While this kind of cloud pattern isn't exceptionally unusual, it also isn't an everyday occurrence to see such a nicely organized series of neatly banded clouds. The trick to forming these clouds is a "just right" balance of stability, vertical wind shear, and a shallow layer of moisture that exists at an altitude where there is a fairly sharp vertical change in density (which traces back to vertical variations in temperature and humidity) that leaves a less dense layer of air just above a notably more dense layer. When the winds through the upper layer are a good deal stronger than those just below as well, this scenario can result in waves developing at the interface between the two layers, not unlike wind (much less dense) inducing waves on water (much more dense) when it blows across a lake, river, or ocean. When these waves occur within a single fluid (up in the air or down within a body of water) they are called internal waves.
It was one of those patterns that Kelly caught such a nice photo of, and it brought to mind that one of the broadcast technicians on our crew (who is also a very good photographer), Jeff Reeves, had sent around a similar photo that he shot several months ago. I've included that one as the second image above. The third and fourth images attached are ones I took a couple of years ago, and discussed in the older blog I referred to above. Enjoy them all, and be sure to check out the other great shots that our viewers/visitors sent in for the contest!
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