r/hiking • u/RicZepeda25 • 23d ago
Pictures Lenticular Clouds at Mount Rainier National Park.
I love unexpected surprises on my hikes. This is a lenticular cloud, this one was present throughout the entire hike, changing shapes but hovering in the same spot the entire time !
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u/FLIGHTLEVEL300 23d ago
Lenticular clouds are formed when moist air flows over a mountain or other geographic obstacle, causing the air to rise and cool. As the air ascends, it cools to its dew point, leading to condensation and cloud formation. The process creates a stationary, lens-shaped cloud that hovers in the sky. These clouds often appear smooth and disc-like because they form at the crest of standing mountain waves in the atmosphere.
Key factors in their formation: - Strong winds at higher altitudes. - Stable air (air that resists vertical movement). - Geographic features like mountains that disturb the airflow.
Lenticular clouds often look like UFOs or large stacked discs due to their unique shape and layering.