A few days back I left home here in Lassen County California early in the morning for a date with a dental drill in Reno. There was a storm blowing in and I had plenty of time, so I figured I’d make the most of it and put some camera gear in the car. Just a couple miles into the drive I spotted a wonderful lenticular cloud formation over Honey Lake, for which this valley I call home is named. I took a little side road I know and looked for some foreground interest. I found this irrigation wheel line in a snowy hay field and grabbed a shot in both vertical and horizontal orientations.
Lenticular clouds form stationary, lens- or saucer-shaped structures in the troposphere, similar in shape to lentils, hence their name. They often form perpendicular to wind direction and commonly appear over mountains where stable air waves create smooth, layered formations. They are a classic mountain weather phenomenon, frequently seen in wintry, mountainous settings — with some mountains, such as Mount Shasta just a couple hours from here, becoming well known for them.