How Clouds are Made: Tar Heel 200, June 15, 2011

The sound of Mother Nature’s siren song mid-week was overwhelming. With lyrics like: low temperatures; low humidity; cool breezes; sunshine, blue skies—how could one resist her spell?

We were not disappointed. Janis, Martin, and I were treated to a veritable show of cloud making by Mother Nature, herself.

Between Godwin and Averasboro on the return, we speculated about the nature of several white plumes reaching upward from the horizon toward the sky. Because farmers have been burning their fields of late, we wondered whether the plumes were smoke, “dirt devils” (i.e., “dust devils”), or real clouds forming, if not all three.

Martin and I stop to witness what may be actual cloud formation. When warm air ascends, it cools. Cooled water vapor condenses, forming clouds. This process of cloud formation is explained by a meteorologist here.

What a gorgeous day to be on the bikes!

Let’s ride!