Home
Weather New York
WeatherRadar
RainRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Weather News /

    A rare sight: cloud waves spotted in the US

02:00 PM
January 28, 2023

A rare sight
Cloud waves spotted in the US

Privacy policy

Rare clouds resembling waves formed in Utah, these only form under certain weather conditions.

The atmosphere can always produce impressive phenomena. In Cache Valley, a valley in Utah, the clouds on the adjacent mountain range looked like breaking waves on the beach. These are so-called Kelvin-Helmholtz waves.

They form at the boundary between air layers of different temperatures, which additionally move at different wind speeds at different heights.

Kelvin Helmholtz clouds
The rare clouds were spotted in Ayr, Scotland last March. - © Billy Winton

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds can be observed all over the world. However, they usually remain visible in the sky for only a few minutes before disappearing again. Therefore, they are very rare

Like the water level of a lake, the winds of the slightly faster and warmer air layer above ripples the top of the sluggish and cooler air layer below.

In the process, some of the lower air layers is stirred up into the air mass above, forming the typical wave patterns.

If you spot these rare clouds and manage to snap a picture we would love to see them! Use our uploader or tap the camera icon in the app.

Weather & Radar USA editorial team
More on the topic
Heat is affecting agriculture globally. WMO report. . . Sunday, April 26, 2026
A young woman is kneeling in a cornfield, tending to her plants
Sunday, April 26, 2026

WMO report

Heat is affecting agriculture globally
Heat wave setting records across Europe. London breaks May record. . . Tuesday, May 26, 2026
European heat wave
Tuesday, May 26, 2026

London breaks May record

Heat wave setting records across Europe
Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak. Make a wish!. . . Tuesday, April 21, 2026
The Lyrids peak tonight.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Make a wish!

Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak
All weather news
This might also interest you
Severe threat for Plains, Mid-Atlantic. Damaging winds, hail. . . Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Powerful storms could bring damaging winds and large hail to parts of the Plains today into tonight. A few strong storms producing damaging winds may also impact the Mid-Atlantic.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Damaging winds, hail

Severe threat for Plains, Mid-Atlantic
Happy Father's Day!. Check the forecast. . . Sunday, June 21, 2026
Happy Father's Day!
Sunday, June 21, 2026

Check the forecast

Happy Father's Day!
Wildfire risk grows across West. Turning gusty today. . . Friday, June 26, 2026
Western high winds
Friday, June 26, 2026

Turning gusty today

Wildfire risk grows across West
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

instagramfacebookthreadslinkList