Kentuckians Turn Their Eyes to the Sky After Scary-Looking Cloud Forms Over Lexington

I'm not sure if I can speak for all Kentuckians (or any Kentuckians, for that matter), but as one, I'm a little more qualified than others might be. If you were to ask a resident of the Commonwealth about what they feel is the year's top story, to date, I have a feeling multiple answers would be about the weather.

2025 Weather

From February through July, there's been something to talk about in this category. Winter storms, severe flooding, insane hail, far too many tornado events, more severe flooding, and, now, a brutal stretch of high humidity that's lasted for more than a month.

Shelf Cloud

With the kind of variety the atmosphere has gifted us, it's not surprising that we have occasionally seen intimidating, albeit beautiful cloud formations. Fortunately, enthusiasts have been quick with their cameras. This impressive shelf cloud materialized over Lexington last week. Quite alarming, yes, but harmless. And gorgeous.

Here's another angle...

Lexington meteorologist Jim Caldwell even took to calling it "shelf cloud madness."

Read More: The Worst July Storm in Kentucky's History Claimed 79 Lives

Shelf Cloud vs. Wall Cloud

The National Weather Service tells us that while a shelf cloud is more intense-looking than a wall cloud and covers more, if not all, of the horizon, it isn't nearly the big concern that a wall cloud is. Shelf clouds are associated with solid lines of storms, and it may look like they're rotating on a horizontal axis. However, shelf clouds also indicate that the storm is weakening.

It's always good to know the difference between these two types of clouds, and for obvious reasons. One means you need to think about seeking shelter. The other means you need to remember where you put your phone so you can get a good picture...like many Lexingtonians did just last week.