Underneath the Anvil

Photo Copyright 2019 by Weather Briefing, LLC

This is not a bad place to be - for the moment. The bottom of a thunderstorm is located in the distance near the horizon. The base of the storm is over the horizon. Coming straight at us is the storm’s anvil - a long flat cloud that is spreading from the distant storm top over our heads. The anvil is the outflow at the top of a thunderstorm being blown downstream by winds aloft.

How high is the anvil? This one was no more than 20,000 to 25,000 feet above the ground. Many anvils range from 30,000 feet and higher. Some are higher than 50,000 feet.

As you look at the photo try to think in three dimensions. The storm’s vertical column rises from near the horizon almost straight up to the storm top where winds aloft spread the cloud into a long layer - called the anvil. It gets that name because from a distance the cloud looks much like a blacksmith’s anvil. Look for thunderstorms with anvils during the warm season when thunderstorms are common in many parts of the country. This photo offers an unusual perspective as we look toward the storm from under the anvil.

By the way, can you locate two birds in this photo? Despite the storm in the distance it was rather quiet under the anvil. For the birds it was probably a pleasant evening for flying.