This was my favorite lightning shot that I took in 2023. This was a 30 second single exposure and this was the first time I have ever captured two bolts of lightning with varying color. The color of lightning simplistically usually correlates to the temperature of lightning the closer you are to the source with blue being the hottest and can reach temperatures as high as 50,000 degrees fahrenheit, which is hotter than the surface of the sun! Purples, whites, greens, yellows, oranges, and reds can be much cooler but the further away you get from the source the more atmospheric conditions like humidity, precipitations, temperature, gases, and dust come into play in refracting light back to you which affects the color you see as well. I captured this when I was driving back from a couple hour chase out to the eastern plains of Colorado and some rogue lightning started go off around me. I pulled off for a bit and captured this shot before the lightning dissipated into the night.

Hugo, CO