WATCH: Clouds, Not Waves Crash Near Lake Tahoe Shores

By Kristen Rodman, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

March 14,2014; 5:30PM,EDT

 

 

This snapshot was captured from the video below.

Captured near Lake Tahoe at Diamond Peak in Incline Village, Nev., a unique formation of clouds create a scenic, dream-like view.
Known as Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves, these clouds are caused by turbulence and a change in winds over a relatively short distance vertically, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Edwards.

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The bottom of the clouds are saturated and the winds are lighter than the winds at the top of the formation, which give the clouds their wave breaking appearance, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Dave Samuhel.
Creating a spectacle for anyone able to view them, these clouds can also appear braid-like on radar imagery.

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Have questions, comments, or a story to share? Email Kristen Rodman at Kristen.Rodman@accuweather.com, follow her on Twitter @Accu_Kristen or Google+. Follow us @breakingweather, or on Facebook and Google+.

On Social Media

Tweets for this articleAccuWeather Updates

Chris Holcomb

ChrisHolcomb

Very cool! RT @parkertwc Amazing clip of (Kelvin-Helmholtz) wave clouds near Lake Tahoe fb.me/2bySlil7A

Mar 13

ApolloniaJaxen

njackson1010

The sky is dark and filled with ominous clouds, the wind is whipping rain against my bay window like waves crashing upon rocks #rainstorms