Some unsettled air made for some interesting clouds this weekend. Thankfully, no lightning was reported. We didn’t see anything widespread this weekend, but rather spotty showers that did not last very long. Instead of the clouds being stratus and like a sheet, they were the cotton ball cumulus clouds. Cumulus clouds are indicative of rising air. Ice pellets were also reported Friday and Saturday. The title page picture is from Robert Bell. The picture below is from TL Rowlings.
The majority of the showers were in the Sierra, but we got some in the valley and basin as well. When the cloud gets tall and looks like a cauliflower it is usually capable of producing lightning and thunder. The current air mass is unstable but there is not a ton of heat to work with. If this storm developed during the summer we probably would have had lightning as well. The rain coming down from the cloud is called the rain shaft. This photo was taken from Sparks and is from Robert Bell.
A dust devil was also reported on Sunday. Dust devils form when there is a localized area of warm air near the ground and cooler unsettled air above. The air picks up dust as it rises and the surface winds swirl it around. Dust devils usually produce only minor to no damage. They can toss around your lawn furniture though. You also don’t want to get the dust in your eyes. You can tell it’s not a tornado because of the clouds above it. They are just regular cumulus clouds with no real storm structure. The dust devil also appears to be taller than the cloud if you look closely. It was reported in south Reno.
Virga is another type of weather phenomena we saw over the weekend. Virga is when rain evaporates before it hits the ground. Storm clouds can form with low relative humidity, and eventually they saturate with time. This is why thunderstorms can start a fire and then put it out a bit later. Photo below is from Kyle West and was taken in Hidden Valley.
Monday will be similar with most spots staying dry. Another storm moves through Tuesday into Wednesday. This will bring at least several inches of snow to the Sierra, as well as wind a rain/snow mix to the valley. Have a great week!
