I’m glad you asked that question. Has to do with rules, cloud rules. It is true that at that altitude above the ground, 30,000 to 40,000 feet, we mostly think of cirrus or “cirriform” clouds. But those clouds, by our cloud definitions, cannot have shading during the daytime with ONE exception, Cirrus spissatus, a… Continue reading “‘Altostratus’” at 30,000?”
Category: Definitions
Altostratus: a misunderstood cloud and for good reason
Yesterday afternoon the clouds thickened and dimmed the sun, and our high temperature struggled only into the mid-50s. What cloud was that? Here it is, with Twin Peaks on the horizon. Our names for clouds, originating with English pharmacist, Luke Howard, are based on visual attributes from the ground. Here, “Altostratus” (As) does RESEMBLE its… Continue reading Altostratus: a misunderstood cloud and for good reason
What’s Up with This?
Got pretty mad yesterday when I saw this overhead in some Altocumulus perlucidus clouds. You’ll have to hold your monitor or Ipad, or cell phone, or whatever, over your head to see it EXACTLY the way I saw this because it WAS overhead; straight up. (Actually, doing 3 sets of 12 might be good for… Continue reading What’s Up with This?
Arizona: Colorado temperatures, Colorado clouds
It was a mind-boggling, hiking-challenging -30 F at Grand Canyon AP yesterday morning. Overhead of Flagstaff, at 5 AM MST yesterday it was -38 C (-36 F) and that temperature was the lowest temperature at 500 millibars in all of the US. It is really, really rare to see -38 C over Arizona! … Continue reading Arizona: Colorado temperatures, Colorado clouds
Seattle comes to Catalina
Yes, if you’re from Seattle or the west side of the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, you are going to feel especially at home today. Its dark, even with the sun up, low ceilings and visibility, steady light rain mixed with snow, temperatures in the mid 30s to low 40s, well, that’s home… Continue reading Seattle comes to Catalina
Catalina-Smog before the storm
Those of us awaking this morning were literally a-palled by the amount of smoke around. Not even Twin Peaks was visible, some 10 miles to the SW. See examples of smog in the photos below. Where did it come from? Back trajectories, ones that end in Tucson as of this morning at 5 AM shown… Continue reading Catalina-Smog before the storm
Welcome
Many of us here in SE Arizona will not be outside today no matter how nice it is because of historic sports emergencies that will require viewing of the TEEVEE at all times. However, if we do go outside to BBQ some hot dogs or prepare other similar worthwhile foods common to “football day”, there… Continue reading Welcome
Widipedia: Definition
A cloud is a visible mass of droplets of water or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or other planetary body. Clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere are studied in the nephology or cloud physics branch of meteorology.