Storm-chasing photographer Mike Olbinski (previously) returns with another stunning timelapse of summer thunderstorms in the western U.S. I never tire of watching the turbulent convection, microbursts, billowing haboobs, and undulating clouds Olbinski captures. His work is always a reminder of the incredible power and energy contained in our atmosphere and unleashed in cycles of warming and cooling, evaporation and condensation. (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski)
Photographer and stormchaser extraordinaire Mike Olbinski is back with the fifth volume in his “Vorticity” series. Shot over the 2022 and 2023 tornado seasons in the U.S. Central Plains, this edition has virtually everything: supercells, microbursts, lightning, tornadoes, and haboobs. There’s towering convection and churning, swirling turbulence. It’s a spectacular look at the power and grandeur of our atmosphere. (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski)
From the right vantage point, an approaching dust storm — known as a haboob — can look downright apocalyptic. In this compilation of clips a decade in the making, photographer Mike Olbinski shows these storms in all their terrifying majesty. I love seeing how the cloud front overhead densifies as the dust below advances. Without these wide perspectives, it’s hard to appreciate an approaching haboob. When one blew through Denver a few years ago, I never saw it coming. My first clue was the tree in front of my office window whipping wildly back and forth just before the sky turned brown! I much prefer Olbinski’s versions. Congratulations, Mike, on a decade of haboob-chasing! (Image and video credit: M. Olbinski; submitted by jpshoer)
Today, enjoy this moody black-and-white short film of storm timelapses. Photographer Mike Olbinski is a master of this subject. I never tire of watching his towering convective supercell thunderstorms or his picturesque microbursts. The lightning-lit clouds in the latter half of the film are particularly spectacular (assuming you do not have sensitivities to flashing lights). And there are a few haboobs and a tornado in there for good measure, too. (Image and video credit: M. Olbinski)
This moody music video features storm chasing footage from photographer Mike Olbinski. As always, his captures are stunningly majestic. Watch closely and you’ll see everything from bulbous mammatus clouds to powerful microbursts, from horizon-obscuring haboobs to sky-splitting lightning. And if this video isn’t enough, there’s plenty more to enjoy. (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski)
The stunning power and beauty of our atmosphere comes to life in Mike Olbinski’s latest short film, “Monsoon 6”. Over the years, I’ve probably watched dozens of Olbinski’s videos, yet he still captures sequences that make me exclaim aloud as I watch. In this one, some of my favorites are the microburst at 2:17 and the development of mammatus clouds at 3:20. How mammatus clouds form is still very much an area of active research; I don’t know if Olbinski’s footage sheds light on their formation, but it is supremely awesome to watch! (Image and video credit: M. Olbinski)
Few sights look as apocalyptic as the leading edge of an incoming dust storm. Known as a haboob, these storms form when a downdraft spreads along the ground, picking up loose dust as the storm front advances. Winds inside the haboob can be severe; when one swept through Denver last year, my first clue was the trees outside my window whipping back and forth wildly, followed by the sky going dark and brownish. Photographer Mike Olbinksi’s short film offers a far better vantage, letting viewers appreciate the towering cloud as it bears down. (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski)
Mike Olbinski’s latest storm chasing timelapse, “Monsoon V,” is once again spectacular. Although I do think the name could have been “Haboob” instead, given how many sweeping dust clouds encroach on the viewer. These towering wall clouds of dust can form from downdrafts at the leading edge of a cold front, or from the fading remains of a thunderstorm. In dry, dusty regions like Arizona, the strong downward winds spread outward as they near the ground, picking up dust and sand. Below you can see two examples of haboobs racing ahead of fronts.
The middle image shows a microburst, where a sudden, localized downdraft falls out of the storm. Notice how the wind and rain sweep outward as they near the ground. This is typical of any flow heading straight toward a wall! Check out the full video for lots more gorgeous fluid dynamics in action. (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski)
It’s a cliché to claim that the sky is bigger in the American West, but the wide, open views in that region do offer a very different perspective on weather. Photographer Mike Olbinski’s works give viewers a taste of that perspective of far-off thunderstorms, towering anvil clouds, and massive downpours in the distance. At the same time, many of his sequences illustrate the birth and death of these massive storms. As warm, moist air rises, a puffy cumulus cloud (below) swells upward as fresh moisture condenses. When it reaches a thermal cap and can rise no further, precipitation begins to fall, dragging surrounding air with it. This is the mature stage of a storm, when both updrafts and downdrafts exist simultaneously.
Eventually, the storm’s power begins to wane as the downdrafts cut off the updrafts that feed the storm. Sometimes this occurs in a massive downdraft where cool air sinks straight down and, upon encountering the ground, spreads radially outward. In dry regions, this outward burst of ground-level winds can pick up dirt, dust, and sand, forming a wall-like haboob (below) that advances past the remains of the storm. Watch the entire video to see some examples in their full glory! (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski, source; via Rex W.)
This towering cloud of dust is known as a haboob, and while it appears apocalyptic, it is a relatively common occurrence in parts of the world, including the U.S. southwest and the Middle East. Haboobs often form when a collapsing thunderstorm releases a downburst of cold air. That wind picks up loose dust along the ground and creates a wall of sediment that may be as much as 100 kilometers wide and several kilometers tall. Inside the haboob, winds can reach speeds as high as 100 kph and visibility can be reduced to nearly zero. Because of this, the storms can be quite dangerous, especially to anyone who attempts to drive during one. (Image credit: D. Bryant)