This morning, on NBC Action News Today, meteorologist Brett Anthony said there was a mackerel sky above the Metro. I had to ask. What is a mackerel sky? Good Question.
Brett said the formation got its name from the clouds that resemble scales on a fish. Simply put, but I wanted a more scientific definition.
Brett's answer: A mackerel sky is an indicator of moisture (the cloud) and instability (the cumulus form) at mid-levels of the atmosphere. (8000-20,000 ft). If the lower atmosphere is stable and no moist air moves in, the weather will most likely remain dry. However, moisture at lower levels combined with surface temperature instability can lead to rain showers or thunderstorms should the rising moist air reach this layer. That will happen today. In the winter it is often said to precede snowstorms and flurries. There is an old saying, "Mackerel sky, mackerel sky. Never long wet and never long dry." The phrase 'mackerel sky' came from the fact that it looks similar to the markings of an adult king mackerel.