This past Tuesday, a Minnesota Twins baseball game caught much more attention than usual from the national media. No, it wasn’t because of the play on the field. Rather, it was the severe storm that dumped golf-ball sized hail on the game and produced this beautiful picture. These are mammatus clouds, named as such due to their resemblance to a cow’s underbelly. These are often seen in conjunction with severe thunderstorms. While often-sighted, the exact mechanisms behind the development of these mysterious-looking clouds remains, well, a bit of a mystery. Next time you see us meteorologists on the air tracking severe thunderstorms, and one is heading your way, be sure you seek shelter first. Then, once the storm has passed, peak out quickly and see if you can catch those mammatus clouds. Again, I must stress how important it is that you seek shelter first and ensure your safety while the storm is striking.
For the latest on where showers and storms are right now, check out our Interactive Doppler radar.
