Beautiful fallstreak clouds punched round, gaping holes in the skies across the South today.

These clouds, seen in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, form when water vapor is suspended in subfreezing air, but the vapor has not frozen because there is a lack of particles for it to freeze around (or nucleate).

When particles are then introduced, the vapor starts to freeze and falls towards the surface, leaving a void or hole at cloud level, but streaks of cloud underneath.

Here’s a sampling of some of the magnificent clouds, many obtained via the Twitter feed of meteorologist James Spann out of Birmingham.

Satellite views

The clouds were so pervasive that satellite imagery over the South resembled swiss cheese. Some great views from Twitter, below: