Storm about to strike.
During the Summer of 2000, I went out west looking to catch one of our afternoon thunderstorms at its point of origin. I saw this cloud near Divide, took some photos and returned. At the time of first contact, it seemed rather benign. On the way back, I took the slow way, and some of the rain from the storm intensified, but nothing too great. I went to Pep Boys to get some windshield wiper fluid. That's when I saw this formation, sitting right in front of Pike's Peak.
The best way to explain what happened next is to say that this cloud formation ignited into a torrent of rain and wind gusts. I noted that the local temperature was considerably warmer than west of Colorado Springs and that those conditions alone might 'help' a storm
Although I don't recall the statistical details of this storm, I do remember that it dumped torrents of rain on this town and flooded streets instantly. In addition to that, it created a winter-wonderland of hailstones and relocated tree limbs from one area of a neighborhood to another side. During the aftermath, I noted that there were several unfamiliar tree leaf/branches in the yard -- nothing of which grew in my neighborhood!
The storm, as it appears near Divide
The storm, on Pike's Peak -- about to ignite
