CBS4 Viewer Captures Cool Lenticular Cloud With Funnel-Like Tail

By Chris Spears

DENVER (CBS4) - Check out this cool cloud picture from Thursday afternoon!

It was taken by Chelsea Ali's husband near Highway 85 between Fort Lupton and Platteville Thursday afternoon.

At first glance it looks like a mesocyclone (rotating thunderstorm) with a small funnel cloud, but it's not.

It's a really cool lenticular cloud that mostly likely merged with a jet contrail thanks to strong wind and wind shear in the atmosphere. Wind shear is a change of wind speed, direction, or both, with height.

The picture above is another vantage point of what is most likely the same cloud taken by David Beerman from Erie. You can clearly see the jet contrail being spread out by winds within the cloud.

Stephen Brown from Brighton caught what he thinks is the same cloud and in the picture above and you can see a few other jet contrails in the sky.

Meteorologist Chris Spears travels weekly in the CBS4 Mobile Weather Lab reporting about Colorado's weather and climate. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.