Cloudy with a hint of blue

05/16/12, 4 pm, looking west

05/19/12, 2 pm, looking northwest

These two mostly overcast days still provided a glimpse of blue sky beyond the cloud curtain. Shown together here, the two skyings are actually three days apart.

Cirrus and cumulus

05/15/12, 2 pm, looking north

Here is a mix of cloud types, high cirrus wisps in the upper middle, and chunky shadowed cumulus below. The blue of the sky is deepening in color as we transition from spring to summer.

Big, bold cumulus

05/14/12, 2 pm looking east

Nothing says "sumer is icumen in" like huge stocky cumulus clouds in the southern United States. The sky is often bluer and the clouds are whiter in the summer. When cumulus clouds pile up into stark white towers, you know that summer isn't far away.


The peonies and iris have finished blooming, but the roses are in their first flush of rich leaves with masses of scented blossoms. Day lilies are beginning to open for their short, bright life and foxgloves and columbine flowers dance on the breeze.


But no cuckoos in my neighborhood, alas.

Weather pattern

05/07/12, 2:30 pm, looking southwest

This weather system moved into Central Virginia on Monday, May 7th with big, fat cumulus clouds and average seasonal temperatures (74 degrees F). The scattered clouds blew along and formed interesting gray and white shapes and gaps of pale blue sky.


By the following afternoon, the sky was overcast with layers of gray cloud punctuated by light breaking through in places. The day had warmed to the upper 70's and the humidity was thick.

05/08/12, 2 pm looking northeast

Wednesday was slightly cooler with 100 percent humidity. The air felt thick and heavy. By afternoon the dark and threatening clouds spawned heavy showers with thunderstorms overnight. The total rainfall reached almost an inch.

05/09/12, 4 pm looking west

 The next morning was cool and clearing with a clean fresh feeling and a nice breeze. Little disorganized stratus clouds with higher cirrus above them covered the sky. The cool front had swept through and brought a lovely day. 


The weather system was complete--a cycle of clear, cloudy, rain, clearing with a warm to cool temperature change.

05/10/12, 11:45 am looking east

Another hot one

05/04/12, 1 pm, looking west

Well, you know by now that a hot, humid day means cumulus clouds.  We are in a weather pattern in early May that looks (and feels!) more like summer. May 4th was the first day in 2012 with 100 percent humidity.


These softly disorganized cumulus clouds are not yet the towering, stark cumulus of summer, but we are headed that way. Early, too.

Soft, soft clouds

05/03/12, 11:45 am, looking east

These huge cumulus clouds looked so soft that the edges between sky and cloud aren't really there. The overnight cooler front broke up the overcast skies we had for the past two days. On this day we saw blue sky and these soft clouds, and the high was only 82 F.


Imagine you could reach up and touch such softness. Instead of a commercial for toilet tissue, it would feel cool and damp. Misty drops would collect on the fine hairs on your forearm. Ahhh.

Drifting night cloud

05/02/12, 10 pm, looking up and east

As the solid overcast skies began to break up by nighttime, this big pink cloud drifted above headed northeast. These huge soft and silent cumulus clouds are so impressive in their size and glowing quality.


This was another June-like, hot and humid day in early May with brief thunderstorms and intermittent lightning. The whole of Central Virginia is scented warm honeysuckle and peony.

Overcast but breaking up

04/01/12, 2 pm, looking north

The day dawned overcast but by early afternoon the clouds had begun to break up. They revealed a deep cerulean sky with huge cumulus clouds drifting by. They look so soft, don't they?


Taking the rest of April off--see you in May!

Turbulent sunset

03/31/12,  7:30 pm, looking northwest

With a blustery day of wind and clouds, how else could it end except in a dramatic sunset glow between dark cumulus clouds? These huge dark clouds moved between the light red sunset-lit clouds and created this lovely glimpse of light.


March ends on a warm, dramatic note. 

Clouds low on the horizon

03/28/12, 3 pm, looking northwest

These mixed stratus and cumulus clouds seemed to collect low in the sky to the north. With a crazy range of temperatures on Wednesday--high of 83 degrees F and low of 41--the contrasts of spring continue. 


Clear in the morning? Just wait, there will be thunderstorms overnight. Longing to plant the garden? Still too cold at night for tomatoes, beans and squash. Spring continues with bright breezy sunshine and chills in the shade.

You know it's spring

03/23/12, 3 pm, looking north

03/24/12, 3 pm, looking east

In Central Virginia, you know it's spring when your car's windshield is dusted with yellow pollen. The wisteria is blooming in trees and along fences. The redbud and forsythia is in full bloom and the dogwood is just beginning to show its creamy white bracts.

03/25/12, 4 pm, looking northwest

You also know it's spring when huge cumulus clouds gather into gusty thunderstorms. The rain creates swirls of yellow pollen spirals in the puddles. Ah, spring!

Warm and cumulus

03/19/12, 2 pm, looking north

The early spring warmth continues with a high of 77 degrees F--the average high for March 19th is only 61 degrees. This March may be a different version of the adage, "In like a lion and out like a lamb."  March 2012 may come in and go out like a lamb, no lions involved.


We had a sky covered with big soft cumulus clouds--a day that the sky looked more like summer than early spring or very late winter.

Puff daddies

03/16/12, 6 pm, looking northwest

03/17/12, 1 pm, looking northeast

This weekend was a puff fest with large, low cumulus and high, thin cirrus clouds showing off against a very blue sky. With temperatures in the 70's and 80's, it feels like spring in Central Virginia. Trees are making new leaves in bright greens and rose reds. The azaleas, forsythia and spirea are full of blossoms. Even the Japanese Yoshino cherry trees in DC are blooming early this year.

03/18/12, 4 pm, looking northwest

Cumulus clouds arriving

03/15/12, 9 am, looking northwest

Beware the ides of clouds! Well, clouds don't have ides of course but I had to work them in somewhere today. The idea of clouds having a middle is strange. How can something so undefined have a mid-point?


This bank of cumulus clouds rolled east this morning--a big mass just above the horizon and smaller floaty clouds above. The temperature should reach 85 degrees F today with rain overnight and only slightly cooler temperatures tomorrow. I bet it will be humid, though!

Spring cumulus

03/13/12, 2 pm, looking southeast

After a night of rain, then bright blue clear skies, the cumulus clouds rolled across the sky like lumpy white marbles. The high went up to 80 degrees F, again about 20 degrees warmer than normal. Plants continue to respond to the warmth and growth and bloom accelerates us into an early spring.

A break in the clouds

03/02/12, 2 pm, looking west

The skies became overcast the previous afternoon and continued through the morning. In early afternoon, the sun broke through the scattered clouds and these cumulus clouds had strong shadows. With more clouds on the way, the forecast for the weekend is cloudy and wet.

Pale cumulus in a pale sky

03/01/12, 11:45 am, looking east

After the storms of the previous day, the weather seemed exhausted. These little cumulus puffs wafted through the almost noon sky. March came in like a lamb in central Virginia.

Thin cumulus on a spring-like day

02/22/12, 9:30 am, looking northwest

Here's the morning cloud show of thin cumulus, shaved to translucency like a slice of Virginia country ham. The sun is at the wrong angle to make shadows so they float overhead in pure whiteness.


Getting a cloud painting is such a chancy enterprise. This was painted at 9:30 am. The sky was completely clear by 11. Later in the afternoon, the clouds moved in again and we have an overcast sky and 63 degrees F. 

Big beautiful cumulus

02/21/12, 2 pm, looking south

These lovely cumulus clouds drifted over central Virginia in the afternoon punctuated by glimpses of cerulean and ultramarine blue sky. This sky feels almost like a summer sky. It has all the makings, tall cumulus with violet shadows, pure blues in the sky, and crisp white cloud tops. What it doesn't have (thank goodness!) is the heat and humidity.


The pebbly texture in the blue in the lower right is the rough watercolor paper. Little pools of pigment dry in the rough paper to create the effect. I know I've said this before but I really like rough watercolor paper.

Plump cumulus clouds

02/17/12, 2 pm, looking north

A weather change is in the air and these cumulus clouds are the first wave. With cool temperatures and big clouds full of moisture, what could be more natural than a prediction of snow, finally!


These soft giants overlay Virginia on Friday, February 17th. Bright breaks of cerulean opened up occasionally and seemed to emphasize the crisp white clouds.


So many people have asked what I've learned in this experience. One bit of weather wisdom is that a weather change takes place over several days. Often the leading edge of a front arrives a couple of days before the precipitation associated with it.