Glaciation refers to the transformation of cloud particles from water droplets to ice crystals. The visual cloud appearance often changes from rock-hard to soft during the glaciation process. The northeastward tilt of the multicell complex above indicates the presence of vertical wind shear (looking north from about 12 miles).

Photograph by: Doswell

Another multicell storm, this time looking south in an even more strongly sheared wind field. Precipitation is beginning to fall from the Cb top on the left (east) side of the complex. (Western Oklahoma storm, June 1980).