Types of Clouds

Examples of High Level Clouds

- Cirrus - Cirrostratus - Cirrocumulus

Examples of Low-Level Clouds

- Stratus - Stratocumulus

Cumulus Clouds

- also called fair weather clouds and look like floating cotton. - have very flat bases and are not very tall clouds vertical clouds. - when they are first formed from droplets, they have very distinct edges, but as they moved through the sky, air causes the edges to appear more ragged and broken apart.

Cumulonimbus Clouds

-These vertical clouds can reach elevations of 39,000 feet or higher because of the very strong convection. - They can be several miles across at the base - Their low-level parts are made up of water droplets, but higher parts consist of ice crystals. - These are the type of clouds that bring lightning, thunder, heavy rain, hail and tornadoes.

Vertical Clouds

These clouds are known as cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds.

Cirrocumulus clouds

These are very high and look like small round puffs in the sky. Sometimes they are called mackerel clouds because they look similar to fish scales.

Nimbostratus clouds

These clouds are a low level layer of dark gray clouds that produce falling rain or snow.

Low-Level Clouds (Strato-)

These low level clouds are found below 6,500 feet and although they are mostly made up of water droplets. They can also be composed of ice particles and snow in very cold temperatures.

Altocumulus clouds

These mid level clouds are composed of water droplets and are gray and puffy. These clouds are usually seen on warm and humid summer mornings and are usually a sign that thunderstorms will follow later in the day.

Altostratus clouds

These mid level layered clouds made up of ice crystals and water droplets. Sometimes they form before rain storms.

Examples of Mid-Level Clouds

- Altocumulus - Altostratus

Types of clouds terms illustrated

Strato-, Alto-, Cirro-, Nimbo- are prefixes that name the low, middle, high and stormy clouds. Cumulus means puffy. Stratus means layered. Cirrus means high, thin & wispy.

Mid-Level Clouds (Alto-)

These are clouds found in altitudes between 6,500 to 20,000 feet. They are formed mainly of water droplets, but can also be made up of ice crystals when the temperature is cold enough

Cirrus Clouds

These are high thin and wispy clouds that are blown by high winds. They usually mean the day will have fair or pleasant weather, and follow the direction that the air moves at the altitude that are found at.

Cirrostratus clouds

These are like very high thin sheets of clouds that cover large parts of the sky.

Stratus clouds

These are low level layers of cloud that are gray, cover the entire sky, and can be the result of very thick fog lifting in the morning.