Altocumulus Sunrise

"Altocumulus may appear as parallel bands or rounded masses. Typically a portion of an altocumulus cloud is shaded, a characteristic which makes them distinguishable from the high-level cirrocumulus. Altocumulus clouds usually form by convection in an unstable layer aloft, which may result from the gradual lifting of air in advance of a cold front. The presence of altocumulus clouds on a warm and humid summer morning is commonly followed by thunderstorms later in the day." ... (Wikipedia)

Interestingly, these clouds are shaded on their tops because the sun is so low on the horizon.

Weather forecasting for Southern Arizona is somewhat different from the standard guidelines above. By 3:30 pm our sky was clear and beautifully blue.

However, the part about the cold front seems accurate because our local forecast calls for a 30 degree drop in the high temperature for day after tomorrow.