What indicates a stable air mass crossing over a mountain barrier?

Lenticular clouds are indicative of a stable air mass interacting with a mountain barrier. When stable air flows over mountains, it tends to maintain its stratified layers rather than becoming turbulent. This results in lenticular clouds forming on the windward side of the mountains. These clouds have a characteristic lens shape and can appear in a stack-like formation, signaling that the air is flowing smoothly over the terrain. They develop due to the lifting of moist, stable air that condenses as it rises over the mountains, forming a cloud profile that stabilizes downwind under proper conditions.

In contrast, cumulonimbus formations are associated with unstable air masses and are characterized by vertical development, often bringing thunderstorms and severe weather. Clear air turbulence typically occurs in regions of wind shear within stable air, often far from clouds, indicating instability in certain pockets of the atmosphere but not necessarily over a mountain barrier. Stratus formations generally suggest overcast skies and stable conditions, but they don't have the same distinct relationship with topography as lenticular clouds do.