As I was leaving work this evening I saw a post by my cousin about being in the middle of a thunderstorm in Napa. The weather was beautiful as I looked out the window at the office, but I was looking to the south.

When I looked to the north you could see big thunderheads. I figured that the storm was passing to the north, but as I started driving home I soon realized that I was driving into a storm.

As I headed down the other side of the Altamont Pass on my way home I could really tell that a storm was up ahead. Plus, traffic was building up and I knew that something was slowing it down.

I really like the golden hills in this picture and the ominous clouds ahead. If you look closely you can see some falling rain in the distance.

There were also several instances of lightning streaking across the sky up ahead.

Not long after this I decided to take an alternate route with a bit less traffic that would allow me to slow down and take a few pictures.

As I was stopped at the stop sign for the entrance of the Mountain House campus of Delta College I took this picture of rain falling on Mountain House. You can see a rainbow right at the end of the falling rain.

The sky was also that sick yellowish color that comes with a heavy thunderstorm.

The road was still not wet, but that changed in just a few miles. I was soon driving on wet roads.

A little further on I stopped to take a picture in the opposite direction and caught the other end of the rainbow. You can also just barely see a double rainbow.

I like the sunlit field and the barn and farmhouse in the distance.

The sky still looks really angry though.

As I got closer to home I could tell that I was getting closer to the quick moving storm. The roads were really wet and you could see running water along the sides of the road.

When I got to my subdivision I drove through several flooded areas.

I took this picture after walking back to the intersection from my house. When I came through this intersection the water was all the way across the road and even up on the sidewalk. By the time I took this picture the storm drains were starting to catch up since the rain had stopped.

There were still a few sprinkles, lightning was flashing and thunder was booming. However, the storm had passed on. I am glad for the rain as we are in the midst of a severe drought. I will now be able to keep my sprinklers off for awhile as my yard dries out.

Thunderstorms are really rare in this part of California, so I was glad to see one this evening. I really do miss the big thunderstorms that roll across the prairie in the Midwest.

Steven