Updraft base of a supercell

Photo by Richard Bedard

The appearance of the updraft trunk of a supercell storm has been described by storm chasers as looking like "stacked plates." In this picture, that dangerous, smooth, striated look is very much in evidence. This rotating storm in the Texas Panhandle later lowered a brief tornado (luckily, of little strength) on top of a caravan of surprised meteorologists observing its behavior up close.