Weird Clouds Seen Over Puget Sound, Plus My Newest Podcast/Forecast

October 29, 2022

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Through the previous day, I’ve obtained a number of emails and photos of an odd cloud function seen from roughly 4 PM to five:30 PM on Thursday. Let me present you.

Theresa Verway took this image from Shilshoe Seashore in Seattle round 4:12 PM

Steve Moseley took this image in N. Seattle round 5:18 PM

And listed here are two views from the Seattle PanoCan, one round 4 PM and the opposite round 5:30 PM. Word the blue skies close by….that shall be essential.

So what brought on these unusual clouds?

To achieve some perception, let’s check out high-resolution satellite tv for pc imagery on the identical time…..that ought to present some main hints!

Here’s a high-resolution seen picture at 4:30 PM. For a skilled meteorologist the imagery suggests a high-amplitude mountain wave pressured by the Olympics.

Let me clarify, utilizing a marked-up model of the picture under. On Thursday, there have been sturdy southwesterly winds (from the southwest) approaching the Olympics–see pink arrow. Because the air rose on the western facet of the Olympics, clouds (and precipitation) have been enhanced.

However because the air moved down the northeast facet of the Olympics it descended, drying the air and producing a transparent zone (see blue arrow).

The motion of the air up and over the Olympics established a mountain wave sample and the air subsequently rose quickly downstream, forcing a formidable space of clouds (inexperienced arrow).

This high-amplitude mountain wave sample might be simulated by our greatest forecast fashions, such because the UW WRF modeling system. The truth is, our mannequin predicted this fascinating cloud (see under)

Such high-resolution mountain wave clouds can have very complicated buildings in three dimensions, and that was actually the case on Thursday afternoon. So complicated that some of us have mistaken these clouds for UFOs–unidentified flying objects.