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unclebird77 OP t1_iybkr0s wrote

Reply to comment by 1320Fastback in Check out this steam cloud condensing 1500 feet above a plant in the middle of the desert by unclebird77

No this is on the 10 about an hour west of Phoenix. Somebody told me it’s probably the steam from the power plant but I’m not certain. But it looked super cool in the middle of a wide open sky with no other clouds. It was like simple science was telling me a story but it took me a minute to figure it out. The inversion layer is pretty sharp this time of year so the vapor hits a “ceiling“ and re-condenses

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1320Fastback t1_iyblcxn wrote

I would think it is most definitely recondensed vapor from the plant and maybe I got the wrong freeway. I know I've seen this before heading East out of Arizona.

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unclebird77 OP t1_iybmrye wrote

Yeah it’s a trip. I’ve never seen one reforming quite so high above the source with complete transparency between. I know the inversion layers do some wacky stuff this time of year. Definitely cool

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twoinvenice t1_iydk8ng wrote

It is 100% the Palo Verde plant - I’ve driven past it more times than I know how to count. Sometimes the steam cloud gets quite large https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/600x600/5922809_ixVRi0mB9ewTnCU7jJAj_c5NJUkA5oN2HSKq6VCvPTI.jpg

Fun fact:

> As of 2013, the Palo Verde Generating Station is the largest power plant in the United States by net generation. Its average electric power production is about 3.3 gigawatts (GW)

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