Spaceship headed for Mount Shasta

Here it is, folks, the only evidence that the weather forecasters knew what they were talking about.  Our 20% chance of thunderstorms all boiled down to this one cloud yesterday.  But what a cloud it was!  My pic doesn’t begin to do it justice.

As a ‘know-nothing’, I’d call it a lenticular cloud riding a  little thunderhead, but there are many names for lens shaped clouds: Cap or pileus clouds, Lenticular, orographic and banner clouds, not to mention spaceships.  Any one of these refers to the round, stationary, atmospheric formations of condensed water vapor or ice crystals that most often hang out above or near high geographic formations such as mountains.  (My very own definition!)

Mount Shasta creates many beautiful cloud types and formations of water. Follow the link for more photos and copious cloud talk.

Back to lenticulars. For some reason, they fall into one of three categories—altocumulus, stratocumulus or cirrocumulus depending on something or other that I was too lazy to figure out.

If you’re feeling mentally spry, click to the AMS* or American Meteorological Society. For my present mental state, I found their definitions too long winded and circular.  (Get it?)  Just the statement of purpose was a bit on the dense or cumulus side: “The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications.”

When it comes to cap clouds, or lenticulars sitting atop a mountain peak, I think the Brits say it best: