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Stacked Lenticulars

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On a ridge above Ten Sleep Lake was a commanding view of the surrounding valley and peaks. As I climbed upward the snow depth went from 6 inches to 12 inches to 18 inches. Staying on trail was impossible. Past the elk tracks at 10,000 feet I found the view I was searching for. The calmness of the valley was replaced by an icy wind. This same wind was creating lenticular clouds over the 12,000’ peaks to the east. Aside from wind, these clouds also require a stable, moist atmosphere. As air currents are forced upward over the high terrain, standing waves form downwind and clouds appear at the crest of the waves. These lens-shaped clouds often look like flying saucers or stacks of pancakes.

Copyright
Kevin Palmer Photography
Image Size
5617x3737 / 13.3MB
Keywords
Contained in galleries
Wyoming, Best of 2023, Recent Work
On a ridge above Ten Sleep Lake was a commanding view of the surrounding valley and peaks. As I climbed upward the snow depth went from 6 inches to 12 inches to 18 inches. Staying on trail was impossible. Past the elk tracks at 10,000 feet I found the view I was searching for. The calmness of the valley was replaced by an icy wind. This same wind was creating lenticular clouds over the 12,000’ peaks to the east. Aside from wind, these clouds also require a stable, moist atmosphere. As air currents are forced upward over the high terrain, standing waves form downwind and clouds appear at the crest of the waves. These lens-shaped clouds often look like flying saucers or stacks of pancakes.