That storm over Lake Erie in 2016 reset how I read cloud edges

I used to just snap pics of any cool shelf cloud and move on. But I was on the shore near Cleveland watching this line roll in and the back edge was super crisp, almost like a wall. Turns out it was a gust front, not the main storm, and the real one followed 20 minutes later. Since then I check the back edge and the wind shift before I call something interesting. Still missed plenty of calls though. Anyone else get fooled by shelf clouds that look way more dramatic than the actual storm?

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harper1921d ago

This is the same thing that happens with people, right? Like you meet someone who's all loud and flashy and you think that's the whole deal, but then the real personality shows up later and it's totally different. That gust front is basically the opening act doing a better show than the headliner. I've noticed it with sales too, the big flashy pitch gets you hyped and then the actual product is nothing. Same with weather I guess, the front edge is just the trailer and the storm itself is the movie. Once you learn to wait for the main event you stop getting tricked by the preview.

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