7 Photos

(Photo: Ronald Blekicki/Waetherwise Magazine)

Each year, the venerable publication Weatherwise holds a contest to determine who's the savviest weather photog around. This year's shutterbugs really outdid themselves, capturing everything from a rainbow and funnel cloud dueling to lightning frying the skies of Hawaii to a sinisterly beautiful winter growth known as "ice fingers."

The publisher of Weatherwise, where ABC7's own Bob Ryan serves as executive editor, has given StormWatch 7 blog permission to throw up some of the most spectacular contest winners. Click here to go to the gallery and experience weather as you've never had before. (I'm just assuming you've never stood alone in a steaming field with a cow and fresh hailstones rolling on the ground. Apologies if you have.)