Cite your tallest cloud

[Let'sgoflying!]

I am under a highway overpass in west TX, waiting for a line to transit us (2 new, previously un-hailed vehicles - one with 280 miles)
The main cloud is showing tops over 60k’, the highest I recall. (if I’m reading it right)

 

[kaiser]

This looks like radar composite. You need the sat view and match the colors with temps. Then check winds aloft where those temps equal.

 

[kaiser]

Something like this. It’s a rough guide I learned off of somebody way back when.



If anyone else has a better way, I’d be happy to learn it.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Are you indicating the 63,200 on the image is untrustworthy?

 

[EdFred]

Saw FL700 on ADDS radar once

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

75000’?


https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2010-06-16-ct-wea-0617-asktom-20100616-story.html

 

[FlyingElvii]

Saw FL700 on ADDS radar once

There was a series of storm fronts that stretched from Canada to the Gulf some years ago, September 2000, I think. One of those lines was 50-70k for hundreds of miles.

We were routing our aircraft hundreds of miles around the stuff. One EMB-145 arrived with only 20-some on board, they had left 21 behind due to stuffing the tanks with gas for diversion. Felt sorry for the poor gate agent or Sup that worked that one on the other end.

 

[Oldmanb777]

My Dad, flying the line in the 40's and for many years after. I remember him saying. In the DC-3, we said, if we could only get in the teens, we might get over that. Flying the DC-6, "If we could get in the 20's, we might get over that" Flying the 707, well, we will NEVER get over that one. Fun remembering some of those old thoughts. Declaring an emergency to avoid weather on the tracks because we could not get over that. Besides, getting over that is dangerous.

 

[EvilEagle]

I've been at 50k' looking up - WAAAY up at a few storms before. It's humbling.

 

[MauleSkinner]

I flew along a line on the Canadian border with precip tops over 50k that my copilot claimed was the result of a “classic warm front”. Gotta be a record for that.

 

[Rockymountain]

Last week, crossed a line with some tops 55,000. You can turn on cells, and it gives tops and cell movement, direction and speed. At 30,000 feet, was looking them in the belly button ;-). This was a frontal driven system parked over northern FL. Crossed it both directions. Certainly with care, and using onboard radar as well as Nexrad to make sure there was an adequate hole. .