Lenticular Clouds
2012-02-04 08:46:56.000 – Rebecca Scholand, Operations Assistant
NULL
With the valley under the clouds and the summit above it felt like we were in a mountainous castle with a cloud moat. Today was not much different in that we still had an undercast with breaks here and there but the clouds above were impressive. The sky was filled with seemingly stationary lenticular clouds. Some were pancaked in appearance, some UFO like, and others stretched across the sky.
A lenticular cloud is a type of stationary lens shaped cloud that forms at high altitudes, typically in stronger winds, and normally downwind of a mountain range. Here the flow of the air has a wave like motion as it rises and falls. At the windward edge of the cloud the air has been raised and cooled enough to form a cloud, however on the leeward side of the cloud the air has sank and warmed enough that the moisture turns back into vapor and the cloud dissipates. This is what gives the cloud its stationary look when in fact it is constantly changing.
Brian Clark was able to film a time lapse of this happening today. To check it out visit our YouTube site.
Rebecca Scholand, Operations Assistant
My Fear of Weather Became a Love of Meteorology
My Fear of Weather Became a Love of Meteorology By Kaitlin Farrell Hello! My name is Kaitlin Farrell. I am one of the fall summit interns here at Mount Washington Observatory. I recently graduated
Ascending with High Winds
Ascending with High Winds By Alonso Lopez Hi! I am Alonso Lopez, one of four interns at Mount Washington Observatory from August to December, 2026. I was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth
26th Annual Seek the Peak Recap
26th Annual Seek the Peak Recap By Drew Bush Members of the "Peak Potential" team gather at Pinkham Notch before hiking Mount Washington for the 26th Annual Seek the Peak. View more images. We’ve had
