Mon Oct 07 23:14:35 UTC 2024: ## Rare “Undulatus Asperatus” Clouds Spotted Over Ottawa Ahead of Storm
**OTTAWA, ON** – Ottawa residents were treated to a rare and mesmerizing sight on Sunday as unusual cloud formations, known as “Undulatus asperatus,” blanketed the sky ahead of stormy weather. These clouds, first identified in 2008 by the Cloud Appreciation Society, are characterized by their rough, undulating appearance, resembling a stormy sea viewed from below.
Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, explained that the clouds’ formation is linked to unstable atmospheric conditions. The cold front moving through Ottawa on Sunday afternoon and evening triggered the unusual cloud formations.
“These clouds are formed by a combination of updrafts and downdrafts, the rising and sinking motions associated with cold fronts, as well as the presence of wind shear in the atmosphere,” said Coulson. “Wind shear essentially means the change of wind speed and direction with height.”
The combination of wind shear and unsettled atmospheric conditions is believed to be the key factor in creating these unique cloud formations.
Photos of the Undulatus asperatus clouds were widely shared on social media, capturing the attention of Ottawa residents and cloud enthusiasts alike.
First Piper 