Cumulus meaning “pile”. Cumulus clouds are the puffy clouds that look like puffs of cotton.

Cumulus cloud has a large, puffy, white appearance. The name comes from the Latin word cumulo,
which means 'piles.' The word accumulate stems from this Latin root as well, and cumulus clouds form
in a way that looks as though the cloud material has accumulated, or piled up. When you look up in the
sky, you can quickly spot a cumulus cloud. It looks like a big, dense, well-defined white cloud. It is often
an isolated, individual cloud with visible edges. The shape looks flat on the bottom and rounded on the
top, and the sky in between the clouds is generally blue. A cumulus cloud thus signifies the upward
movement of warm air in the atmosphere. Around 1,000 feet above the earth, cumulus clouds are
located lower in the atmosphere. Fair-weather cumulus clouds, which are low-level clouds below 6,000
feet, foretell calm conditions without precipitation. https://study.com/academy/lesson/cumulus-cloud-
definition-facts-types.html

The word stratus comes from the Latin word strato. The word "stratus" means "layer," which provides a
hint as to what kind of cloud it is. Usually forms between the surface and 2,000ft, but cloud base can be
up to 4,000ft. Since they are located at low altitudes, these clouds are more closely spaced from the
planet than other kinds of clouds. Stratus clouds can be a lighter gray or a tint that is almost white.
Stratus clouds resemble flat cloud sheets. These clouds may indicate a cloudy day or a persistent rainfall.
They might spend several days in one location.

Altocumulus clouds are thin, mid-altitude clouds that form roughly 6,000 to 20,000 feet above ground
level. The name comes from the Latin word alto, which means "high" and the Latin word cumulus which
means "a heap or pile”. Altocumulus clouds do not generally produce precipitation however they do
signify atmospheric instability and they are one of three types of "warning clouds" that are used to
predict thunderstorms hours ahead of time. Altocumulus clouds can form anywhere from 2,000 meters
to 6,000 meters above the ground. This equates to roughly 6,000 to 20,000 feet in altitude.

Altocumulus clouds are mid-altitude, thin clouds that form between 6,000 and 20,000 feet in the air.
The name comes from the Latin word alto, which means "high" and the Latin word cumulus which
means "a heap or pile”. Altocumulus clouds do not generally produce precipitation however they do
signify atmospheric instability and they are one of three types of "warning clouds" that are used to
predict thunderstorms hours ahead of time.

Amendolare, N. (2021, 10, 21). Characteristics of Altocumulus Clouds. Study.com.

https://study.com/learn/lesson/altocumulus-facts-weather-altitude.html

Lowery, J. (n.d). Stratus Clouds. Study.com. https://study.com/academy/lesson/stratus-clouds-lesson-

for-kids.html

Wahl, M. (2021, 9, 26). Cumulus Cloud: Definition, Facts & Types. Study.com.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/cumulus-cloud-definition-facts-types.html
Cumulus

 Cumulus clouds are the puffy clouds that look like puffs of cotton. Cumulus clouds that do not
get very tall are indicators of fair weather. If they do grow tall, they can turn into thunderstorms.
The bottom of cumulus clouds are fairly close to the ground.
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/treehouse/clouds.cfm?Slide=5
 These clouds usually form at altitudes between 1,000 and 5,000ft, though often temperature
rises after formation lead to an increase in cloud base height. These clouds are generally formed
by air rising as a result of surface heating and may occasionally produce light showers.
http://www.cas.manchester.ac.uk/resactivities/cloudphysics/background/classification/


Stratus

 Stratus clouds look like flat sheets of clouds. These clouds can mean an overcast day or steady
rain. They may stay in one place for several days.
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/treehouse/clouds.cfm?Slide=5
 Usually forms between the surface and 2,000ft, but cloud base can be up to 4,000ft. Thick
stratus can produce considerable precipitation, particularly in hilly or coastal regions, though in
some cases this precipitation may be falling from higher clouds such as nimbostratus. While
thick stratus will obscure the sun or moon, they are clearly visible through thin stratus.
http://www.cas.manchester.ac.uk/resactivities/cloudphysics/background/classification/

Altostratus

 This type of cloud typically occurs between 6,500 and 20,000ft and is generally broken in
appearance, though can occasionally produce precipitation and be thick enough to hide the sun
or moon. http://www.cas.manchester.ac.uk/resactivities/cloudphysics/background/
classification/
Stratus (meaning layer), Cumulus (meaning pile)