Monster Shelf Cloud Captured on Video in Walmart Parking Lot, Like Something from a Scary Movie
What is a shelf cloud, you ask?
Shoppers at an Illinois Walmart got a pretty up close and personal view of one on Aug. 7, and will probably remember its monstrosity forever.
“The sky was insane looking earlier,” wrote Illinois resident Maranda Benefield online.
She stood at a parking lot in Anna, Illinois, unable to look away from the ominous cloud looming over the town.
“The temperature dropped rapidly and the wind picked up and within minutes it blew right over us,” Benefield said.
“It” was a massive shelf cloud, resembling a sort of slow-motion tidal wave.
The dark grey-blue cloud color contrasted starkly with a white puff of cloud spray, giving the appearance that the town would soon disappear into the clutches of the cloud.
Millions of people have been impressed by the unusual sight, which peaked the interest of meteorologist Grant Gilmore.
“This has to be one of the craziest shelf clouds I have ever seen,” Gilmore said.
While the cloud certainly looked like impending doom, Gilmore said it wasn’t necessarily an indicator of a massive storm.
“That said, just because it looks ominous doesn’t necessarily mean the weather associated with it was severe,” Gilmore explained.
“In fact, the fractured nature of the leading clouds suggests the storm may have been weakening.”
Part of the reason the shelf cloud looked so fierce, Gilmore explained, was because of varying amounts of sunlight.
“The clouds in the background were much darker due to less sunlight and/or heavy rain which made the leading clouds, which look like a dissipating shelf cloud, appear to have a have a lot of texture,” Gilmore said.
Illinois isn’t the only U.S. location to see some stunning shelf clouds this summer. A beautiful, less-menacing shelf cloud passed over Central Park in New York City, also on Aug. 7.
Spectacular shelf cloud north of Central Park! #abc7ny pic.twitter.com/lxTrxInA32
— Lee Goldberg (@LeeGoldbergABC7) August 7, 2018
Social media users have enjoyed commenting on ways they would respond should a shelf cloud threaten their hometown.
“Run for the hills is all I can think of,” one Facebook user joked.
For others, the ominous cloud was a reminder of just how breathtaking and awesome nature can be.
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