Mammantus

We have had two wonderful weeks of Vacation Bible School at Church and on this evening's journey home I spied clouds like I have never seen before.
It amazing to know that there is nothing in nature that does not vary in form at least in the smallest of ways and certainly when it comes to the skies these differences are much more pronounced. We know that in all things the world around there is constant change. Growth and decay; birth and death; righteousness and wickedness. In comforting contrast to the uncertainty of this world's turmoil God remains unchanged and His word endures forever. This is my peace.



Mammatus clouds often form on the underside of cumulonimbus clouds, but are sometimes seen underneath other clouds as well.

They can appear threatening, but the sinking air required to make these clouds actually indicates weakening of the storm associated with them.

While mammatus clouds usually form beneath weakening thunderstorms, the kinds of thunderstorms that have them at one time contained intense updrafts, which indicates conditions in the area were, and might still be, favorable for severe weather.

Mammatus are pouch-like clouds that protrude down from the bottom of a thunderstorm's anvil cloud. The storm's anvil consists of ice crystals but, as it spreads out at the top of a thunderstorm, some of the ice begins falling and cools the clear air below.

Despite popular misconception, mammatus clouds usually are an indication severe weather has passed and thunderstorms are weakening. They are not a sign that a tornado is about to form.

However, mammatus clouds sometimes form on the upwind, or backside, of intense, severe thunderstorms that at the same time are dropping large hail and unleashing 60-70 mph bursts of wind.

Storms have to have wicked updrafts of rising air, probably moving at 75-100 mph, to spread an anvil into the steering winds in the first place as a thunderstorm's anvil cloud naturally and easily spreads with the wind.

In most cases, however — and this is what you should tell your colleagues — mammatus can be found beneath the anvil's of dying thunderstorms.