Yourbestsail · video

What this video covers

Lenticular clouds form on the lee side of mountain ranges when strong wind deflects upward over the terrain, cools adiabatically at roughly 1°C per 100 meters, then oscillates in a wave pattern that can extend many miles downwind.0:18 If the air carries enough moisture, condensation occurs at each wave crest, producing the characteristic lens-shaped clouds.3:01 For sailors, spotting lenticular clouds over the sea means strong, gusty wind is arriving from the coast — the boat is downwind of mountains that have already disturbed the airflow.4:10 Below the wave crests, violent rotor turbulence develops, making conditions especially dangerous.4:36 The wind will be not only strong but highly variable in direction and intensity.4:56 Lenticular clouds may be absent even when the wave pattern exists, because dry air will not condense at the crests — so the absence of the cloud does not guarantee calm conditions when strong offshore wind is blowing over mountainous terrain.5:04 A brief note covers how glider pilots exploit the laminar, high-speed updrafts above the turbulent zone to reach extreme altitudes.6:00

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