20+ Dramatic Shots of Lenticular Clouds

Alvord Desert, Oregon

Mostly seen above mountains or hills, lenticular clouds are extraordinary clouds that, due to their smooth, saucer-like shape, are often mistaken for UFOs. Lenticular clouds are formed when a current of moist air is forced upwards as it travels over a mountain, causing the moisture to condense and form a cloud.

They can appear as if they’re sitting stationary, hovering above our planet in an unusual fashion for hours or even days. That’s because the flow of moist air continually resupplies the cloud from the windward side even as water evaporates and vanishes from the leeward side.

Lenticular clouds are considered a rare sight, especially in areas where there are no mountains. For photographers, they’re an incredible treat, especially when shot at a particular time of day. When the sun sets, one can witness a spectacular display as the clouds are lit with brilliant colors, almost as if someone had used a paintbrush and painted the sky. As Adamus said about the photo above, “Surreal, otherworldly, foreboding…perhaps a once in a lifetime combination of colors, shapes and textures. This awesome lenticular cloud formation occurred at sunset over Oregon’s Alvord Desert in late December, ahead of an impending storm.”

Compiled for you today, here are 20+ shots of dramatic lenticular clouds.

Above photo credit: Marc Adamus

Klyuchevskaya Sopka Mountain, East Russia

Photo credit: Dementievskiy Ivan