We’re on the cusp, of course, for the end of the summer rain season, and so every day like yesterday is a particular treasure. Take a gander here at the bulging morning Cumulus congestus and Cumulonimbus (albeit, marginal ones) clouds early on over the Cat Mountains. Note detached top of small Cb to left with virga. Some science: note, too, that it appears to be a droplet cloud with snow virga underneath. The presence of a droplet cloud tells you that the cloud top did not get excessively cold, probably no lower than about -20 C. Those big boys of the afternoon and their all ice, spreading anvils would have tops colder than at least -30 C.
Did you notice, too, how much lower the cloud bases were yesterday than the prior day? (Com’on! You’re supposed to notice things like that as a nascent cloud assessor!) So, all in all, I was very happy yesterday. Note in the second photo, this tiny start up Cumulus cloud seems to be making an unseemly gesture to the clear sky above, as though it will alone fill in that overly blue sky. Well, it was joined by its big brothers later in the day to produce some nice showers, 0nly 0.05 inches here in Catalina “Heights”, but 0.16 inches just a mile N in the Sutherland “Heights” district. Here’s what it looked like later on yesterday afternoon from Sutherland Heights:
Lastly, another one of our glorious sunsets to top off another exciting weather day.
