LENTICULAR CLOUDS:
This lenticular cloud formed over
western Maricopa County, AZ in November 2003. Below the lenticular cloud
is a cumulus cloud.
PRECIPITATING ALTOCUMULUS:
On January 2, 2006 these lanes of interesting altocumulus clouds formed late in the morning. The puffy cumulus clouds of water droplets began to crystallize in the cold air above Phoenix, AZ and as the water droplets quickly solidified into growing ice crystals they began to drop. This precipitation never reached the ground and could therefore be considered a form of "virga". In the background are much higher cirrus clouds. Following are more pictures of this same phenomena. Click on the smaller thumbnail images to get the larger image.
These two images show more precipitation with the super cooled cumulus
associated with the surrounding cirrus clouds. The super cooled water
droplets of the cumulus cloud quickly release energy as they crystallize to
snowflakes. Each snowflake grows as more and more of the water droplets
contribute to the growth of the ice crystals by releasing heat energy to drop to
the more stable, lower energy level of the solid state. This cloud was
seen over the wide open spaces in New Mexico on route 60 east of Springerville,
AZ.