How certain kinds of clouds can help predict the weather
I love answering questions about weather and science, and I got a great question from Brent. He saw some strange looking clouds and asked, "What does this?" This is a really cool picture, and you may not often see clouds that almost seem to have tentacles like these clouds do.
The first thing to remember is the weather down here at Earth's surface is much different than the weather 20 thousand to more than 30 thousand feet high! That high up the temperatures are different, the humidity is different and the winds are different. This obviously leads to different weather outcomes, like the clouds.
So, the generic classification is that Brent sent us a picture of cirrus clouds. Cirrus clouds are those thin, wispy clouds.
They are composed of ice crystals and are usually the sign of an approaching warm front. These cirrus clouds become a little thicker as the warm front gets closer. Obviously, the picture that Brent sent us shows thinner clouds, so the actual front is still a ways off.
You will notice that these clouds sort of look like jellyfish because of the streaks behind them. Those streaks and the upward curl toward the front of the cloud classifies these as Cirrus Uncinus Clouds. The National Weather Service says in Latin this type of cloud is simply translated into "a curl or tuft of hair with a hook." These usually happen at 25 to 30 thousand feet high.
OK, so that is what these clouds are, and I know I haven't yet answered what causes these, so here we go. Warm air usually arrives in the upper levels of the atmosphere before it arrives at the surface. Also with height, winds change and pick up speed. The ice crystals the winds interact with get stretched out into these curly, wispy formations. They are also known as "mare's tails."
There is an old saying that comes along with these clouds, "Mares tails and mackerel scales make lofty ships carry low sails" . "Mackerel scales" are a type of mid level cloud. Both of these usually appear before a front moves into the area.
The National Parks Service says neither of these cloud types will bring rain or snow themselves. They do, however, precede an approaching front by a day or two.
So, you have a cool cloud that can sometimes predict the weather -- at least part of the weather.
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