Did Interstate Roads In Houston Create Clouds?

InnovationScienceDid Interstate Roads In Houston Create Clouds?ByMarshall Shepherd,Senior Contributor.Follow AuthorJun 03, 2026, 11:43am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Still image of clouds forming over Houston, Texas.NOAA via Dakota SmithA compelling satellite loop from Tuesday morning was shared on the social media platform X by meteorologist Ethan Mok. It showed clouds in perfect alignment with the interstate roads around Houston. Before you dismiss this as AI-generated foolishness, let me introduce you to scientific evidence that has consistently established that cities can create their own clouds and rainfall.The Urban Cloud EffectFor 30 years, I have done research on how urban landscapes affect clouds, rainfall and storms. In fact, we have published a series of observational and modeling studies on how cities like Houston affect clouds, rainfall, and storms. However, the satellite imagery below is compelling validation of our work over the years. Dakota Smith, one of the nation’s top satellite meteorologists, was also stunned. “This is something I have never seen before on satellite…. Clouds perfectly outlining roads. Just incredibly neat imagery of Houston, Texas this morning,” he wrote in a public post on Facebook. Watch below as cumulus clouds over Houston seem to perfectly align with the interstate roadways of Houston. So what's going on?How Did This Happen?William Burgett-Merkel is from the Houston area and is one of my graduate students at the University of Georgia. He wrote to me early Wednesday morning asking if I had seen it and inquiring about what might be happening. Of course, I had seen it. Jordan McLeod, who recently served as a meteorology instructor at the University of South Alabama, had also shared it with me the previous evening. McLeod is an incoming doctoral student at UGA and has collaborated with me for years on this very topic. Our 2024 study...