Insider Blog: Lenticular clouds

Lenticular clouds are a unique species of cloud that arises as a result of atmospheric dynamics. Lenticular clouds often take the shape of a flying saucer. When something like a mountain or a volcano obstructs the general flow of air, waves in the atmosphere are formed behind the obstruction. We call these waves lee waves.

At the top, or crest, of these waves, a cloud can form if the temperature drops below the dewpoint. This means that the surrounding air is too cold to sustain all the moisture, thus leading to a cloud. Since the phenomenon is caused by waves in the atmosphere, there can often be multiple lenticular clouds, just like we saw yesterday.