus taken at sunset July 19 from the southern edge of Lexington KY. These storms had earlier produced damaging winds near Harrodsburg. Bob Day

Lightning strike from a thunderstorm near Lexington, Kentucky on July 22. John Bradshaw

Low hanging clouds ahead of an approaching thunderstorm in Harrison County, Indiana (August 14). Scott Taylor

Gust front roll cloud ahead of a thunderstorm in Breckinridge County, Kentucky (August 14). Winds with this gust front were about 35 to 40 mph. Greg Butler

Strong thunderstorms moved close to the office the evening of August 20, producing some mammatus clouds. Mammatus clouds indicate sinking air and are usually found on the anvil portions of thunderstorms (cumulonimbus clouds). They are sometimes more pronounced during and after a strong thunderstorm. In a thunderstorm, precipitation is carried upward by an updraft. Some of this precipitation (ice crystals and water droplets) spreads out, and forms the anvil of a thunderstorm. The precipitation particles are sometimes heavier than the surrounding air, and begin to sink. This sinking and the associated evaporation cause the "pouch-like" mammatus clouds. NWS Louisville

Clouds as viewed from Lexington after thunderstorm passage around sunrise, November 6. John Bradshaw

Hail near O-Bannon in Louisville November 6, 2005

One of many hailstones that fell at 5:20 a.m. EST on November 6, 2005 in Louisville between O'Bannon and Pewee Valley. The largest hailstone seen at the time measured two inches long. NWS