Beautiful, surreal-looking clouds brushed the skies over some of Washington’s most scenic mountains and forest over the weekend.
Many were documented on social media in photographs sent to KIRO 7 News, with people saying that the clouds looked like everything from a painting to an alien invasion.
>> PHOTOS: Lenticular cloud spotted in Washington
Such clouds are called lenticular clouds. A lenticular cloud is almost like a UFO shape or cap cloud, appearing to sit on top of the mountain. They’re formed when winds come off the ocean.
As winds come off the ocean, they hit the mountain and are forced to rise, and the air cools and condenses into a cloud that looks like a cap.
Lenticular clouds are often a sign that wet weather is just around the corner. The appearance of lenticular clouds over volcanoes often means incoming rain, as the atmosphere aloft moistens ahead of precipitation.
You can get up-to-the-minute weather forecasts, breaking weather alerts and five-day forecasts any time with the KIRO 7 Pinpoint Weather App. Click this link to download the KIRO 7 Pinpoint Weather App for Android and iPhones.
Cox Media Group
