Sierra Lenticular Cloud

Lenticular clouds form when 30 knot or stronger winds collide with mountains. The air rises on the windward side and descends on the leeward side. Further downwind the air rises again often several times higher the elevation of the mountain range. The moisture in rising air condenses as the air cools forming the lenticular cloud. While the cloud appears stationary, the water droplets making up the cloud are moving with the wind. New droplets condense on the upwind edge, and the droplets evaporate on the trailing edge where the air descends and warms.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• clouds
• lenticular
• weather
• truckee
• tahoe
• sierra
• nevada
• wave

[spongiebungie]

looks like all the smaller clouds are returning to the mother ship cloud, lovely clip, thanks.

[wildf1re]

nice!

[Elleivier]

Whoa...that's amazing!

[sight4SOARingEYEs]

this was great!

[jonasbrothers7]

thats sooo cool!! i wish i could actually see one in person! lol

[rattler]

Best description I've heard yet about these clouds. I like to call them "ghost riders", because the first time I saw them was a windy evening in Death Valley, and the clouds themselves were eerie. Later, I heard "Ghost Riders in the Sky", and it reminded me of that night.