Altocumulus Standing Lenticular Cloud Over Capitan Mtn - 12-5-2020.

3:00 PM MST.

My wife and I were halfway between Artesia and Roswell on US Highway 285 when I snapped this first photo. Notice how the lenticular cloud is leaning downwind towards the southwest from the Capitan Mountains. It's unusual to see a lenticular setup like this over the south-central mountains of New Mexico. Normally our flow aloft in the winter is from a westerly direction (southwest, west, or northwest). A closed mid-upper level low was centered across the Texas Big Bend area. The counter-clockwise flow aloft (10,000' - 20,000').was producing the northeasterly winds across our area.  

3:05 PM MST.

3:12 PM MST.

We were just east of the Roswell Industrial Air Center Airport when I took this photo. The lenticular cloud was in the process of splitting. Note how the left side or the downwind side of the cloud is "fuzzing" out. 

3:25 PM MST.

Looking west from the truck-bypass on the west side of Roswell.

3:37 PM MST.

We were 15 miles west of Roswell on US Hwy 70 when I took this one. I was kicking myself for not having my tripod with me. This would have made for a great timelapse video. 

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!