I know that this isn’t a meteorology blog, but when did I ever hesitate to go off topic?  And I couldn’t resist this wonderful image of mammatus clouds over Iron Mountain, Michigan taken recently by Michigan meteorologist Joe Last.

Mammatus clouds? you ask.  Actually, that’s short for mammatocumulus.  These are patterns of cloud pouches seen bubbling beneath the base of larger clouds. They form following sharp gradients of temperature, moisture, and wind shear.  They can extend for hundreds of miles, and yes, they can mean trouble!

Clouds offer endless photographic possibilities.  It’s an art form onto itself.  And mammatus clouds are not something that you see every day.