Big Mountain type Cloud..Scary...

Originally posted by ErroneousDylan
reply to post by SoulVoid

 

Just report back to us tomorrow when you are completely fine and nothing has gone arise.

I know. I don't understand why they're calling ME the troll here

It's a freaking CLOUD.

No story here.

reply to post by SoulVoid


Haven't read through so I'm probably saying something someone else has said, being as there are at least four pages to this thread, but I'm in Kentucky, US and this happens often in my area, especially during the summer. The scariest part of it for me is to be on top of a hill that is in the clear and then drive down into the "cloud." It's like driving straight into a void! Basically, it's very thick fog and it is hard to breathe because it's so full of moisture. This type of fog is most common here over lakes and the surrounding area. When standing in it, tiny droplets of moisture are actually visible, swirling in the air. I've seen this all my life, so it's nothing to be scared of. I'm not sure why it would happen in an area where is hasn't happened in the past thirty years, but the weather is strange these days. Don't be scared though.

ETA: I'm not sure what would cause the ammonia smell so can't quite comment on that. That's definitely not something I have experience with.

Originally posted by SoulVoid


Anyone knows what this phenomenom is?

Fog.

Originally posted by SoulVoid
reply to post by Stonesplitter

 

I´ve just phoned to a few friends in the area and they all say the same..

Trouble breathing and zero visibility.

Weird that there´s nothing in the news yet..

Not in the news?
That's because patches of fog aren't newsworthy.

It's a patch of fog. Nothing sinister or scary about it, unless you were trying to drive through it.
Dense fog makes it hard to see
Fog

reply to post by SoulVoid


I've just read through your posts. I didn't see about the ammonia smell and breathing problems

Do you have an agency on air pollutants to report breathing problems to?
Is your air quality monitored in portugal?
You should report the ammonia smell.

Maybe you should look at your local weather forecast agency for more answers.
It would have said current conditions and usually provides an air quality index.

Anybody with pre existing lung or respiratory disorders has difficulty breathing if the air quality is poor, contains toxic particles. Humidity can cause difficulty with breathing as well.

No idea what you meant about a t storm within the cloud.

Get some pics or vids of it.

It could also have been something like a gustnado or other large storm front. Like this (the video is a dust storm, apparently, but it's a similar idea...it took me forever to track the video down, so I'm posting it whether it's exactly it or not):



They form at the leading edge of thunderstorms.

If this was the case, then I would guess that the ammonia smell was ozone being brought in from the lightning by the gust front, whereas the fact that it was hard to breathe was probably a result of both the ozone and the humidity.

Originally posted by SoulVoid
UPDATE:

Huge and scary Lightning Storm in the Cloud..But absolutely no rain.

I´m trying to decide if i should get my car and drive near it so i can film what´s happening..
Still nothing in the news..just plain odd...

Why can't you film or take pics from where you are right now?
As you did in the op.
You should be able to see the lightning. Can you see it?

I ran into one of those driving on flat land in Michigan. Suddenly, there was a cloud so thick that you couldn't see to the front of your own car. Everyone was stopped on the highway. There were no major accidents, fortunately. It was in 1983. No one believed me. Everyone thought I made up the bizarre story to make an excuse for being over an hour late. I inched my way out of it at 3 miles an hour on the shoulder.

i don't know why people are so intent on being rude.

the OP did use the word "scary" in the title but the post was merely a question whether or not anyone knew what it was. sometimes when we see something we've never seen before and really don't know what the heck it is it IS scary. the op didn't say OMG SO SCARY WE"RE ALL GOING TO DIE.

sheesh. the cousin reported an ammonia smell. that DOES seem cause for concern.

i don't get why people have to be so rude.

not everyone is a clone and walks around calm cool and collected. people react to things in different ways. sheesh. i swear "fear mongering" is the most used phrase on this whole site.

Originally posted by SoulVoid
UPDATE:

Huge and scary Lightning Storm in the Cloud..But absolutely no rain.

I´m trying to decide if i should get my car and drive near it so i can film what´s happening..
Still nothing in the news..just plain odd...

Assuming it's something other than some sort of cloud or natural occurrence, I have to say that you don't seem to have very strong self preservation instincts here do ya?! LOL Hmmmm odd, ammonia smelling cloud that covers street level in large areas.. I think I shall go investigate personally and see if it's dangerous! LMAO It's sort of like in horror movies where the stupid girl is home alone, hears a scary sound in the basement and decides to go check it out. Just in her skimpy pajamas and not armed at all...

Originally posted by CLPrime
It could also have been something like a gustnado or other large storm front. Like this (the video is a dust storm, apparently, but it's a similar idea...it took me forever to track the video down, so I'm posting it whether it's exactly it or not):

They form at the leading edge of thunderstorms.

If this was the case, then I would guess that the ammonia smell was ozone being brought in from the lightning by the gust front, whereas the fact that it was hard to breathe was probably a result of both the ozone and the humidity.

edit on 4-7-2012 by CLPrime because: (no reason given)

Look at those idiots!! They see a giant dust storm rolling in and they all stand around outside watching it. How about go inside and get some damp towels around all the doors and windows. Morons!

reply to post by elevenaugust


Hi elevenaugust! Hope you are well!

Those images you posted are great examples.

When the conditions are right to form these type of clouds they are absolutely amazing.

I live in Gatlinburg Tennessee, just several hundred feet from the border to 'The Great Smoky Mountains National Park'. Living here is a blessing, as I believe it to be one of the most beautiful areas on Earth.

These clouds and their appearance are common place in the Smokies. 'The Great Smoky Mountains' were actually named after the appearance provided by these clouds. When the conditions are right, lots of these clouds become visible, giving the mountain range an appearance of being on fire and smoldering.



Here are some images of how these clouds appear in 'The Great Smoky Mountains', both in the Tennessee and North Carolina, USA areas of the Smokies:

Click here to see a complete Bing image search of The Great Smoky Mountains region

reply to post by pasiphae


You are correct! I have always heard the type of fear involved in first time sight of something intimidating and strange referenced as the 'Fear of the Unknown'

It is something every normal person has built into their instincts. I imagine it probably plays a key role in our 'fight or flight' safety assessment mechanism.

reply to post by pasiphae
I don't know how people can feel healthy being so acidic.

I appreciate the videos. I wish I could have seen the lightning.

Here in Oklahoma, we like storms. We wait until the last minute to seek shelter. If the tornado is a few blocks away, we just watch it.

reply to post by SoulVoid


It appears the upper level clouds are stratocumulus clouds. The lower ones, while acting as fog, are likely a type of roll cloud. you can see the rolling motion in the clouds, howerver, this type of cloud normally occurs above one thousand feet or so. The difficulty breathing could be a combination of the massive amount of moisture in the cloud combined with the horizontal winds within the roll cloud. This rarely occurs AGL, so despite the discomfort, you guys have seen something you may not see twice in your lifetime. In kansas, we would normally see this type of cloud with thuderstorm formation. When you have a chance, check wind direction reports and dewpoints reported by your local weather service.

Okay, did some looking, and I used the incorrect terminology, here is the correct terminology for this type of cloud phenomenon. You may have indeed witnessed a type of roll cloud, in combination with a shelf cloud. Here are the deffinitions.An arcus cloud is a low, horizontal cloud formation. Roll clouds and shelf clouds are the two types of arcus clouds. A shelf cloud is usually associated with the leading edge of thunderstorm outflow; roll clouds are usually formed by outflows of cold air from sea breezes or cold fronts in the absence of thunderstorms.A shelf cloud is a low, horizontal, wedge-shaped arcus cloud. A shelf cloud is attached to the base of the parent cloud, which is usually a thunderstorm, but could form on any type of convective clouds. Rising cloud motion often can be seen in the leading (outer) part of the shelf cloud, while the underside often appears turbulent and wind-torn. Cool, sinking air from a storm cloud's downdraft spreads out across the land surface, with the leading edge called a gust front. This outflow cuts under warm air being drawn into the storm's updraft. As the lower cooler air lifts the warm moist air, its water condenses, creating a cloud which often rolls with the different winds above and below (wind shear).

People seeing a shelf cloud may believe they have seen a wall cloud. This is a likely mistake, since an approaching shelf cloud appears to form a wall made of cloud. A shelf cloud usually appears on the leading edge of a storm, and a wall cloud will usually be at the rear of the storm.Roll cloud






A roll cloud associated with a severe thunderstorm over Racine, Wisconsin




A roll cloud in Uruguay

A roll cloud is a low, horizontal, tube-shaped, and relatively rare type of arcus cloud. They differ from shelf clouds by being completely detached from other cloud features. Roll clouds usually appear to be "rolling" about a horizontal axis. They are a solitary wave called a soliton, which is a wave that has a single crest and moves without changing speed or shape. One of the most famous frequent occurrences is the Morning Glory cloud in Queensland, Australia. One of the main causes of the Morning Glory cloud is the mesoscale circulation associated with sea breezes that develop over the Cape York peninsula and the Gulf of Carpentaria. However, similar features can be created by downdrafts from thunderstorms and are not exclusively associated with coastal regions.

Coastal roll clouds have been seen over California, the English Channel, Shetland Islands, Lithuania, Eastern Russia, other maritime regions of Australia, off the Mexican coast in the Sea of Cortez, Uruguay, in the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Ontario, and Campos dos Goytacazes and Coronel Vivida bay in Brazil.


A sharp, strong gust front will cause the lowest part of the leading edge of a shelf cloud to be ragged and lined with rising fractus clouds. In a severe case there will be vortices along the edge, with twisting masses of scud that may reach to the ground or be accompanied by rising dust. A very low shelf cloud accompanied by these signs is the best indicator that a potentially violent wind squall is approaching. An extreme example of this phenomenon looks almost like a tornado and is known as a gustnado.[1]
hope this is helpfull.

reply to post by esteay812

I'm fine thanks!

The examples you posted are beautiful too, and I was wondering what could be the right conditions for these clouds to form.
I guess that it's just a question of basic weather parameters, such as temperature for example that can create the inversion phenomenon described such as below:

In meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to a temperature inversion, i.e. an increase in temperature with height, or to the layer (inversion layer) within which such an increase occurs.

An inversion can lead to pollution such as smog being trapped close to the ground, with possible adverse effects on health. An inversion can also suppress convection by acting as a "cap". If this cap is broken for any of several reasons, convection of any moisture present can then erupt into violent thunderstorms. Temperature inversion can notoriously result in freezing rain in cold climates.

Originally posted by pasiphae
i don't know why people are so intent on being rude.

the OP did use the word "scary" in the title but the post was merely a question whether or not anyone knew what it was. sometimes when we see something we've never seen before and really don't know what the heck it is it IS scary. the op didn't say OMG SO SCARY WE"RE ALL GOING TO DIE.

sheesh. the cousin reported an ammonia smell. that DOES seem cause for concern.

i don't get why people have to be so rude.

not everyone is a clone and walks around calm cool and collected. people react to things in different ways. sheesh. i swear "fear mongering" is the most used phrase on this whole site.

if the op was sincerely "scared" for his/her life why didn't they duct tape doors and windows AND THEN post this to ats? or were they just FEAR MONGERING?

Looks like a big huge cloud to me, but that's about it!