Noctilucent Clouds

Critical Fire Weather in the High Plains; Heat Continues in the West

Critical fire weather conditions will persist in the central High Plains through Friday as gusty winds and dry conditions continue. The heat wave across the West and Southwest will continue to intensify through the week, with daily and monthly record highs expected to be broken. Read More >

Noctilucent Clouds

On the morning of October 28^th,rare noctilucent clouds were visible over Monterey. Noctilucent clouds are thin silvery-blue cirrus-like clouds frequently seen during summer twilight conditions at high latitudes (above 50°) in both hemispheres. These clouds are primarily composed of ice crystals at heights 50-70 miles above the earth's surface. (source) However, the clouds seen this morning were formed by the launch of the NPOESS Preparatory Project spacecraft from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Below are two images of the noctilucent clouds.