cloud formation ontario

Bizarre cloud formation over Ontario has the internet talking

People across a stretch of Ontario have been taking to social media to share photos of a strange cloud formation spotted floating over the province on Wednesday.

The formation, which looks almost like snow-capped mountains or, perhaps, instant ramen noodles, stretching across the sky, has been reported in London, Brantford, Woodstock and beyond.

While I prefer the notion of mystical, inexplicable ramen noodles in the sky, the phenomenon Ontario is currently experiencing does actually have a name.

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, as they're known, are caused when there is a stark difference in the wind speed at the top of the cloud versus the bottom, which creates the wavelike patterns currently being seen in the Ontario sky.

They can even become so pronounced that they take the form of curling, cartoonish waves, so the ones seen in Ontario today are actually a more mild form of Kelvin-Helmholtz than is possible.

According to weather experts, this type of cloud formation is quite rare, so make sure to head outside and try to catch it before it's gone, and take advantage of the warm, sunny weather while you're at it.

Lead photo by

Mitch Kozack


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