Heads Up – Today is Cloud Appreciation Day

Posted on by farlane
Midtown Clouds by Andrew McFarlane

Midtown Clouds by Andrew McFarlane

The good folks at EarthSky inform us that today (September 12, 2025) is International Cloud Appreciation Day. The Cloud Appreciation Society shares that it’s a day when people all around the world look up to appreciate the beauty of the clouds and contribute a photo of their sky to the Memory Cloud Atlas. The Atlas is an enduring and unifying record of people coming together from different locations and cultures in appreciation of our shared world and the most dynamic, evocative, and poetic nature of clouds.

Head over to the Memory Cloud Atlas to view the photos people have shared & share your own. You can also check out photos from 2024, 2023, and 2022!

I took this photo in August in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood looking east over Woodward & Barlum Apartments, about 2 blocks from the Detroit Institute of Arts. If you would like to support me, please feel welcome to do so through Patreon or just sharing this blog with your friends & family!

More clouds on Michigan in Pictures!

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

The dream before AI

Posted on by farlane
Island Dreams - North Manitou by Mary Westbrook

Island Dreams – North Manitou by Mary Westbrook

In her song “The Dream Before” of my favorite musicians, Laurie Anderson, observes that progress is a storm blowing us from Paradise into the future. While I am a big fan of lots of progress, I do not welcome the rise of Artificial Intelligence image generators that are positively overwhelming social media with idealized versions of real scenes. These false images are vexing, but they are only the tip of an iceberg that threatens to sink our ability to share information of any kind.

While many will probably say this picture is an AI creation due to the fancy clouds, Mary shared it four years ago on August 26, 2020. Head over to the Traverse City Camera Club group for more from Mary!

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Shelf cloud over the Mackinac Bridge

Posted on by farlane
Shelf Cloud Over Mackinac Bridge by Michigan Native Photography

Shelf Cloud Over Mackinac Bridge by Michigan Native Photography

I saw a couple other photos of this cloud as it rolled across the Straits of Mackinac & northeast Michigan the other day but wowzas – the Mighty Mac takes it!! Our friends at the Earth Science Picture of the Day have an excellent post on the difference between roll clouds & shelf clouds:

Roll clouds and shelf clouds are found near the leading edge of thunderstorms and form when relatively cool air, from the storm’s downdraft, forges ahead into the warm, moist air that’s feeding the storm. The main difference between roll clouds and shelf clouds (both are called arcus clouds) is that a roll cloud is detached from the parent thunderstorm, whereas a shelf cloud (right) is affixed to the base of a cumulonimbus cloud.

NOTE: Just learned that this picture is from 2018 – still love it! (buy it here)

You can follow Michigan Native Photography on Facebook or Instagram and view & purchase more work on their website.

There’s more weird, wild Michigan weather on Michpics including a monster roll cloud over Lake Michigan from June of 2016.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Stormy September

Posted on by farlane

September Storm by Watermark Photography

September Storm by Watermark Photography

Jeff got an incredible shot of a roll cloud from a recent severe storm in Traverse City. Follow Watermark Photography on Facebook & view and purchase canvas and other prints on his website!

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

That Michigan Vibe

Posted on by farlane

Michigan Vibe by Heather Aldridge

Michigan Vibe by Heather Aldridge

Heather shares that she rode her bike to the pier in Frankfort for sunrise & was delighted with the Michigan cloud next to the bluff. That makes two of us Heather – WOW! 😍

Click the pic to view her photo on Facebook & here’s hoping you have a magical day!

Check out more Michigan amazingness on Michigan in Pictures.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

The Vortex: Roll cloud over Lake Michigan

Posted on by farlane

Vortex Cloud

The Vortex, photo by Nick Nerbonne

My corner of Northern Michigan was all abuzz last weekend due to a relatively rare meteorological phenomenon known as a “roll cloud.” Wikipedia’s entry on Arcus clouds explains:

An arcus cloud is a low, horizontal cloud formation. Roll clouds and shelf clouds are the two types of arcus clouds. A shelf cloud is usually associated with the leading edge of thunderstorm outflow; roll clouds are usually formed by outflows of cold air from sea breezes or cold fronts in the absence of thunderstorms.

…A roll cloud is a low, horizontal, tube-shaped, and relatively rare type of arcus cloud. They differ from shelf clouds by being completely detached from other cloud features. Roll clouds usually appear to be “rolling” about a horizontal axis. They are a solitary wave called a soliton, which is a wave that has a single crest and moves without changing speed or shape.

View Nick’s photo background big, scroll through his pictures on Facebook, and watch this time-lapse of the cloud…

(U.P.) Weather Gone Viral

Posted on by farlane

Lake Superior Weather Channel Thunderstorm

Thunderhead over Superior, photo by Lake Superior Photo

Regular Michigan in Pictures contributor Shawn Malone of Lake Superior Photo created the official music video for David Helpling’s “As The World Falls Away.” It features her latest cinematic time-lapse work filmed entirely in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan merged with sequences from NASA’s ISS to form a stunning visual & auditory journey.

It will appear on the The Weather Channel in their “Weather Gone Viral” episode that airs tonight on The Weather Channel. She says they’ve told her 10 PM EST, but check your local listings.

View Shawn’s photo bigger on Facebook and see more of her work at Lake Superior Photo!

Here’s the full video:

and then I saw this cloud…

Posted on by farlane

Untitled

Untitled, photo by Scottie Williford

Hoping you see some cool sights and enjoy a great weekend!

View Scottie’s photo bigger and see more in his slideshow.

More clouds on Michigan in Pictures.

Beautiful Beast

Posted on by farlane

Beautiful Beast

Beautiful Beast, photo by Jamie MacDonald

Yesterday saw strong storms in southeast Michigan including some tornado sightings (click that link for photos).

Jamie took this shot last week with a Rokinon 7.5mm Fisheye. Check his photo out bigger and see more in his Stormy Weather slideshow.

More wild & wonderful weather on Michigan in Pictures.

Manitou Stormcloud and the Earth Science Picture of the Day

Posted on by farlane

Manitou Stormcloud

Manitou Stormcloud, photo by ShaneWyatt

One of my favorite photoblogs is the Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD), and sometimes you’ll see photos from Michigan in Pictures there and vice versa. The EPOD is produced by the NASA Earth Sciences Division, and every day their stalwart blogger Jim Foster works with photographers all over the planet to highlight amazing things. In June the EPOD posted a cool photo of a roll cloud over Calgary, explaining:

Roll clouds are a type of arcus cloud often associated with turbulent weather. As is the case here, they sometimes look like a horizontal tornado. Although these cylindrically shaped clouds look quite fierce and may be observed to roll about their horizontal axis, they don’t usually generate dangerous winds. Roll clouds are typically found behind outflow boundaries but unlike shelf clouds are detached from any close-by cumulonimbus cloud.

I know that I featured a photo from Shane last Thursday, but this one was just too cool to hold back! Check his photo out bigger and see more in Shane’s slideshow.

More wild Michigan weather on Michigan in Pictures!