New storm cloud identified

[hobbes]

Apparently a new type of storm cloud has been identified (first one since 1951!), and given the name asperatus. Looks cool!

[M_Six]

That last picture from New Zealand is awesome. Those types of clouds are pretty common out here in the Midwest, and they usually signal very bad weather.

[Knapper]

Don't get too excited quite yet, the WMO has not officially given it the name. The Royal Met. Office is gathering information to present a case the the board. If it is added, it will then be distributed as official. As of now, and to most people I know in the met community, it is just a mammatus type cloud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammatus_cloud). I have a feeling it won't pass, but we will see...

[hobbes]

I don't know Ryan ... it's already got its own Wikipedia page

[Knapper]

Yes but remember that a wiki page is far from official and if you look at the wording, iit "proposed" with information being "gathered". So it is a work in progress. Until I get a new poster/manual from WMO/NOAA it is still just a theory. But look up "mammatus" on google images and tell me that what you are seeing in those images are not the ones you are seeing for this "new" cloud. A mammatus cloud seen in different lighting with a setting sun or one that is askew, is still a mammatus cloud.

[Bill O]

I've been noticing these clouds a lot more recently. Not that they are new or more frequent, I've just been noticing them more.

I see some similarities to mammatus, but the scale and areas of formation are totally different. Mammatus are found under dying thunderstorms. This new cloud forms under dense overcast and looks to have more of a gravity wave influence versus downdrafts.

Is this new cloud really any different than a strato layer interacting with vertical motion?

PS: I'm moving this to the weather forum.

Edit: I remember somebody posting a photo of these clouds around Mount Washington on these forums recently.

[Turd Ferguson]

I have seen these too and considered them some sort of mamma cloud but they do appear to be formed by different processes as Bill maybe is hinting at. They do seem to have some sort of wavelike influence. It sounds strange but I recall seeing them in both stable and unstable regimes.

[BlueDog]

All I know, is that if I walked out of that pub, looked up and saw this:



I'd start looking for this guy:

[mtruman]

All I know, is that if I walked out of that pub, looked up and saw this:

I'd start looking for this guy:

I'm not sure which is better, the picture of the very scary cloud or the quote from "Colostomies 2:18". The end is near indeed. LMAO!

[BlueDog]

ha! I was wondering if anyone would catch that.