Cloud metamorphosis

Over the course of an hour or so, this cloud was transformed, though it stayed in more or less the same place, from a streak to what looked like a sheet of snow in the sky, then cloudlets that gradually dispersed.

If you click on the first image, you'll see it enlarged and can go through the sequence.

Faint and far away

Cirrocumulus stratiformis, very high and formed of ice crystals and super-cooled water droplets, forming a ripple pattern. The smudgy larger clouds on the right are lower altocumulus.

Cold clouds on a hot day

Altocumulus (lower left) and cirrocumulus (all the rest) on another hot day, 31° in the shade. Poor grocery delivery driver said it was 33° in his cab - no air conditioning.

Can't get my head around the fact that it's so hot down here, and heat rises, yet those cirrocumulus clouds will be at least 20,000 feet up, formed from ice crystals or super-cooled water.

Cool sunset

Looking south-east, reflected light on altocumulus bobbles, like fluff.

Sunset streaks at different levels - stratocumulus, altocumulus, cirrus and contrails.

A little later - blue, grey, and apricot.

Forecast: cloudy with sunny intervals later

Looking south-west at lunchtime, with heaps of cumulus in the distance and altocumulus overhead.

Pastel colours at sunset

A little earlier, the sky was rather dull. Sunset brought out some pastel colours.

I've neglected this blog lately, having hunkered down indoors through the cold weather. This was taken through a window. Maybe things will begin to warm up now, though I'm not putting my thermals away just yet.

A Spring day in January

It's bright and sunny and unseasonably warm. I shall do some gardening, but it's January, for heaven's sake!

Mid-morning, and the sky was mostly clear; just a few contrails and some streaks of altocumulus in the east.

About 10.45am, with the sun shining through a layer of altocumulus stratiformis. You can just make out a sundog (circled) and some colour to the top left of the sun, part of a halo.

Bands of altocumulus tinted by the setting sun.

Altocumulus lit from underneath, very dramatic.

Taken from outside the village, looking west.

From the same vantage point, facing north west.

Back in the village, a layer of mist crept across the playing field.

Rainy day

A rainy day in shades of grey.

Cirrus overload

Late in the day there were lots of cirrus clouds, of all shapes and sizes, and some altocumulus.

Hot June Day

Very hot day. A layer of cirrostratus, and below it some cirrus and altocumulus.

December 8th

No rain today. Judging from the cloud patterns, there were strong winds at high altitudes, though it wasn't windy at ground level.

The first photo shows the edge of a sheet of stratocumulus stratiformis.

In the second photo, the setting sun is reflected on the underside of a sheet of altocumulus. At the bottom of the sky, you can see virga falling from stratocumulus - the hook-shaped trails underneath the cloud.

Late morning

Mostly overcast

Puffy stuff

Altocumulus

Late altocumulus

Another mixed-up sky

Altocumulus bobbles

Where clouds collide

Bright sunshine, warmer, stayed dry.