They’re not X-files, but the lenticular clouds are awe-inspiring wherever they form.
Their tendency to appear like swirling loops hovering in place has spawned UFO reports for decades, but the truth behind their formation is mostly illusory.
These elongated, lenticular clouds form on isolated peaks, “especially tall peaks that reach far above their surroundings,” according to Gregory Hakeem, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Washington.
A photo and video of Mount Shasta’s lenticular clouds, taken on January 22 by Northern California photographer Robert Rennick, received national attention after he shared it on social media.
Renick credits the natural beauty of the mountain and the cloud formations as the reason for the photo’s popularity, which has garnered thousands of likes on Facebook.
The lenticular cloud draws tourists and spiritual pilgrims to Mount Shasta each year, he said. Mountain weather patterns are “a big part of life here.” We wake up and wonder what the mountain will be like today.
According to the Sisson Museum in the nearby town of Mount Shasta, “Many UFO sightings have been attributed to lenticular clouds because they tend to look like spacecraft in fiction and movies.” because there is Shasta.
There’s good reason to see a lenticular cloud “landing” on a mountaintop.
How to recognize a lenticular cloud
Lenticular clouds are so named because their shape resembles the curve of a lentil or the human eye.
They have lateral streaks that sometimes look like clouds circling a mountain peak, or like stacks of pancakes in a circle.
In reality, they are “flat or slightly curved” clouds, Hakim said.
How lenticular clouds are formed
Nature needs a special recipe to create lenticular clouds. The combination and order of ingredients must be correct, like baking a soufflé.
It includes elements such as horizontal winds, moderately moist air, protruding peaks, and a stable atmosphere.
Horizontal winds blowing towards the mountain are pushed up to the top. That wind must be “wet but not saturated,” Hakim said. It’s covered with clouds.”
Atmospheric conditions during peak hours must be stable enough to keep the wind moving sideways. Otherwise the cloud will grow upwards.
As moist air is pushed over the peaks, “it cools to saturation and forms lenticular clouds,” Hakim said. As the air passes over the mountains, it sinks and warms again, and that heat causes the clouds to evaporate. So these clouds appear to float above the mountains.
According to the National Weather Service, lenticular clouds occasionally form along the sides of the summit.
where you can see lenticular clouds
Lenticular clouds are common on Pacific Northwest volcanoes such as Mount Shasta, Hakim said.These tall peaks receive strong winds, towering high above their surroundings and providing enough lift to form clouds
It forms most frequently during the windy winters and springs, according to the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Bureau of Meteorology.
Readers of the popular astronomy and meteorology webzine, EarthSky.org, visit Mount Rainier in Washington, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico, the peaks around Tucson in Arizona, Rancho Mirage in California, and British Columbia, Canada. reported seeing a lenticular cloud over Mount Arrowsmith on Vancouver Island. Snow Mountain in Taichung, Taiwan.
Even if you don’t live near a mountain, you can still see photos and videos of lenticular clouds in online exhibits such as the Sisson Museum (bit.ly/3jcCdQe).
For more information on lenticular clouds, visit the UCAR Center for Science Education website at bit.ly/3JvMbXE.
Jessica Skropanic is a feature writer for Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She deals with stories of science, art, social issues, and entertainment. follow her on her twitter@RS_J scropanic andFacebookJoin Jessica at . Get out!No Cal Recreation Facebook Group. To support and sustain this activity,Subscribe today. thank you.
