Clouds of the Day - April 25, 2020

We started the day with this! The GOES 16 visible image at 10:06 CDT showed a broad cloud shield over Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and points east and south. The western educe of the shield cut across Iowa from northeast to southwest. Cedar Falls was east of the sharp cloud cut off. A low pressure center was located over Missouri and another low pressure system was tracking southeastward across the Dakotas, Minnesota, western Iowa, south to Kansas. Clouds of the Day show the cloud sequence as the sky appeared over Cedar Falls. You will see the sharp western edge of the cirrus band followed by sunshine and cumulus that developed under the western edge of the shield.

The photo below is courtesy of NOAA.

This is a look at thecirrostratus cloud shield over Cedar Falls.

The cloud shield looking west.

This halo developed as sunlight was refracted by falling ice crystals in the cirrostratus shield.

The western edge of the cirrus shield shows up here looking North.

Another look at the cirrus shield as it retreated to the east. Notice the cumulus that are forming as the sun warms the ground and starts rising air currents.

Close-up of a dissipating jet contrail with fractus clouds in the foreground.

Two cumulus humilus developing as warm moist currents rising into colder air aloft.

A pair of cumulus mediocris (medium size cumulus).

Looking up nto the bases of the cumulus clouds.