Thunderstorm Blocks Out Sun, Casts 75-Mile Shadow Visible From Space
By Bill Galluccio
August 12, 2020
An isolated thunderstorm rolled through Kansas last week, casting a large shadow as it blocked out the sunrise. A meteorologist with the National Weather Service snapped an amazing photo of the storm as it covered the rising sun just before 6 a.m. local time.
The Weather Service said the massive storm was about 35,000 feet tall, making it one mile taller than Mount Everest. The storm cast a 75-mile shadow, which could be seen from space. The Weather Service also shared a satellite image that showed the shadow stretching across the Northwest corner of the state.
An isolated thunderstorm in Norton county casts a ~75 mile long shadow to the southwest, briefly blocking sunrise at NWS Goodland — on Tuesday August 04, 2020. The storm in question was ~35,000 ft tall — about 1 mile taller than Mount Everest. #KSwx #COwx #NEwx pic.twitter.com/3ZHZAdOCt5
— NWS Goodland (@NWSGoodland) August 4, 2020
A time lapse video captured the shadow moving across the sky as the storm blocked out the rising sun.
Time lapse of the thunderstorm shadow observed in Goodland, KS at sunrise on Tuesday August 04, 2020. Video ends with a sped-up rewind/replay. pic.twitter.com/IJv4ZJSqCj
— Brandon (@Brandon_RTWX) August 5, 2020
While the storm may have been massive, it only produced a little bit of lightning before dissipating.