Carol Rush took this photo of a large lenticular cloud that appeared in Tehachapi skies on April 4.
Carol explained how she happened to take this photo: “My husband Chris and I were amazed to see this long lenticular cloud over the Tehachapis, from our house in Golden Hills. As we watched, it turned from grey-white to peach color as the sunset progressed. Then a couple of turkey vultures appeared circling in the sky above our neighbor’s large conifers they like to roost in, during their spring migration back to the north. I took several photos. It was a nice gift at the end of the day!”
Lenticular clouds, sometimes called “standing wave” clouds, are usually found above mountainous terrain, and are seldom seen in open plains or prairie locations unless the location is a basin adjacent to a peak or mountain range.
The Tehachapi Mountains often produce lenticular clouds, and while they occur year-round, they are often seen during the spring months. The word lenticular means “lens-like” and they frequently form a smooth, rounded shape like a lens.
Other times they resemble layered cakes, eroded sandstone, shorelines, etc. One magnificent and well-photographed lenticular cloud over the Tehachapi Mountains, which formed in the afternoon about 15 years ago, looked like the body of an acoustic guitar.
While powered aircraft typically avoid the vicinity of lenticular clouds because of the turbulence and sinking air associated with the trailing edge of the cloud, sailplane pilots like those flying out of Mountain Valley Airport often seek out the strong and smooth upward moving air at the forward edge of the cloud.
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News for possible publication. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: [email protected].