Where Are Mammatus Clouds Found?

Mammatus clouds can be found on the underside of the anvils of severe thunderstorms (especially supercell thunderstorms), resembling sagging pouches that are made up primarily of ice crystals. An individual “pouch” can range anywhere from ½ to 2 miles in diameter.

Can mammatus clouds form anywhere?

An individual “pouch” can range anywhere from one to three kilometers in diameter, and a mammatus cloud field can stretch for dozens of kilometers across the sky. Their formation is still poorly understood, but they may form from cold, dense air sinks toward the earth from higher up.

What does it mean when you see mammatus clouds?

Mammatus clouds most often signal that a storm is on a weakening trend. These clouds are formed in part by sinking air. ... While mammatus clouds are commonly associated with severe weather, like the storm on the Gulf Coast, they don't cause severe weather themselves, according to NOAA.