Heart shape cloud over CU at Sunset on January 30th, 2018 at 5:06 pm.

I took this photo for the cloud first assignment for the 2018 Spring Flow Visualization class.  The purpose of the assignment was to capture a accurate and aesthetic image of the atmosphere.

According to the above skew-t diagram, the atmosphere was somewhat stable on January 30th.  I know this by the cape of .06. I think this was important in the formation of the heart shape stratocumulus cloud. I think this cloud is a mountain wave cloud due to its smooth texture and v shape, I suspect caused by air rising after passing between the mountains.  The clouds in the background are altocumulus undulatus or cirrocumulus lenticularis due to its fluffy, somewhat divided shape. I’m not sure which and I am also not sure if the clouds were the mountain wave or just being shaped by it.  They were a little over exposed but I am happy with the resulting backdrop for the heart shaped cloud.

I estimate the heart cloud was at between 6,000 and 6,800 feet.  I make this as to its relative height compared to flagstaff mountain, visible in a second photo in my phone, and accounting of course, for perspective and the farther distance of the peak.

I took this photo on a iPhone SE after class at 5pm after the sun dipped bellow the mountains.  I was holding my phone at 30 degrees pointing at the sky and the horizon of the mountains. The cloud was west of where I was standing, in the courtyard between atlas and the Visual art complex.  The framing of the horizon show the green houses on the biochemistry building and the roof of the UMC.  The use of an iPhone meant I didn’t get an archival tiff.