Jul 16, 2014
New Cloud Type Discovered: ‘Undulus Asperatus’
Turbulent motions between differing air masses create undulating clouds as seen over rural Kansas in the early morning hours of April 28, 2006.( Bottom two images ) Meteorologists are proposing these clouds be designated as the first new cloud type to be named in over 50 years: Undulus Asperatus.
The ominous-looking clouds have been particularly common in the Plains states of the United States, often during the morning or midday hours following convective thunderstorm activity. These clouds are not considered a precursor to severe weather, rather appear to form following rain or thunderstorm activity.