2024 saw a number of different storm types and behaviors with some exceptional flashes. Bear Butte seemed to be the best place to film this year with a lot of close flashes.

A stormy landscape featuring a weathered barn in the foreground and a mountain in the background, with dramatic lightning striking the mountain against a moody, overcast sky.
Black and white image of lightning striking downward towards a mountain under a cloudy sky.
A dramatic black and white photograph of lightning striking a mountain under an overcast sky.
A dramatic black and white photograph capturing a lightning bolt striking a mountain under a stormy sky.
A dramatic black and white landscape featuring a mountain under a stormy sky, with lightning striking in the background.
A dramatic black and white image of a mountain under a stormy sky with multiple lightning strikes illuminating the scene.

On Sep 14th, I captured a shot I have been hoping to get for over 30 years. A Man Walking A Dinosaur metal sculpture located east of Belvidere, South Dakota along I-90 has always been my target when storms approach this area. This year, a -CG struck behind the sculpture as I filmed from frontage road. I was able to capture both still image and high-speed video segment of the flash.

Black and white photo of a lightning strike illuminating a landscape with a dinosaur fossil sculpture in the foreground.
Lightning and the Man Walking a Dinosaur sculpture near the 1880 Town, South Dakota

The was a very nice -CG flash just south of my house and the ZT Research Observatory that produced an echoing thunder sequence.

A dramatic lightning storm illuminating the sky, with multiple bolts of lightning striking down over a dark landscape.
A dramatic lightning strike illuminates a stormy sky over a dense forest landscape.
A lightning bolt strikes dramatically against a dark stormy sky, illuminating the surrounding landscape and trees below.

On the evening of June 27th, I was treated to a lightning show backlit by green and magenta aurora over western South Dakota. The retreating line of storms went on to produce numerous sprites as well with some leaving behind a lingering green ghost.

A vibrant night sky featuring a mix of purple and green auroras, with stars twinkling above and a faint glow on the horizon.
A night sky filled with stars, featuring auroras in green and pink hues, and some cloud formations. The horizon shows distant lights, possibly from towns or vehicles.
A stunning display of red and orange lights illuminating the night sky, resembling volcanic eruptions or atmospheric phenomena, with a backdrop of stars and a gradient horizon at dusk.
A stunning display of colorful lights emerging from clouds in the night sky, resembling an aurora with shades of red and purple, set against the backdrop of a starry sky.
A dramatic night sky illuminated by colorful atmospheric lights, showcasing vivid red streaks and clouds against a dark backdrop, with faint stars visible.
A night sky featuring vibrant red and purple cloud formations illuminated by a distant sunset, with stars visible in the background.
A night sky featuring a mix of stars, colorful auroras with green and red hues, and low-hanging clouds illuminated by a distant glow.
A nighttime view of the sky displaying red sprites, characterized by glowing, vertical columns of light amidst dark clouds and stars.

Overall, it was a very rewarding year, and it finished with a nice lightning-triggered upward lightning flash from the towers in Rapid City.

A dramatic lightning strike illuminating a vast, open landscape with grass and distant hills under a cloudy sky.
A dramatic lightning strike hitting a rocky formation under a dark, cloudy sky, with grassland visible in the foreground.
A dramatic lightning bolt striking the ground against a dark, stormy sky.
A dramatic lightning strike illuminating a stormy sky with a rural landscape in the foreground, featuring fence posts along a road.
A dramatic lightning strike illuminates a stormy, rugged landscape under dark clouds, viewed from inside a vehicle.
A dramatic black and white landscape capturing dark, ominous clouds with flashes of lightning in the distance, set over a hilly terrain.
A green dinosaur statue stands under a stormy sky with multiple lightning strikes illuminating the scene.
A dramatic black and white landscape showing a mountainous terrain during a lightning storm.
A dramatic view of the Badlands landscape featuring layered rock formations under a stormy sky, with a lightning bolt striking in the distance.
A dramatic landscape featuring a lightning bolt striking near rugged terrain under a stormy sky with dark clouds.
A group of three people wearing jackets observe lightning striking in a stormy landscape, with dark clouds and a wet ground.
A dramatic lightning strike illuminates the sky above a prominent rock formation, likely a butte, with a green field and farm structures visible in the foreground.
A dramatic lightning bolt strikes the sky above a mountainous landscape under a darkening stormy sky, with a grassy field in the foreground and a distant rock formation.
A dramatic lightning storm over a rocky formation in the distance, with dark clouds and a field in the foreground.
A dramatic lightning strike illuminating a stormy sky over rugged, layered rock formations in a canyon landscape.
A landscape featuring a rainbow arcing across a stormy sky with lightning, set against rugged terrain and vibrant green vegetation.
Dramatic sky with streaks of light and dark clouds, featuring a lightning strike and a faint rainbow over rugged terrain with green grass and rock formations.
A dramatic landscape featuring varied rock formations under a stormy sky with lightning in the background, and lush green grass and wildflowers in the foreground.
A dramatic landscape featuring rugged terrain under an ominous sky, with a lightning bolt striking in the distance.
A dramatic storm scene with lightning striking a wind turbine under dark, cloudy skies.
A dramatic lightning strike illuminating the sky during a storm, with dark clouds in the background and silhouettes of buildings and vehicles in the foreground.
A black and white photograph capturing a dramatic lightning storm with numerous lightning strikes illuminating a dark, cloudy sky on the horizon.
Full summary of lightning highlights from 2024.