Rarest Clouds?

[Samuel Stead]

Since I’m new to the Society (only started up my account today) I thought I’d ask a question that most newbies ask.

As I am well aware, there are dozens, if not hundreds of cloud formations. And some are more rare than others. But what are the rarest? Which ones, when spotted, will cause onlookers to whoop with joy. As I don’t usually get cool looking clouds where I am, I do not know. Does anyone here?

[Howard Brown]

Hi, Samuel, and welcome. I don’t have a straight answer to your question, but….

In The Cloud Collector’s Handbook, by CAS founder Gavin Pretor-Pinney, 2009, each cloud type is awarded Cloud-Collecting Points. I would have thought rare ones would score highly.

E.g. Pileus pp 42-43 scores a high 45 but because it is short-lived rather than rare. It so happens those pages make several references to Donald Trump – how prescient can you be..

[George Preoteasa]

Hi Samuel, I am also a relatively new joiner, since last August. The rarest is the cloud or optical phenomenon that you cannot see in your area. For me, at 40 degrees of latitude, that would be the stratospheric clouds. But if you are way up north, that may be a funnel cloud. (Though a quick google search shows there are tornadoes in Norway.)

I have the CloudSpoter app on my phone and I am still hunting for fog. It’s been very dry here. Not that I have never seen fog…

So, really, why are you asking? Is this like asking what’s the highest peak? The journey is the reward, keep looking and you will see wonderful, rare, possibly strange things.

[Michael Lerch]

George makes a valid point, it depends where you are located. But..I have a slitely different perspective. For me..the rarest cloud I can think of..is the One I don’t Want To See. Cirrus lenticulars are very rare. I think I’ve only seen a couple and have only one picture of one. I use to think Horseshoe vortex was rare but I’m into double digit sightings of those now. The most recent outburst of the Polar Strat Clouds have been seen by perhaps millions so rarity gets another flavor there. But there is one,,rare in occurrences when compared to normal clouds and I suspect, most who have seen one , hope its their last; the tuba that touches ground, the tornado! Imho..the rarer, the better.

[Hans Stocker]

I read nice thoughts about rareness, but I like to add another aspect of the rareness of a cloud, i.e. the way the observed cloud or phenomenon appears. There can and will be very spectacular appearances of a rather common one that makes it a very rare occasion. Just check the gallery and you will find a lot of rare occasions of what might be called common clouds. You will whoop with joy Samuel, so welcome to you!

[Kristy Sharkey]

Great question Samuel and welcome.  The idea of rarity is lovely and interesting to ponder. After several months of cloudspotting, what’s emerged as rare for me here in Seattle, WA, are horseshoe vortices, mamma clouds, glories, and the circumzenithal arc (as well as the obvious ones like tuba, noctilucent, and nacreous).  I agree it depends on where you are.  I will say sometimes you don’t know what is rare until you see it.  Today I saw a beautiful rainbow sundog nested between two cumulus clouds.  I thought to myself “I’ve never seen that before!”.  Obviously I’ve seen both cumulus clouds and sun dogs before, but the combination today was really beautiful.  It stopped me, and reminded me how fast they change, and how rare sightings can happen at any moment, and almost always stop you in your path.

I feared that once I had spotted most of the cloud types, I would become bored.  So far that hasn’t happened in the least. I never really understood my husband’s collector mentality until I started cloudspotting.  One of the things he collects are comic books.  He often has multiple copies of the same book, because they are in different conditions.  Yet still he would buy the same book again if it were slightly better or if the corners were more perfect.  The search never ends.  The possibilities are infinite.

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