Vortex
The geography of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia–not entirely dissimilar to the LA Basin–lends itself to the development of mesoscale vortexes. Sometimes these are reflected in the cloudscapes overhead. One colourful local name for these appearances is the "big toilet bowl." All this being said, in the case of the attached photo, the circular shape likely has more to do with moisture condensing out as precipitation aloft in the centre of the swirl than a whirlpool-sharped airflow.
Vortex
The geography of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia–not entirely dissimilar to the LA Basin–lends itself to the development of mesoscale vortexes. Sometimes these are reflected in the cloudscapes overhead. One colourful local name for these appearances is the "big toilet bowl." All this being said, in the case of the attached photo, the circular shape likely has more to do with moisture condensing out as precipitation aloft in the centre of the swirl than a whirlpool-sharped airflow.