Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A horseshoe vortex cloud is an odd variation of a cumulus cloud that is usually small and brief, so it goes unnoticed. It’s shaped like a horseshoe. Some sort of up and down air motion or spin in the air, known as a vortex, creates these, but exactly how they form is still a bit of a mystery. Based on their horseshoe shape, with the ends pointing downward, some people call them mustache clouds. Horseshoe vortex clouds can be seen from the ground floating by themselves. You just have to be in the right place at the right time to spot one.
Meteorologist Alan Sealls, AMS Fellow
Facebook: AlanSeallsWeather
X: @AlanSealls
Instagram: @AlanSealls
Web: alanseallsauthor.com
Educational weather videos for k-12 and even for college level by subscription here weatherthings.com/TeacherVideos
A horseshoe vortex cloud is an odd variation of a cumulus cloud that is usually small and brief, so it goes unnoticed. It’s shaped like a horseshoe. Some sort of up and down air motion or spin in the air, known as a vortex, creates these, but exactly how they form is still a bit of a mystery. Based on their horseshoe shape, with the ends pointing downward, some people call them mustache clouds. Horseshoe vortex clouds can be seen from the ground floating by themselves. You just have to be in the right place at the right time to spot one.
Meteorologist Alan Sealls, AMS Fellow
Facebook: AlanSeallsWeather
X: @AlanSealls
Instagram: @AlanSealls
Web: alanseallsauthor.com
Educational weather videos for k-12 and even for college level by subscription here weatherthings.com/TeacherVideos
