Just a few minutes ago, the skies over Archbold, Ohio were graced with an awe-inspiring display of nature’s power – a magnificent shelf cloud formation.
This type of cloud is often associated with a thunderstorm or a squall line, and it certainly made for a dramatic scene, submitted by reader Shannon Baltosser DeWulf.
The shelf cloud stretched across the horizon, resembling a giant rolling wave. It’s a sight that’s both beautiful and a little intimidating.
These clouds are formed by the outflow of cold air from a storm’s downdraft spreading out across the land surface, undercutting warmer air that is being drawn into the storm’s updraft.
As the cold air lifts the warm moist air, it cools and condenses, forming the characteristic shelf-like appearance. The result is a cloud formation that looks very ominous and can span a large portion of the horizon
Stay safe, Northwest Ohio as storms approach from the north this morning.
