photo #5573101

Joe Walker (Cloud Appreciation Society Member 59,810) always chooses the aircraft window seat so he can watch the sky and clouds. The pilot on his flight into New York City, US navigated between the cloud layers to reduce turbulence. Below was a shifting terrain of Stratocumulus stratiformis clouds. Above, the underside of a huge cloud canopy, known as an incus, that had spread out at the top of a Cumulonimbus storm cloud. Distinctive pouch-like features known as mamma hung from the canopy, where they were painted gold by the setting Sun. Joe was returning home to Manhattan from a hard work trip. Since mamma tend to form to the rear of a Cumulonimbus, their appearance is a sign you’ve likely passed the challenging weather. Hopefully, for Joe and his fellow passengers, it was a smooth ride in on the homestretch.