DENVER (KDVR) — Is it a UFO? Is it a hole in the sky? It’s neither — the clouds spotted in the Colorado sky on Wednesday morning are actually a common sight in Colorado.
Colorado has seen several phenomena in the sky over the past few days. There were northern lights on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Meanwhile, strange clouds shaped like a flying saucer also appeared in several areas around the Denver metro on Wednesday morning.
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FOX31 Meteorologist Travis Michels says these are known as lenticular clouds.
Lenticular clouds, scientifically known as Altocumulus Standing Lenticularis clouds, occur when there are waves in the atmosphere, according to the National Weather Service. These waves occur when fast-moving air is forced over a barrier, like a hill or mountain. When there is moisture on the mountain top, these clouds develop where the air rises.
This creates a gravity wave, which NWS compares to throwing a pebble into a pond.
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Michels said these clouds are fairly common, at least in Colorado. The hilly terrain in the state causes these clouds to occur. That said, these clouds are an unusual sight in other parts of the country that don’t have the same mountainous terrain as Colorado…