#2571 "Singleton Sundog Sunset"

#2571 "Singleton Sundog Sunset" 11x14

This is another sunset that caught my eye. The setting sun was almost hidden by the lower deck of dark altocumulus. The sun had already set enough that the direct rays could not reach down to that level. The sun was able to illuminate the ice crystals of the higher cirrus though. The resulting 45 degree sun dog was a rainbow of colours not quite hidden by the deck of lower altocumulus. The cloud deck got progressively thicker toward the southwest. 

There were gravity waves galore in the multiple layers of cloud and this was the main attraction for recording this sunset in oils. I watched the drift on these clouds and it was all going slowly toward the southeast. 

Using my Coriolis Hand confirmed that the anticyclonic companion would be the first portion of the approaching storm to reach Singleton. This is typical for eastern Ontario given the orientation of most weather systems emerging from the American south and Midwest. The gravity waves with the altocumulus were predominantly associated with the advection, southwesterly winds making these "wind waves". The higher level cirrus gravity waves were composed of both swells originating from the stronger upper winds well to the southwest and wind waves associated with the anticyclonic flow of the large companion swirl. 

The gravity waves on the surface of Singleton Lake were associated with the easterly cold conveyor belt being drawn into the weather system. The storm was either moving very slowly or was stronger than average in intensity. As it turned out, it rained hard starting overnight and lasting most of Saturday. 

All of these features actually do fit neatly together into an apt description of the weather situation. I have explained the analysis and diagnosis techniques to arrive at this conclusion many times.

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