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Rare Cloud Causes Social Media Storm

STOCKTON (CBS13) – An unusual cloud spotted in Stockton caused a storm on social media Friday afternoon.

Photos started flooding social media a little after 2 p.m. Many people characterized the event as a UFO, using hashtags like #alien, #weird and even going so far as saying the earth was due for an extraterrestrial invasion.

But, in all actuality, the event was probably just a hole-punch cloud – much like one that caused a commotion across Northern California back in 2010.

As the National Weather Service told CBS13 back then, the distinctive shape of the cloud was most likely caused by an airplane that disrupted the cloud formation.

This unique kind of cloud is actually relatively frequent, officials say, but is usually only seen in colder climates than what we see in the valley.

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