It was our turn to experience some nasty weather.  Fortunately is wasn’t as nasty as the weather and destruction that hit Oklahoma, Texas and other mid-western states.

Tornados are not common in the Appalachian Mountains but they do happen on occasion.

We had been under the threat of severe thunderstorms every day this week.  Most of the time they happened around 4:00 pm just as I leave from work.

Yesterday I had to stop at the market before I went home so this storm was a bit later than the others.

As I was driving home, I noticed this ominous looking dark grey cloud hanging down from the other clouds.  It was very strange.  I almost stopped along the road to take a photo of it as it was just so weird.  I’m glad I didn’t.

I’m just a little to the northwest of that green pin in the radar right where the yellow blob is heading

When I turned into the development where I live, it started to rain.  Hard.  Then I heard something hit my car roof.  Just as I got into the garage, hail started coming down.  It sounded like gravel hitting the roof of the house.

I quickly ran through the house slamming any open windows shut.  Luckily the rain stayed out.

I managed to capture some of the hail and aftereffects with my phone camera.

I would guess nickel and dime-sized hail stones.  Maybe a bit larger.

In less than 10 minutes it was all over.

The sun was shining and a rainbow appeared in the distance.

Can you see the hail stones in the grass (and weeds)?  They are about the size of a clover leaf.

Mr. Aitch was about 10 miles away from home.  He said they had a one minute rain shower.

Crazy weather.