Sunday, November 22, 2009

Glorious November Amid High Knob Landform


November 20, 2009
Remnant Massif of The High Knob Landform
Lonesome Pine Stands Above Fog - Powell Valley
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.

A classic layer of fog, spreading out beneath scenic Powell Valley Overlook in Wise County, Va., was captured in gorgeous detail by photographer Roddy Addington early Friday morning.

Confined within the calcareous heart of the great High Knob Massif, and lapping up against its rugged mountain walls like water sloshing in a lake, the fog layer remained in place for hour after hour before dissipating.

Simply AWESOME!

The fluid nature of our amazing atmosphere revealed yet again!

Reference my 2009-10 Winter Discussion for more details
on the fluid nature of the air around us:


Flickering Like Fireflies - Vehicles Emerge From Fog
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.

Flickering like fireflies, tiny headlights emerging from the fog bank can be seen far beneath the plunging slopes of Little Stone Mountain ( the NW flank of the High Knob Landform and its remnant massif ).

Such scenes truly illustrate how very TINY we are amid this great mountain landscape, as U.S. 23 rises above the fog to create a simply spectacular drive for those along this exceptionally scenic stretch of famed Country Music Highway.

Turning pinkish-orange with the rising of the morning sun, lines of orographic wave clouds add to this already magical setting as air aloft flows across the High Knob Landform ( HKL ).

Could it get any better?

Weather conditions generating this awesome setting were a clash between lingering low-level moisture, in the wake of a cloudy, chilly, and damp November 19, and the transport of drier air aloft into mid-upper elevations.

A frosty cold morning in the City of Norton, with 28 degrees at the newly installed Norton Elementary School AWS Weatherbug site, was in notable contrast to 30s within foggy locations.

[ Downslope funneling of drier air aloft, from upper reaches
of the High Knob Massif, combined with higher elevations in the Norton Valley to dissipate most of the initial fog formation observed in the City ].


Glorious Sunrises & Sunsets 
In The High Knob Landform

November 2009 has featured many glorious sunrises and sunsets within the great High Knob Landform, with photographer Harold Jerrell showcasing spectacular examples from Lee County.

In The High Knob Landform
Awesome Colors Above The Farm
Photograph by Harold Jerrell - © All Rights Reserved.

A wondrous sky, streaked with orographic wave clouds, stands in contrast to the dark, wavy crest of Wallen Ridge in Lee County, Virginia.

    Wondrous Sky Over Wallen Ridge of HKL
Photograph by Harold Jerrell - © All Rights Reserved.

At home within the great calcareous heart of the High Knob Landform ( HKL ), and ringed by its ruggedly majestic mountain arms, is a peaceful solitude not commonly found in the world today.

At Home In The HKL
Photograph by Harold Jerrell - © All Rights Reserved.


Looking To The High Knob Landform
And Tennessee Valley Divide

Sunrise views looking southwest to southeast, toward the High Knob Landform and across the Tennessee Valley Divide, are often just spectacular from the highlands of southern Dickenson County.

                                        Glorious Morning Sunrise
Photograph by Wayne Riner - © All Rights Reserved.

Changing colors through precious moments of time, as captured by photographer Wayne Riner and enhanced by orographic wave clouds rippling across the mountains, are often some of the most spectacular aspects of such amazing scenes!

Changing Colors of Morning Glory
Photograph by Wayne Riner - © All Rights Reserved.

The role of orographics ( mountain influences ) should never be taken for granted in shaping majestic skies above the great HKL and Cumberlands!

Stacked Waves & Rolls
Photograph by Wayne Riner - © All Rights Reserved.