CLOUDS Pictures

Clouds

. Clouds

.
stable
atmosphere
unstable
atmosphere

cumuliform or

.
stratified or
layered clouds
heaped clouds
with vertical
development

General summary:-

Stratiform or stratus clouds indicate stability. Stratus means layered. Cumuliform or

cumulus clouds are "puffy" and indicate instability. 

- Precipitating stratiform clouds produce rain or snow, while precipitating cumuliform

clouds produce showers.

- The prefix cirro- means high clouds. Cirrus clouds are high, wispy ice clouds.

- The prefix alto- means mid-level clouds,

- The prefix nimbo- or the suffix -nimbus means precipitating, such as nimbostratus

or cumulonimbus.

- Stratocumulus are layered cumulus clouds.

- Virga is rain that evaporates before hitting the ground. 

- Mamma are pouch-like clouds that often indicate severe weather.

Further reading :- http://vortex.plymouth.edu/cloudboutique/

High level clouds-
1. Cirrus clouds- The most common, Thin, often wispy, white patches, silky or fibrous
appearance. composed of ice crystals that originate from the freezing of supercooled
water droplets. Occur in fair weather.
2. Cirro cumulous- Thin white patch or layer, composed of small elements in the form of
grains or ripples.
3. Cirro stratus- transparent whitish veil of cloud, fibrous or smooth appearance, these kind
of clouds form a ‘halo’ around the sun or the moon

Middle level clouds

1. Alto cumulous- white/grey patch, sheet or layer, composed of rounded masses or rolls,

2. Alto stratus – grayish or bluish cloud sheet or layer, fibrous or uniform appearance, parts
may be thin enough to vaguely reveal the Sun as through ground glass.

Low level clouds

1. Stratus clouds – grey layer of cloud with a fairly uniform base. The word stratus means
‘blanket’. Thick and featureless cloud coverage. Looks like a solid sheet of white or grey
in all directions. When the sky is covered by stratus clouds we cannot pinpoint the sun’s
location. Associated with rain fog or drizzle.
2. Strato cumulous- patch sheet or layer composed of rounded masses or rolls.
3. Nimbo stratus- nimbus meaning-rain bearing and stratus meaning layered. Grey cloud
layer, often dark, thick enough to blot out the sun.
4. Cumulous clouds- The word cumulous means pile or heap, Look like Puffy giant cotton
balls, detached clouds, generally dense with sharp outlines, developing vertically in the
shape of rising mounds, domes or towers, the bulging upper part of it looks like a
cauliflower, sunlit part of a cumulous cloud will be brilliant white while the base will be
relatively dark and almost horizontal. Usually mean fair weather
5. Cumulonimbus- Means piled rainy clouds. dense, heavy cloud, very dark base and low
storm clouds, vertical extent forming mountains or huge towers. Lightening, thunder and
hail are brought by this cloud. It is a hazard to aviation.
Cloud names that describe the shapes of clouds are:
  cirrus – meaning curl (as in a lock of hair) or fringe
 cumulus – meaning heap or pile
 stratus – meaning spread over an area or layer.

Nimbus means rain-bearing, and alto means high. The following are some of the more
common clouds used to predict weather in three categories – high-level, mid-level and low-
level clouds.

Further reading:- https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/628-observing-clouds-and-weather

1. High level clouds-

a) Cirrus:-
The most common, Thin, often wispy, white patches, silky or fibrous
appearance. composed of ice crystals that originate from the freezing of supercooled
water droplets. Occur in fair weather.
• base starts at 20000 feet above sea level
• at this height the atmosphere is cold and clouds will be composed of ice crystals
• the prefix cirro is used to denote high level
• example- Cirrus, cirro cumulous, cirrostratus

b. Cirro cumulous- Thin white patch or layer, composed of small elements in the form of
grains or ripples.
c. Cirro stratus- transparent whitish veil of cloud, fibrous or smooth appearance, these kind
of clouds form a ‘halo’ around the sun or the moon
2. Mid level clouds-
base starts at 6500 feet above sea level
prefixed with the word Alto- mid level clouds

a. Alto cumulous- white/grey patch, sheet or layer, composed of rounded masses or

rolls
b. Alto stratus – grayish or bluish cloud sheet or layer, fibrous or uniform appearance,
parts may be thin enough to vaguely reveal the Sun as through ground glass.
3. Low level clouds
base is below 6500 feet

a. Stratus clouds – grey layer of cloud with a fairly uniform base. The word stratus means
‘blanket’. Thick and featureless cloud coverage. Looks like a solid sheet of white or grey
in all directions. When the sky is covered by stratus clouds we cannot pinpoint the sun’s
location. Associated with rain fog or drizzle.
b. Nimbo stratus- nimbus meaning-rain bearing and stratus meaning layered. Grey cloud
layer, often dark, thick enough to blot out the sun.
c. Cumulous clouds- The word cumulous means pile or heap, Look like Puffy giant cotton
balls, detached clouds, generally dense with sharp outlines, developing vertically in the
shape of rising mounds, domes or towers, the bulging upper part of it looks like a
cauliflower, sunlit part of a cumulous cloud will be brilliant white while the base will be
relatively dark and almost horizontal. Usually mean fair weather. Develop in days of
clear skies, due to convection.
d. Strato cumulous- Clouds that are both heaped and spread out in layers are called
stratocumulus clouds because they're a bit like stratus and a bit like cumulus clouds. patch
sheet or layer composed of rounded masses or rolls.  Stratocumulus clouds are low, puffy
and gray. Most form in rows with blue sky visible in between them. Rain rarely occurs
with stratocumulus clouds, however, they can turn into nimbostratus clouds.
e. Cumulonimbus- Means piled rainy clouds. dense, heavy cloud, very dark base and low
storm clouds, vertical extent forming mountains or huge towers. Lightening, thunder and
hail are brought by this cloud. It is a hazard to aviation.

Cumulonimbus clouds are a sign of a maturing thunderstorm.

produced hail to the size of baseballs!