Mount Magazine Arkansas - above the clouds

[Brian Emfinger]

I woke up this morning to freezing fog with enough accumulation on the trees that they were weighted down pretty good.
http://www.realclearwx.com/images/01260716.jpg

And after looking at the visible satellite and seeing a few mountain peaks above the clouds my wife and I decided to take a bit of a chance and drive the hour to Mount Magazine (highest point in Arkansas - 2753) and see if we could get a few pictures.http://www.realclearwx.com/images/012608mmx.gif
Mount Magazine is the dark rectangle in the right center

As we got over 2000 feet we suddenly burst out into bright blue clear sky.
http://www.realclearwx.com/images/01260703.jpg

I wish we could have gotten there at sunrise as it was kinda hard to make the cloud (man they were bright!) textures visible while still showing the mountains. I have been trying to get pictures like these for quite a while and have made may drives only to have the mountain become overcast itself or have the clouds clear out.

Many more pictures -HERE (http://www.realclearwx.com/012608mm.htm)

- btw Marko, my pictures might have been considered good except you had to post your outstanding pics a few days ago!:mad: I think mine would have been better if not for in my rush to get there quickly I forgot all of my filters.

[Scott Taylor]

Cool Brian. Man I wanted to head over there (from Marion) a number of times last year, but never got around to it. Are there a number of easily accessible areas to shoot from once you get there? I'd love to shoot it this winter IF Ma Nature would just give us a decent snow fall for a change.

Scott

[Brian Emfinger]

Yeah its got paved roads all over the top that goes to every good spot except the west end which you can walk (i didnt today because of mud/ice). The best part is with the new state park resort up there they really work hard to keep the roads ice free...the roads had so much salt on it that you couldnt even tell you were on a paved road sometimes.

[Brian Stertz]

Cool pics Brian...I've always wondered about the neat weather effects that highest pt. in Arkansas has. Saw a strong meso go right over that thing back in March '99. I wondered how much wind damage was done at that time.

[Brian Emfinger]

It has some crazy weather up there thats for sure. During the spring storms that get us all excited the wind can be sustained in the 50s and gusts into the 60s...at the elevation I guess its getting into the LLJ during those times. They have gotten over 10 inches of snow so far this year and probably now 2 inches of frz rain. Heres their weather station they have up there > http://170.94.192.8/_stations/magazine/index_graphics.htm