Types of Clouds

Common Clouds and what they look like.

Cumulus Clouds

• There are three types of

cumulus clouds:

• humilis are wider than they are tall

• mediocris are as wide as they are tall

• congestus are taller than they are wide

Can “grow” on sunny days

Cumulonimbus Clouds

Form best under these conditions:• Lots of warm and moist air• Increasing winds make the cloud slant

forward.• The atmosphere around the cloud needs to be “unstable”

Thunderstorms on the way!

Stratus Clouds

• Stratus clouds are formed when large air masses cool, also known as fog or mist.

• Stratus clouds are also the lowest forming clouds.

Light rain most likely

Stratocumulus Clouds

• Stratocumulus clouds are textured and puffy.

• Stratocumulus clouds usually form from cumulus or stratus clouds.

Snow is possible

Altocumulus Clouds

• Altocumulus clouds are very high in the sky, so they are usually above the influence of thermals.

• The usual precipitation is light rain.

This type makes really cloudy skies!

This type makes really cloudy skies!

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Altostratus Clouds

• Altostratus Clouds altitude is between 6,500 and 23,000 ft

• But since they are up so high they are the reason for pretty sunsets.

Nimbostratus Clouds

• Usually thick and wet, with lots of precipitation that is steady and slow.

• Formed from altostratus clouds when they collect water.

Cirrus Clouds

• Cirrus clouds are the highest of all clouds and made of ice crystals.

• Cirrus clouds have no visible precipitation.

Cirrocumulus Clouds

• Another cloud mostly made of ice crystals.• Lots of large cirrocumulus clouds may

indicate bad weather.• Formed in the troposphere in high winds.

Indicates lots of precipitation on the way!

Cirrostratus Clouds

• Cirrostratus clouds are usually difficult to spot.

• Cirrostratus clouds produce a variety of optical effects.

Label Me!

altocumulus, altostratus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrus, cumulonimbus, cumulus, fog, nimbostratus, stratus, stratocumulus