Low altostratus—sometimes with wavy bases since known as undulatus asperatus or asperitas—often appears in the early stages of destabilizing return flows over the southern Plains, when the surface is still relatively cool. These undulations were unusually deep and well defined. This also was my first film slide of this cloud formation, years before any specific name was proposed for it. Later that day, after visiting friends in the Metroplex, we would head westward into clearer, well-heated air to intercept a raging, ominously dark, MUN (mean-ugly-nasty), heavy-precip supercell near Throckmorton. Wanting no part of the “MUN” storm’s now legendary swath of hail destruction, we let it pass by. The highlight of the day may have been dispensing numerous Krispy Kreme donuts from our Frisco friends to a roadside gathering of hungry storm chasers out in the remote scrublands!
Frisco TX (5 Apr 3) Looking WNW
33.151, -96.7524Asperatus before the Name
Low altostratus—sometimes with wavy bases since known as undulatus asperatus or asperitas—often appears in the early stages of destabilizing return flows over the southern Plains, when the surface is still relatively cool. These undulations were unusually deep and well defined. This also was my first film slide of this cloud formation, years before any specific name was proposed for it. Later that day, after visiting friends in the Metroplex, we would head westward into clearer, well-heated air to intercept a raging, ominously dark, MUN (mean-ugly-nasty), heavy-precip supercell near Throckmorton. Wanting no part of the “MUN” storm’s now legendary swath of hail destruction, we let it pass by. The highlight of the day may have been dispensing numerous Krispy Kreme donuts from our Frisco friends to a roadside gathering of hungry storm chasers out in the remote scrublands!
Frisco TX (5 Apr 3) Looking WNW
33.151, -96.7524