Mammatus Clouds

I received some time back some remarkable photos taken by Jorn Olsen.

Jorn Olsen works for the Dutton-Lainson Co. in Hastings , NE , and lives by Heartwell Park next to Hastings College . The stadium lights are at the Hastings College stadium just east of his home. The clouds are called Mammatus clouds! They do not precede a tornado, or foretell a storm, but are formed when the air is already saturated with rain droplets and/or ice crystals and begins to sink. The worst of the Storm is usually over when these kind of clouds are seen. They are quite rare, but really beautiful.

Mammatus (also known as mamma or mammatocumulus, meaning "breast-cloud") is a meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. The name "mammatus" is derived from the Latin mamma, or breast, due to some persons believing that the clouds bear a significant resemblance to human female breasts. We biologists have to always get into the act even if it is meteorology!

PS- Guess whose birthday is today?

If you guessed me, then you needed only one try!