Hole-Punch Cloud, Thurston County, Washington

A hole-punch cloud is typically formed when an airplane passes through altocumulus clouds. Altocumulus clouds are made up of small, super cooled water droplets. When aircraft pass through these clouds, the rapid pressure changes they cause can cool the air further. That, in turn, causes the water droplets to form heavy ice crystals, which then drop from the sky, leaving behind a "hole punch." This hole-punch cloud was observed in Thurston County, Washington. Hole-punch clouds are also sometimes called sky-punch clouds.

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A hole-punch cloud is typically formed when an airplane passes through altocumulus clouds. Altocumulus clouds are made up of small, super cooled water droplets. When aircraft pass through these clouds, the rapid pressure changes they cause can cool the air further. That, in turn, causes the water droplets to form heavy ice crystals, which then drop from the sky, leaving behind a "hole punch." This hole-punch cloud was observed in Thurston County, Washington. Hole-punch clouds are also sometimes called sky-punch clouds.