Friday, October 16, 2009

California "UFO cloud" via Chicago

By WGN weather on October 15, 2009 4:44 PM

Tom Skilling reports that "Mariann, who is from Bridgeview, IL, snapped this photo Tuesday of what she refers to as a "UFO cloud" while visiting Palm Springs, California. It's not unusual to hear such clouds referred to as UFO-like because of their lens-like shape. Lenticular clouds are a form of "standing wave" cloud--a stationary, comparatively high altitude lens-shaped cloud which can linger for some time as air flows over mountain ranges. The fact that mountain ranges are fixed in place means air ascends at the same location producing a cloud which appears to linger for some time. The cloud Mariann captured in this shot Tuesday is precisely such a cloud. What a TERRIFIC shot! THANKS for sending this along, Mariann!"

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