K 3 II + Smc PENTAX-FA 31mm F1.8 AL Limited
Mount Rainier framed by firs
note the cloud formations around the peak
Lenticular clouds forming at Mount Rainier June 7, 2022
Quote: Lenticular clouds (Altocumulus lenticularis, meaning “shaped like a lentil” in Latin) mostly develop among the crests and valleys of mountainous terrain. They are associated with waves in the atmosphere that form when moist air flow is forced up, over and partway down a mountaintop. The moist air cools, causing it to condense into a disk-shaped cloud.
Often a lenticular cloud resembles a spaceship hovering near a mountain’s summit. Sometimes, however, multiple clouds will pile on top of each other like a stack of pancakes. . . .
Why is Mount Rainier such a hotspot for lenticular sightings? Probably because wind and moisture coming off the Pacific Ocean are forced to rise over our region’s tallest peak. Also, since lenticular clouds form before the arrival of a storm, thick clouds aren’t yet present to obscure lenticulars from view.
Not only do lenticulars look unique but they also behave differently than other clouds by not moving with the wind flow. By reforming over and over again in the crest of the mountain wave, they can stay in one location for several hours.
https://news.wsu.edu/news/2016/09/14/lenticular-clouds-truth/
Last edited by aslyfox; 06-13-2022 at 10:30 AM.