"Awesome" cloud formation seen from atop Mount Washington
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. - New England's highest peak offered the perfect view for some stunning cloud formations on Monday.
The Mount Washington Observatory shared a photo of pancake-like lenticular clouds over the summit.
Strong winds and westerly flow resulted in several standing lenticular clouds around the summit this afternoon....
Posted by Mount Washington Observatory on Monday, January 22, 2024
"Lenticular clouds form in the crests of gravity waves created by relatively stable, fast-moving air when it is forced up and over a mountain oriented perpendicular to the wind direction," the observatory explained. "Typically, there are only one to two layers in a lenticular cloud, but the biggest one this afternoon had over seven!"
The National Weather Service says lenticular clouds typically form in the winter or spring when the winds above are strongest.
The photo has been shared more than 1,000 times on Facebook, with one word coming up over and over again in the comment section: "Awesome."
"I saw it looking north on Rte 16 in Ossipee, did a double take!" one user commented. "I have seen pictures of this but never seen in person. Awesome!"
"Amazing picture!!" another person said. "Mount Washington is magical."
The summit forecast for Mount Washington on Tuesday calls for below-zero wind chills, with gusts up to 80 mph, and a few inches of snow.