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Rare Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds spotted over Baton Rouge Tuesday morning

1 year 1 day 14 hours ago Tuesday, December 12 2023 Dec 12, 2023 December 12, 2023 7:59 AM December 12, 2023 in Weather
Source: The Storm Station

Cool "wave-looking" clouds, scientifically known as Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, were spotted over Baton Rouge early this morning. This picture, sent in by viewer Greg Lindsly around 7am on Tuesday, shows the extremely rare phenomenon in action. 

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds are rare indeed because in order for them to take on the repeating breaking wave pattern, two layers of the atmosphere must be traveling at different speeds. The upper layer typically moves at a faster speed and creates the "scoop" appearance of the cloud. 

These clouds typically develop on windy days, and don't produce any type of precipitation. 

The Kelvin-Helmholtz name comes from physicists who studied turbulent airflow of the atmosphere. In fact, these clouds are a good indication that aircrafts may experience turbulence in the area. 

The phenomenon can also be spotted more commonly when fast winds moving over still or slow moving bodies of water create small waves on the water's surface! 

When you see weather happening, share it with us! Email photos to weather@wbrz.com or submit them via the Storm Station Weather App.

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