You might be surprised how much forecasting goes into a sunset. The entire day had been dull and gray. Persistent overcast blocked out the sun and I was ready to break camp and go home at 10 am. Visible satellite and water vapor imagery revealed an area of clearing a few hundred miles west moving my direction. To complicate matters satellite also revealed convective debris (more clouds) moving into Kansas from thunderstorms in Texas and Oklahoma. I was able to extrapolate a brief window and good chance of clearing on my western horizon at sundown. That partial break would allow the setting sun to peek through and set the sky ablaze. This image would not exist without the ability to access weather data and simple forecasting in the field.

The lines are Crepuscular Rays. This occurs when sunlight sneaks through broken cloud cover. The rays are virtually parallel but appear to diverge due to linear perspective.

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Kansas. Perry Lake Sunset. Feruary 2, 2012

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Stephen Locke

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