Yesterday was one of those rare days that our revered Mount Rainier donned one of her stylish hats. They are called “cap clouds.” The scientific name is altocumulus lenticularis.
I was thrilled to be able to capture this moment. This type of cloud formation on Mount Rainier sometimes hovers all day, on or near the mountain. Sometimes they take on a UFO shape. They are quite mesmerizing and intriguing, to say the least.
Here is one more image I took from along the Tacoma Waterfront. The lighting was not great from that vantage point, but you can see a bit more layers of clouds at that particular time.
Photos property of Peggy A Thompson
northwestphotos 
The snow covered mountain and the cloud formation is just a beautiful work of art! Very special and stunning capture 🙂 Thank you. Regards, Iris
Thank you so much for your kind words! I was very, very happy to have been able to capture this image!
Shazaam!
Such spectacular images…Mt Rainier is one of my most favorite places on the whole earth.
Thanks, Charlie! Yep, Mount Rainier IS one of the most spectacular places on Earth!
Magnificent shots of the great mountain!
Thank you, William! Glad you enjoyed the mountain photos!
Love getting to see the mountain! Enjoy the rain! That’s what those clouds usually portend. 🙂
Yes, there is a change in the weather pattern. Had some light rain today, and more tonight and tomorrow.
How utterly amazing and astounding. I’ve dreamed of catching a lenticular cloud over a mountain like that for ages (ever since I saw the first example over Mt Hood!) How marvelous that you got to capture it.
It’s one of my better shots of cap clouds over Mt Rainier, I think. I also found out that lenticular clouds were hanging around Mt Hood, as well, yesterday. It was a great day for all, especially photographers!
We were seeing glimpses of Mt Hood from the Klamath Falls area just about a week ago. Nary a cloud to be seen, but I had a blizzard of snow geese flying in front, so I’ll settle for that! 😉
Beautiful images, Peggy. 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the mountain photos!
My favorite mountain! Never feel lost in that wilderness. Your capture of it certainly signifies the minuteness of man when looked at in perspective to the buildings in downtown Tacoma, or anywhere for that matter.
Nice to find you, through Gunta. How I love Rainier, and how exciting it is when those clouds form – it looks like you can even see underneath it around the edges, on the sides. Great photo!
Thanks for visiting my blog! Glad you’re enjoying the scenery here in the Pacific Northwest. Yes, it’s a big difference from the east coast! A different culture and way of life!
For the first time in my life, I saw lenticular clouds over Rainier not once, but twice in late February and did manage to get snap a photo. Unfortunately, neither day had good visibility from Toledo, so it is a special treat to see your photos.
That’s great that you were able to catch a glimpse of these wonderful cloud formations over Mt Rainier! I’m glad you enjoyed the ones I posted. These were classic lenticular cloud formations. I have been waiting for some time for just this particular shape of cap cloud to get a photo of. I’ve seen over lenticular cloud shapes around the mountain, but this one was a real classic!