vertical cloud formations?

Question

i just went outside and saw a very unusual cloud formation. I went through about 3 websites that showed different cloud formations, but i could not find it.
It is like a filament cloud formation, but instead of being horrizontal they were vertical. They were very defined, no haze, definite top and bottom, very low , fairly close together, and they covered the entire horizon.
My current weather system:
Humidity: 53%
Dew Point: -13 °F / -25 °C
Wind: 4.0 mph / 6.4 km/h / 3.6 m/s from the WSW
Wind Gust: 9.0 mph / 14.5 km/h
Pressure: 30.40 in / 1029.3 hPa
Windchill: -9 °F / -23 °C
Visibility: -10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
Aviation:
Wind Speed: 4.0 mph / 6.4 km/h / 3.6 m/s
Wind Dir: 258° (WSW)
Ceiling: 2300 ft / 701 m
Websites i looked at:
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_types
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/mark.shufflebottom/Cloud%20formations.htm

Answer 1

I'm not exactly sure what type of cloud you're describing, but here are a few things:
-If the clouds were vertically developed, then they are a type of cumulus cloud.
-Well defined clouds also indicate cumulus.
Here are a few pictures of you to check out:

Cumulus:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/weather/images/cumulus.jpg
http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/School/dondero/msm/weather/cornfld2.jpg
http://www.meteo-julianadorp.nl/wolkenatlas/cumulus/cu_cong002.jpg

Towering Cumulus:
http://www.stormeyes.org/tornado/SkyPix/drylntcu.jpg
http://www.atmospheric-violence.com/cloudgallery/verticleclouds/9-6-2002-cumulus1.jpg
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/photos/toweringCU98.jpeg

AltoCumulus CAStellanus (ACCAS):
http://www.downunderchase.com/friends/dave/IMG_4253.jpg
http://www.stormchasers.au.com/Campics%20-%20Jan/050101am05.jpg

You're pretty cold though, so I'm surprised there would be any vertical motion. But if the clouds are oriented vertically, they got that way from rising air.

Answer 2

OK... may be way off, but this is an idea....

you say "they covered the entire horizon" and were vertical.

I would like to suggest that they were normal horizontal filament cloud formations which extended to just short of, or all the way to, or just past the horizon. Could that be?

They would then appear vertical, since they would intersect the horizon at right angles. If they stopped WAY short of you, you wouldn't notice their horizontal nature.

I have seen that before with contrails, which are not too dissimilar.

Hope that helps!

:-)

Answer 3

hi. i favor to look on the cloud formation and in case you look and stared after a lengthy time period you ought to work out diverse type hidden below the clouds, my daughter,my husband and my self we stared on the cloud so frequently one cloudy nighttime all of us pronounced formation of angels 2 small angels and a huge one spread out contained in the sky, when we stepped forward the photographs, even even with the actuality that it change into raining we pronounced a large arch that made a lengthy line and on the proper of the line we pronounced a appealing rainbow. We nevertheless look on the cloud and once in a lengthy time period we are able to glazed some issues acceptable contained in the sky some situations we are no longer attentive to the type, yet all of us understand that we stay in a tremendous international. effective tale i idea you because we did pronounced some incredible cloud-formation.

Answer 4

my. my arent you into facts!