Images
May 10, 2025 - Popcorn Clouds over the Southeastern United States
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Bright white puffs of cloud covered the Southeastern United States on in early May 2025, creating a widespread dappled pattern. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of this lovely spectacle on May 5.
The widespread, fluffy clouds are often called “popcorn clouds’, most likely because they resemble popped kernels of popcorn scattered in the skies above the green landscape. They are actually categorized as low-altitude cumulus clouds and are common over vegetated areas at certain times of the year. They form when warm, humid air rises from the grasses and forests, then cools as it rises, resulting in the development of the clouds.
While this image shows popcorn clouds widely spread over parts of Alabama, Georgia, northern Florida and South Carolina, the skies over the Atlantic Ocean are completely cloud-free. Popcorn clouds just don’t form over rivers or oceans because those waters—and the air above them—are cooler, so there is less moisture rising into the air, and less cloud formation.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/5/2025
Resolutions:
1km (1.6 MB), 500m (1.6 MB), 250m (1.4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Bright white puffs of cloud covered the Southeastern United States on in early May 2025, creating a widespread dappled pattern. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of this lovely spectacle on May 5.
The widespread, fluffy clouds are often called “popcorn clouds’, most likely because they resemble popped kernels of popcorn scattered in the skies above the green landscape. They are actually categorized as low-altitude cumulus clouds and are common over vegetated areas at certain times of the year. They form when warm, humid air rises from the grasses and forests, then cools as it rises, resulting in the development of the clouds.
While this image shows popcorn clouds widely spread over parts of Alabama, Georgia, northern Florida and South Carolina, the skies over the Atlantic Ocean are completely cloud-free. Popcorn clouds just don’t form over rivers or oceans because those waters—and the air above them—are cooler, so there is less moisture rising into the air, and less cloud formation.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/5/2025
Resolutions:
1km (1.6 MB), 500m (1.6 MB), 250m (1.4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
