Unique Sierra Wave cloud sighted over Reno, NV
From my friend Mike Alger at KTVN-TV Reno, who writes:
I’ve been on the air doing weather for KTVN-TV for over a quarter of a century, as you might expect (and to channel Anthony), people send me things. Especially pictures of the clouds. And some of them are quite good. But the one Jeff Houk sent me Sunday morning might be the coolest ever. I’ve seen some very nice Standing Lenticular clouds (we call them Sierra Wave clouds locally) before, and the colors make this one pretty spectacular in its own right. But that perfectly carved out hole in its middle was something that I’ve never seen before.
Full sized: https://wxmanreno.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/spaceship-lenticular.jpg
I thought it might be fun for WUWT readers to give their own theories on what is causing it. I have a pretty good idea, and so as to not give it away, after you post you theory below, you can link to my explanation found on my weather blog at mikealger.net. Here’s a direct link to the relevant posting: (http://mikealger.net/2015/03/18/explaining-the-hole-in-the-cloud/)
Enjoy!
Mike Alger
Chief Meteorologist
KTVN-TV
Reno, NV
Anthony — I think I see a hole in the next cloud down and to the right of the first one. A series of clouds with holes. I have no idea what causes such, other than the subject of my series on Chaos….a turbulence attractor of some kind to the local system … that why the second (not quite so circular) caught my eye. —
Nice shot! Thinking that the teardrop shaped depression around the periphery of the hole plus the shredded fragments above it are the give away. There must be a lot of horizontal rotation in the wave that is acting somewhat like a rotating thermal (“dust-devil”) creating a “bulge” of slightly warmer air pushing up into the base. Notice how the teardrop depression looks almost like the feeder bands of a strong low – a tropical depression or hurricane. My guess is there was a lot of CCW rotation mixed with the classic vertical wave action. It also looks like the effect was duplicated in the following cloud behind and to the right in this shot. Think of the miles long, fast rotating horizontal vortex you’ll occasionally see at the leading edge of a frontal passage with a strong vertical sinusoidal mountain wave overlaid. Except the horizontal rotation in this case had to be from the geometry of the ridge producing the wave. Nice!
From an old pilot adage I first heard in the 1960’s, “If we could see the air we fly through — we wouldn’t.”
From an old pilot adage I first heard in the 1960’s, “If we could see the air we fly through — we wouldn’t.”
Bill, come to Los Angeles. We like to see what we’re breathing.
The smaller lenticular cloud in the photo also has a “hole”. My guess for what it’s worth, is similar to others’ in that the high wind speeds and the deflection at the top of the wave is causing some compression in the flow in the air flow at slightly lower levels. The slightly increased pressure also has a slightly increased temperature: just enough to see a slight rise in the elevation of the dewpoint, which becomes apparent by the dimple in the base of the cloud.
Everyone is struggling to explain the cloud with a hole in it. Sadly you are on a hiding to nothing, as you are NOT looking at a cloud with a hole in it – what you are actually seeing is a hole surrounded by cloud. Now that is a totally different kettle of fish, and far easier to explain – so much so that I will not patronise you by giving out the answers.
Well, it should be obvious we are being observed by sophisticated aliens. 😉
Thanks, Mike Alger. Great pictures!
The wind is compressed as it moves up the side of the mountains. It is accelerated, and produces vortices, similar to wind tip vorticies on aircraft. When it reaches the peak of the mountain, if it is shaped through a avalanche, channel area, those vortices are projected upward, into the base of the forming lenticular cloud.
Or it is where Iron Man, flew through the cloud.
Or it is the formation of the Eye of Sauron.
Or the cloud passed over Sacramento, and the black hole sucked out 10% of the cloud.
More lenticular clouds:
https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrTccfipQlVj0IA1n4nnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTB0aWRtNmFyBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkA1lIUzAwMV8x?_adv_prop=image&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&va=lenticular+clouds&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001
It’s the missing modeled hot spot!
If its over a golf course, it’d be Barack responding to the news that Bibi remains firmly in control of Israel’s future…
it is the left side of the Earth’s cloud bikini top. 🙂 no really it is… 🙂
Cheers!
Joe
Obviously, it’s a Lemurian ship on final approach to Mt. Shasta…Duh!
Could CO2 be to blame? Can anybody say how much water is in that cloud? .. and by exension, how much CO2 is dissolved in that water?
They are visible from the Bay Area today (obviously, from our PoV, along our Eastern horizon). I reckon an inside slider system or Tonopah Low is in play. Hopefully some precip for the Sierra, East of the Sierra and So Cal.
This is what is called a Holy Molly!
Or a Round Tuit.
I don’t know what it is, but as a pilot I know enough to stay away.
what they are is…beautiful.
Hey! I just turned the picture upside-down and got a flashback! …I’m OK- I’m OK- I’m OK…
It’s the missing hurricanes and tornadoes, they have to be hiding somewhere, right? Like the heat.
Can can you provide a more precise location so I can see the topography, time would be helpful as well.
Cloud would be almost directly over south Reno…downwind from the Sierra Nevada. Probably the first wave downwind.
Someone should pull up the satellite imagery to see it from a different angle.
“Climate change rectum”.
Two theories immediately spring to mind:
1) The most valid theory – Cubness, and the idea that Chicago North Siders actually think the immutable laws of the universe will be broken this year, and they won’t stink again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex-Cubs_Factor
2) Made by intelligent life from elsewhere – there have been many suppositions as to what this life might be life over the years – Michael Rennie, Mork from Ork, Alf – all with their plusses and minuses. No matter who the life form turns out to be , you can be sure that people like Hawking and Neil deGrasse Tyson will be thinking to themselves just what the Pierce Brosnan character was thinking to himself in the highly underrated Mars Attacks – “I can’t touch a creator of the Universe, but these are just more highly developed forms of intelligent life from the same universe – and I, ALONE, am the only one on earth with the ability to TRULY understand them!!!”
All other explanations are invalid
Its the first time that I’ve seen it, therefore;
It is the beginning of a new phenomenon, therefore;
It must be associated with something new, and;
The only new thing that occurs around here is human induced, therefore;
It must be associated with human activity and no human activity is benign, therefore;
We must try to protect our grandchildren from proliferation of the swirly reddish cloud formations, therefore;
We must pool our resources to study the obvious problem, and as such;
I am now offering my services and time to manage the resource pool that you all will obviously and happily contribute toward (unless of course you don’t love your grandchildren).
Please contribute to me in care of WUWT.
Thank You
Gaia fart.
I’m with Paul Westhaver, Von Karman vortices being shed from an object at right angles to the wind in atmospheric conditions also suitable for the formation of lenticular clouds.
It’s an intriguing theory, but I don’t think so… see my response to Paul’s comment above.
It’s a scene deleted from this movie.