Recently, a cloud formation in Marion County, South Carolina, caught the attention of many after Zachary Lane posted striking images of it on Twitter. His tweet from July 9th sparked a flurry of reactions, with some Twitter users finding the clouds awe-inspiring and others finding them unsettling.
One tweet humorously speculated, “The aliens are finally here,” reflecting the eerie appearance of the clouds. Despite their ominous look, these clouds are harmless.
Lane, who describes himself as a “weather junkie” on Twitter, captured what are known as scud clouds. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), scud clouds are “small, ragged, low cloud fragments that are unattached to a larger cloud base and often seen with and behind cold fronts and thunderstorm gust fronts.”
NOAA explains that these clouds are typically associated with cool, moist air and are commonly observed with thunderstorm outflow. Scud clouds are often mistaken for funnel clouds or tornadoes, especially when observed near thunderstorms. However, scud clouds do not rotate and cannot develop into tornadoes.
The News 19 Weather Team encourages the public to share their weather-related photos and videos. These may be featured on the news program or social media. Members of the community are also invited to post any weather questions they have for the team to address.
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