Topic: Thunderstorm capping

[Mike]

Hey there guys.  I have a simple question for those in the know...I have noticed with strong uplifting towers that as the 'cap' of the storm reaches maximum height there is a visible haze (almost like a pressure wave of sorts) the follows the top of the cap until the anvil starts to emerge and then dissipates.  Now what is that!?

I have only noticed it on strong updraught storms and it is truly amazing to see - the cap is almost shrouded in haze until growth ceases.  I have heaps of photos and will try to stick one here....if it doesn't turn up..you'll know what i'm on about anyway.

Ta.  Mike

p.s  Tried to post pic without success - what gives!

[striker92]

Ive seen the same sort of affect occur on a few storms around my area, it almost looks like there is moisturethat hasn't been completely used by the cloud exiting with the updraft then condensing down the sides of the top of the storm, it looks spectacular at night when lightning lights up the clouds

[Mike]

Ah ha!  So that's what a Pileus is!!  I've got several photos of other storms doing that and yep does look pretty cool!  especially when the capping keeps going and the haze ends up being a ring around the capping as it progresses upward even more. Well thank you for very much for that.  Now I know what I'm looking at!

[Michael Bath]

Thanks for that info John.   There are lots of examples in the Weather Photography gallery:

http://australiasevereweather.com/photography/pileus.html

[Mike]

Here's some shots of a storm with the tower racing upwards!  Nice pileus and the last shot is the same storm about 1/2 hour later - check out the mammatus on the LHS, my daughter picked them out and not me - gads!

[Mike]

And just on thunderstorms in the general sense - what is 'cold core punching' or 'cold core'?  Is that arriving at the area of hopeful activity and waiting for something to happen?

Mike