Sea of clouds fills Grand Canyon in spectacular weather phenomenon

By Megan Specia From Mashable

A breathtaking weather phenomenon turned the Grand Canyon into a cauldron of soupy cloud cover on Thursday (11)

The rare scenes were caused by a temperature inversion, which involves cold air filling the canyon while warm air lies above it, trapping the fog in place since the denser cold air hugs the ground.

The result, a layer of low-lying clouds, or fog, produced the spectacular sight and turned the canyon into a sea of clouds. Those clouds appear to lap at the edges of the canyon in the video below (from Thursday), filling the canyon to the brim with only the tiniest edges of walls peeking out.

Grand Canyon National Park also posted a series of photos of the scene to its Facebook page and Twitter account on Thursday. The low clouds hung in the canyon for most of the day.

Temperature inversions are not rare, but for them to produce such a spectacular scene is unusual. While visitors to the park in Arizona are normally treated to this rare view once every few years, a temperature inversion caused the same sight in November 2013.

Cory Mottice of the National Weather Service says the Grand Canyon gradually will clear up in the coming days.

IMAGES:

Clouds filled the Grand Canyon on Dec. 11 during a temperature inversion. IMAGE: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE / M.QUINN

IMAGE: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/MACI MACPHERSON

10847574_875913859119380_1039529803387898131_o

IMAGE: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE / MACI MACPHERSON

For more on this story go to: http://mashable.com/2014/12/12/clouds-in-grand-canyon/