Rim Fire Webcam View #15

Atmospherically-speaking this is the busiest and most interesting image yet captured of the Rim Fire as seen from the Crane Flat Helibase mobile webcam at 12:11 p.m. This part of the conflagration is raging on the Stanislaus National Forest. At top left we see some circular lenticular clouds ringing some pyrocumulus towers. At center is a spinning barber pole convection column of smoke capped by massive pyrocumulus clouds that have risen out of view of this image. There are more pyrocumulus clouds at far left as well. Either or both pyrocumulus towers at center or right may actually be developed into pyrocumulonimbus storm clouds.