Prairie Storm: Dark Clouds, Heavy Rain and a Lightning Strike

This location, just west of Calgary, is one of my favourite places to photograph during the winter months when the sun sets behind the southern edge of the Canadian Rockies.  Last night, a massive storm broke free of the mountains and stretched across the prairie.  There were some great holes in the clouds that allowed sunlight to streak through here and there.  A very dramatic scene to work with and create images of.

Behind the ominous forerunning clouds came the heavy rain.  Here the rain is hammering Bragg Creek and moving quickly onto the fields.

As the storm’s intensity built, lightning seemed inevitable and I was lucky to catch this strike hitting along the Elbow River behind a hill in Redwood Meadows.

When the rain did arrive where I was photographing, cover in the car was the prudent option.  It was no exaggeration to say this was a torrential downpour.

July 20, 2011 | Categories: Landscapes, Nature, Prairie, Summer, Weather | Tags: alberta, black clouds, bragg creek, Canada, clouds, dark clouds, downpour, dramatic, fields, green grass, landscape photography, lightning, lightning bolts, lightning strike, photography, rain, skies, sky, Springbank, storm, stormy weather, summer, summer storm, tempest, Weather | 6 Comments