Hi

ghCl
ouds
:c
l
oudbas
es16,
000-50,
000f
t(
515k
m)

H1:Ci
r
r
us
I
nt
hef
or
m off
i
l
ament
s,
st
r
ands,orhooks

H2:Ci
r
r
us
Dense,i
npat
chesorsheaves,
noti
ncr
easi
ng,orwi
t
ht
uf
t
s

SKY WATCHER CHART

H3:Ci
r
r
us
Of
t
enanvi
lshapedr
emai
ns
ofacumul
oni
mbus

ht
t
p:
/
/
www.
weat
her
.
gov/
os/
br
ochur
es/
cl
oudchar
t
.
pdf

H4:Ci
r
r
us
I
nhooksorf
i
l
ament
s,
i
ncr
easi
ng,becomi
ngdenser

H5:Ci
r
r
ost
r
at
us
Ci
r
r
usbands,i
ncr
easi
ng,
bel
ow 45el
evat
i
on

H6:Ci
r
r
ost
r
at
us
Ci
r
r
usbands,i
ncr
easi
ng,
vei
labove45el
evat
i
on

Mi
ddl
eCl
ouds
:c
l
oudbas
es6,
500-23,
000f
t(
27k
m)

M1:Al
t
ost
r
at
us
Most
l
ysemi
t
r
anspar
ent
,sun
ormoonmaybedi
ml
yvi
si
bl
e

M2:Al
t
ost
r
at
usor
Ni
mbost
r
at
us
Denseenought
ohi
de
t
hesunormoon

M3:Al
t
ocumul
us
Semi
t
r
anspar
ent
,onel
evel
,
cl
oudel
ement
schangesl
owl
y

L2:
Cumul
us
Moder
at
e/
st
r
ongver
t
i
cal
ext
ent
,ort
ower
i
ngcumul
us

L3:Cumul
oni
mbus
Topsnotf
i
br
ous,out
l
i
nenot
compl
et
el
yshar
p,noanvi
l

H7:Ci
r
r
ost
r
at
us
Tr
ansl
ucent
,compl
et
el
y
cover
i
ngt
hesky

H8:Ci
r
r
ost
r
at
us
Noti
ncr
easi
ng,not
cover
i
ngt
hewhol
esky

H9:Ci
r
r
ocumul
us
Al
oneorwi
t
hsomeci
r
r
us
orci
r
r
ost
r
at
us

Ty
pi
c
al
Ty
pes
:Al
t
os
t
r
at
us(
As
)
,Al
t
oc
umul
us(
Ac
)
,Ni
mbos
t
r
at
us(
Ns
)

M4:Al
t
ocumul
us
Lensshaped,orcont
i
nual
l
y
changi
ngshapeandsi
z
e

M5:Al
t
ocumul
us
Oneormor
ebandsorl
ayer
s,
expandi
ng,t
hi
ckeni
ng

LowCl
ouds
:c
l
oudbas
esUpt
o6,
500f
t(
02k
m)

L1:Cumul
us
Cumul
usoff
ai
rweat
her
wi
t
hf
l
at
t
enedappear
ance

Ty
pi
c
al
Ty
pes
:Ci
r
r
us(
Ci
)
,Ci
r
r
os
t
r
at
us(
Cs
)
,Ci
r
r
oc
umul
us(
Cc
)

M6:Al
t
ocumul
us
Fr
om t
hespr
eadi
ngof
cumul
usorcumul
oni
mbus

M7:Al
t
ocumul
us
Oneormor
eopaquel
ayer
s,
w/al
t
ost
r
at
usorni
mbost
r
at
us

M8:Al
t
ocumul
us
Wi
t
hcumul
usl
i
ket
uf
t
s
ort
ur
r
et
s

M9:Al
t
ocumul
us
Chaot
i
csky
,cl
oudbases
atsever
all
evel
s

Ty
pi
c
al
Ty
pes
:St
r
at
us(
St
)
,St
r
at
oc
umul
us(
Sc
)
,Cumul
us(
Cu)
,Cumul
oni
mbus(
Cb)

L4:St
r
at
ocumul
us
Fr
om t
hespr
eadi
ngand
f
l
at
t
eni
ngofcumul
us

Mammat
us
Dr
oopi
ngunder
si
deof
heavy
,r
ai
nsat
ur
at
edcl
ouds

L5:St
r
at
ocumul
us
Notf
r
om t
hespr
eadi
ng
andf
l
at
t
eni
ngofcumul
us

Tor
nado
Rapi
dl
yr
ot
at
i
ngcol
umn
underacumul
oni
mbuscl
oud
t
hatt
ouchest
hegr
ound

L6:St
r
at
us
I
nacont
i
nuousl
ayer
and/
orr
aggedshr
eds

L7:St
r
at
usFr
act
us
and/
orCumul
usFr
act
us
occur
swi
t
hr
ai
norsnow

Wal
lCl
oud
Shel
fCl
oud
Lower
i
ngoft
her
ai
nf
r
ee
Repr
esent
st
hel
eadi
ngedge
baseofat
hunder
st
or
m,of
t
en ofst
r
ongwi
ndsi
nadvance
pr
i
ort
ot
or
nadof
or
mat
i
on
ofat
hunder
st
or
m

L8:Cumul
us&St
r
at
ocumul
us
Notspr
eadi
ng,basesat
di
f
f
er
entl
evel
s

WaveCl
oud
For
medbyst
r
onghor
i
z
ont
al
wi
ndsoverunevent
er
r
ai
n

Spec
i
al
phot
oc
r
edi
tt
hank
st
oJ
i
m W.Lee,Er
i
cKur
t
h,Br
i
anKl
i
mows
k
i
,andEr
i
cHel
ges
on

L9:Cumul
oni
mbus
Wi
t
hf
i
br
oust
op,of
t
en
wi
t
hananvi
l