An interesting atmospheric phenomenon occurred here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast yesterday. It is called a hole punch cloud and is caused by aircraft moving through a suspended altocumulus cloud deck composed of supercooled water vapor above the freezing level. As the exhaust from the engines combines with the water vapor that is in the clouds, it causes the cloud to precipitate out as rain, snow, and/or ice depending on what kind of air is in place underneath the cloud. Mostly like it was snow with this on considering that there was a cold front that passed through a day or so ago. Enjoy.
