Lenticulars, Totally Turbulent Dude!

[grouseking]

I saw some nice lenticulars yesterday, but didn't have a camera to capture them. Thankfully this person did. One of my new fav pics this year.....

http://www.wunderground.com/wximage...&thumbstart=0&gallery=EDITORSPICK#slideanchor

Also, a little more about the UFO's at the Mount Washington Obs website.

http://mountwashington.org/weather/comments/

 

[Jazzbo]

Thanks for Posting that picture!

That is the mother of all lenticular clouds! Thanks for posting. Good reason to always carry your camera. Looks like MW site has possibly caught same big lenticular as that person in Lancaster ... maybe just from a different perspective.

 

[TDawg]

Upon reaching the summit of Mt. Welch yesterday, I discovered I had forgot my camera at home. I immediately kicked myself in the ass because there were dozens of very cool lenticulars north and northwest of me over the Whites. Very cool.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Very nice; thanks for posting link.

 

[1HappyHiker]

When travelling Route 118 just east of Moosilauke yesterday, I encountered a whole fleet of “lenticulars” that were “invading” the earth!
However, the lenticular clouds in my photo below are not nearly as dramatic as those shown in the link posted by Grouseking.

 

[sardog1]

Well, I am extremely happy that I didn't have a chance until this evening to post the puny pix that I shot yesterday. That is the ne plus ultra of a lenticular cloud, grouseking!

As Emily Litella would have said, "Never mind."

 

[Silverfox]

Great cloud photos..

from the Mothership of grouseking

to John's fleet of invaders

excellent

 

[grouseking]

When travelling Route 118 just east of Moosilauke yesterday, I encountered a whole fleet of “lenticulars” that were “invading” the earth!
However, the lenticular clouds in my photo below are not nearly as dramatic as those shown in the link posted by Grouseking.

Nice pics anyways. These are my favorite types of cloud. WHen you see these, you there are some strong upper level winds. That evening, Mt Washington gusted to over 100 mph.

 

[Paradox]

Lenticular clouds always lens themselves to some nice photos!

 

[erugs]

Last Friday afternoon in Manchester (NH) I saw what I thought looked like lenticulars, piled one on top of another. Is that possible? I also had thought it wasn't possible to have lenticulars unless you were in the mountains. Is that true?

 

[grouseking]

Last Friday afternoon in Manchester (NH) I saw what I thought looked like lenticulars, piled one on top of another. Is that possible? I also had thought it wasn't possible to have lenticulars unless you were in the mountains. Is that true?

Yeah its def possible. I've seen them down in Chester before. In fact, I saw a tiny one in Boston once.

grouseking

 

[ADKnBVI]

More cloud pics from Friday

This was about 2pm Friday on the way out of Tuckerman Ravine.

Valerie

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Here are some more cool pics of altocumulus lenticularis clouds at this NOAA site. Note that the flow at the tops is typically laminar, rather than turbulent, which is more common underneath. Also, watch out for rotor clouds if you are into mountain flying or gliding.

http://www.etl.noaa.gov/about/eo/science/AC00574.pdf

 

[cbcbd]

Last Friday afternoon in Manchester (NH) I saw what I thought looked like lenticulars, piled one on top of another. Is that possible? I also had thought it wasn't possible to have lenticulars unless you were in the mountains. Is that true?

Mountains do cause the initial lenticular, which at the crest of a peak is called the cap lenticular, but what follows on the lee side is what is called a wave cloud.
When a parcel of air is displaced vertically up by the mountain, causing the cap lenticular, it will then act like a vertical pendulum, oscillating up and down until it stabilizes at the original elevation. This causes wave clouds to form on the lee side of the mountain(s) for possibly 100s of miles.

http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter6/lift_topo_wave.html

 

[JohnL]

We saw these stacked lenticulars over Mt Washington from Mt Jackson. http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2501369890027359582GoZsIv?vhost=outdoors

JohnL

 

[erugs]

Wonder what type of clouds these were -- seen over Penobscott Bay last July near North Haven Island from the Schooner Summertime. Wave clouds?

 

[grouseking]

Wonder what type of clouds these were -- seen over Penobscott Bay last July near North Haven Island from the Schooner Summertime. Wave clouds?

At first I thought they were Kevin-Helmholtz Wave Clouds.
http://www.neatorama.com/2005/12/29/kevin-helmholtz-wave-clouds/

But they aren't very well defined. They appear to be some sort of altocumulus cloud.

 

[erugs]

Here's another photo of the same clouds. Perhaps a little better perspective, and the one I initially intended to post.

 

[grouseking]

Yeah I think its Altocumulus undulatus...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altocumulus_undulatus_cloud

The pic on wikipedia isn't so great. But I think in your pic, it is a small patch of those clouds.

It could also be some stranger looking cirrus clouds, because there are some of those present in the sky.

 

[erugs]

Thanks, Grouseking. The formation was unusual enough that even Captain Brown, who's out there all the time went below for his camera (not a point and shoot like mine) to capture the moment.