Mother’s Day on May 9, 2010 was mostly cloudy at cool, but at least the stormy weather stayed out of the area.

That was not the case on May 10, 2010, as strong to severe storms pushed through the Midwest. With the threat of strong tornadoes, Photographer Jon Englert and I headed to Council Grove, Kansas to intercept any bad storms that moved into our area. Over 42 tornadoes were reported to our west and south, with a majority of them to our south. Luckily, the worst of the severe weather, and all of the tornadoes, stayed out our area. Heavy rain and lightning was the extent of what we saw while out chasing, but that seems to happen a lot!

Once we returned to Topeka, the storms were beginning to clear out. Sunshine peaking through the clouds made for a beautiful view in the evening.

Storms moved out by May 11, 2010, with a few breaks in the clouds, making for a beautiful sunset. It’s amazing how every sunset is so different.

The picture below is a panoramic shot from the setting sun, panning up across the sky.

Click here for the 365 Days of Weather Archive and Photo Gallery.