Lenticular clouds! Can we get these?!

I can’t recall the name of these type of clouds but it was awe inspiring on my flight home from Montana to Dallas this evening.

Hey Asobo, some time down the road, can we get clouds like these in the sim??!

Happy holidays!

Those are lenticular clouds detailed here:

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/observation-about-up-and-downwinds-over-mountains/311464

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Lenticular and dangerous to fly into in GA
Heavy turbulence and high up draft in the vicinity

Didn’t screen grab but did see some clouds in live weather the other day that looked very lentic like.

Please post your request on that thread (and vote for it) that is the main one for this matter and already has 152 votes: More cloud formations!

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Can’t do that now, they closed the topic! Too many topics about clouds I suppose. One day more and more folks will come to realize how repetitive and “boring” the clouds currently are… but don’t get me wrong the game is shaping up nicely! I just think 2023 should be “year of the atmosphere” for MSFS :wink:

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Not sure good idea closing the all-encompassing ‘cloud formation’ topic is a good idea but now we need to go to the rest of these topics and vote!

These topics asking for specific cloud tyoes haven’t had any interaction for several months and very, very low votes. Unless that changes soon it would seem that clouds will get much less attention from devs in the future.

  1. Cirrus clouds
  2. Morning Glory clouds
  3. Pyrocumulonimbus
  4. Stratus clouds
  5. Where are the cumulonimbus clouds?
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Agreed! But like said, sooner or later the rest of the crowd will catch on. Clouds are… meh

You can filter on all clouds topics in Wishlist here.

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Voted on all the seperated threads

These lenticular formations are called wave clouds. They are formed in the lee of mountains in stable air conditions by the air (wind) rebounding downwind of the mountain range that forms them. The cloud is the result of the air condensing at the peak of the air wave and then dissipating on the downward curve of the wave. Upwind of the wave the air rises to the crest of the wave and then falls, it will then rebound again and form another wave downwind. This is the same as the effect in a river when the water hits an obstacle and ripples downstream. Glider pilots are the main exponents of these “waves” as they position their aircraft in the upwind rising air and can soar to great altitudes as well as covering vast distances. The waves can reach heights of over 30 times the height of the mountain range that forms them. In fact the world altitude for gliders was achieved in a standing wave formed over the Sierra Nevada’s (120,000 ft). Given gliders has just been introduced to MSFS it would be a fantastic weather addition to the sim.

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You also get them over the initial peak, or a solitary peak, not necessarily with wave action downwind.

You even get them forming on top of fast growing thunderstorms, when they’ve been pushed up quickly. It’s like they’re wearing a cap. These are really cool to see!

As an experienced glider pilot with some wave flying experience, lenticular clouds are very much needed in the simulator, they indicate the presence of wave lift. I have never flow in dangerous turbulent wave, the lift is usually quite smooth and I would not consider it to be a significant danger to GA aircraft when the pilot is aware of the atmospheric situation. I have climbed to 22,500’ using wave lift while using oxygen in a glider. Rota turbulence is associated with mountains and this is likely the dangerous turbulence you are referring to. Rota certainly/likely to have contributed to the death of Steve Fossett. Rota turbulence is present when the conditions for wave soaring are good but good pilots generally keep away from those areas.

Charles.