UFO in the sky? No, it’s a lenticular cloud. Here’s what that means
These kind of clouds are incredibly rare in Houston
When I first saw this photo sent to click2pins.com by Spangler417 from Rosenberg, I had to do a double-take. Not because it looks like a flying saucer (though it totally does), but because spotting a lenticular cloud anywhere near Houston is incredibly rare! The way this cloud formed on top of a storm cloud is amazing!
Lenticular clouds are those smooth, lens-shaped formations that look like stacked pancakes, or sometimes, a UFO hovering in place. They form when stable, moist air flows over mountains and creates standing waves in the atmosphere.
Years ago, I snapped the photo below in Seattle, Washington, it was the first time I’d ever seen a lenticular cloud. It was mesmerizing, the way it seemed to float perfectly over Mount Rainier.
But here in Houston’s flat coastal plain? We don’t exactly have mountains to work with, so seeing a cloud like this here is a true treat!
Lenticular clouds form when stable air is forced to rise and sink in a standing wave, usually when steady winds blow across a mountain or ridge. As the air rises, moisture condenses to form the cloud, and as it sinks, the cloud evaporates. The result? A cloud that looks like it’s hovering in place, even though the air is constantly moving through it.
When I worked in Los Angeles, my colleague Kim Baldonado sent me this stunning photo of a lenticular cloud over the mountains near Palm Springs, California. It’s easy to see why people joke that these look like flying saucers. This one could’ve come straight out of a sci-fi movie!
Back here in Houston, seeing a cloud like this is almost unheard of, but not impossible. Our flat coastal landscape just doesn’t have the kind of mountains that help form the strong, stationary waves needed for lenticular clouds.
Years ago, someone sent me an incredible photo of one that had formed right over a downtown Houston building. It was breathtaking. I only wish I still had that picture.
The photo below is one I took in 2022 at my son’s football game. It’s not as dramatic as the mountain shots, but if you look closely, you can see a lenticular cloud forming right on top of another cloud. Proof that even in Houston, the atmosphere can surprise us!
If you have ever seen one or taken a picture of an awesome cloud formation, send it to me at click2pins.com.
