More nice clouds

Another nice day of high heat and high, patterned  clouds.  at times.  Here are a few shots of the latter, beginning with another flaming sunrise shot.  The U of AZ time lapse movie for yesterday is really informative.  The clouds shown in the second shot go by just after 6 AM, soon after the movie begins and you can really see the ice/snow falling out of those guys.

Those central clouds could be called Altocumulus floccus virgae. But then they are at 29,000 feet above Catalina at -35 C, too high for Ac! In spite of the temperature, those tops look an awful like droplet clouds with ice crystals falling out underneath. So, "CIrrus floccus" would be a better designation, if you care.
Some more of them CIrrus floccus looking like Ac floccus virgae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Webby" Cirrus, probably best designated as "perlucidus" (honey-combed).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At first, it appeared that the Cirrus "perlucidus" might be the result of a droplet cloud. But here, that delicate pattern was developing in the distance without a droplet cloud (as at left).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They’re not zero, but the chances of rain twixt now and the end of the month are pretty small.  However, a tremendous surge of humid air is indicated as the month closes from the remnant of a tropical storm-hurricane along the Mexican Gulf of Mexico coast.  Of course, that’s so far out it can’t be TOO reliable, but its something that would bring substantial rains.  Here’s what it looks like in green (moist air) and brown (dry air) from IPS Meteostar.  All that “green” air to the east of us is heading our way.

Author: Art Rangno

Retiree from a group specializing in airborne measurements of clouds and aerosols at the University of Washington (Cloud and Aerosol Research Group). The projects in which I participated were in many countries; from the Arctic to Brazil, from the Marshall Islands to South Africa.