Not all clouds are produced equivalent. Some are puffy and sweet, others are gray and uniform while others still are so unpredictable and capricious that the human mind begins to see things; bunnies, cows or even a nations borders.
The various types of clouds are named based on their shape and how high up they hover in the troposphere. From fluffy cumulus clouds to threatening cumulonimbus, each type of cloud informs an unique story about the weather condition and the environment. The diagram below provides a fast introduction of the most typical kinds of clouds based on altitude.
Credit: Center for Science Education
The 10 main kinds of clouds
Altocumulus.
All of the above represents a broad classification as each type of cloud can be additional organized by species and ranges. The varieties are grouped and named based on transparency and the arrangement of cloud elements, thus:.
The base is well-defined and flat but the upper part of the cloud is rough due to convection with the cloud itself. Depending on the thickness of the cloud, stratocumulus will have light to dark gray colors.
undulatus ( un)– sheets with parallel undulations;.
High-level clouds (5-13 km/16,500 -40,000 feet).
Stratus species.
Altocumulus clouds are mid-level clouds that resemble a field of white sheep. They form at a lower altitude so theyre mostly made of water droplets though they might keep ice crystals when forming greater up. They typically appear in between lower stratus clouds and greater cirrus clouds, and generally precede altostratus when a warm frontal system is advancing. When altocumulus appears with another cloud type at the exact same time, a storm normally follows.
This kind of cloud is constantly made from ice crystals whose degree of separation figures out how transparent the cirrus is. Besides the filament appearance, cirrus clouds stand apart to name a few kinds of clouds due to the fact that theyre often colored in intense yellow or red before daybreak and at sundown, respectively. Cirrus clouds light up long before other clouds and go out much later.
Altostratus.
Altostratus clouds spell a rainy day. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Stratocumulus lenticularis — The rarest variety of stratocumulus, these are frequently identified in sloping areas which produce climatic waves. These clouds have a lens-like shape.
Cumulus clouds are a sign of fair weather, though they might release rain often in type of a light shower. You can discover them essentially everywhere worldwide expected for the polar regions.
People frequently believe rain looms when they see these clouds. In reality, youll be lucky to get a light drizzle out of them.
Altostratus Opacus– Seen on wet days, this is a bleak types that, once it comes down, transforms into the rain-bearing nimbostratus.
Stratus Fractus– Cloud filaments whose appearance modifications rapidly due to wind gusts.
Nimbostratus.
Top-level clouds (5-13 km): cirrocumulus, cirrus, and cirrostratus.
Cirrus spissatus — Thick and dense, cirrus spissatus tends to dominate the sky above.
Read:.
Cumulus.
Altostratus Radiates — Clouds come in broad parallel bands pointing towards the horizon.
Cumulonimbus clouds are the large, towering clouds that frequently signal the arrival of a thunderstorm. Theyre fluffy and white like cumulus cloud but they can grow far larger.
Its the most recognizable out of all the kinds of clouds. Cumulus clouds are fluffy, white clouds that look like cotton balls and are often connected with stunning, bright days.
Sheets of stratus clouds. Credit: Pixabay, Bluesnap.
They can stretch all the way from the ground to the top of the environment and are comprised of water beads and ice crystals. The rain reoccurs with this cloud however when it does, it pours. When you see a cumulonimbus, you know theres a thunderstorm waiting to occur someplace, so you better look for cover.
The clouds form from large air masses that rise to the environment and later on condense. If the temperatures fall below freezing, these are pretty benign in terms of rainfall producing light showers or even light snow. If sufficient wetness is retained at the ground level, the cloud can change into a nimbostratus. Stratus clouds are very typical all over the world, specifically in the mountainous and seaside regions.
Cirrostratus nebulosus — Has the look of a veil covering the sky. Its in some cases unnoticeable and featureless.
Altocumulus clouds signify reasonable weather condition, but they can also signify the possibility of a thunderstorm later on in the day. The quantity of rains from altocumulus clouds is light to moderate.
The name Nimbostratus comes from the Latin words nimbus which implies “rain” and stratus for “expanded”. These bleak clouds are the heavy rain bearers, forming dark and thick layers of clouds in the sky that can entirely shut out the sun. Though they come from the middle-level category, they may in some cases come down to lower altitudes.
Mid-level clouds (2-7 km/ 6,500-23,000 feet).
Cirrus is one of the most typical types of clouds that can be seen at any time of the year. Theyre thin and wispy with a silky sheen look.
lacunosus ( la)– thin cloud with regularly spaced holes, net-like;.
Altostratus Undulatus– Characterized by thin layers that resemble waves. These suggest minor mid-atmospheric instability.
Cirrus uncinus — Has a hallmark hook shape.
Theyre evenly gray, smooth, and mainly featureless which is why theyre often called uninteresting clouds. Youll frequently see this kind of cloud in an advancing warm frontal system, preceding nimbostratus clouds.
Generally, this kind of cloud looks as if it came directly from hell.
Cirrocumulus in Hong Kong. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Cirrus.
perlucidus ( pe)– broad spots with some (small) spaces permitting the blue sky to be seen;.
opacus ( op)– entirely masks the sun or moon;.
Cirrostratus types.
Asperatus Cloud, New Zealand. Image: Merrick Davies.
These lovable piles of cotton form a large mass with a distinct rounded edge, which explains the name cumulus which is Latin for heap.
When they form close to the ground, Stratus clouds are merely called mist or fog. You can easily differentiate a stratus cloud by the long horizontal layers which have a fog-like appearance.
Cirrocumulus lenticularis — Often bigger than other clouds in the family with a rounded shape.
Altocumulus lenticularis — Lens-shaped clouds that generally form over sloping areas. These are often called spaceship clouds since they often resemble a UFO.
Cumulonimbus capillatus — The top-side of the tower cloud is fibrous. This time, the water droplets have started to freeze, suggesting rains is to be expected.
Cumulonimbus.
Altostratus Pannus– Has disorderly layers that make it look like a shredded cloth.
Cirrus species.
Cirrocumulus stratiformis — These are the famous fish scale clouds.
vertebratus ( ve)– appearing like bones or ribs;.
duplicatus ( du)– more than one layer at different levels;.
Altostratus Mamma– The name mamma originates from the hanging pouches of this altostratus species which resemble a womans mammary glands.
Cirrostratus fibratus — It looks a lot like cirrus just with more consistency. It has the look of an animals fur.
Cumulonimbus types.
Mammatus clouds in the Nepal Himalayas. Likewise referred to as mammary clouds, Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Stratocumulus stratiformis — This is the most typical type of cloud all around the world. Basically, these are flat-based clouds with fractures in between.
Cirrocumulus floccus — Have a more rough appearance than other species. The species typically appears in smaller patches with other cirrocumulus clouds.
Cumulus congestus– These are taller than they are large looking like long chimneys.
In March 2017, this extremely uncommon cloud formation was formally acknowledged as an unique cloud by the International Cloud Atlas, marking the very first cloud development included because cirrus intortus in 1951. Its name was changed to Asperitas.
Cirrocumulus castellanus — Taller than they are broad, these adorable clouds look like tiny towers in the sky.
Cumulonimbus calvus — The top looks like a cumulus due to the fact that the tower has actually not produced ice crystals yet.
The cloud that produces showers and thunderstorms. Credit: Pixabay.
Stratus Opacus– These are the clouds that entirely or partly cover the sun or moon.
Cumulus mediocris– As the name implies, these clouds are simply as broad as they are tall. Youll typically see them among a variety of other cumulus types.
Altocumulus floccus — Often spotted alongside altocumulus castellanus, altocumulus floccus is made of more rugged cloudlets.
Cirrocumulus clouds are amongst the most beautiful out there. These typically form at about 5 km above the surface area with little white fluff patterns that spread out for miles and miles over the sky. Theyre sometimes called mackerel skies since they can often have a grayish color that makes the clouds look a bit like fish scales.
Cumulus species.
Stratus Undulatus– This range displays a wave-like undulation.
A few of the best cloud photos include cirrostratus clouds because the ice crystals perfectly refract light from the sun or moon producing a spectacular halo result. If they come down to a lower elevation, Cirrostratus clouds can turn into altostratus clouds.
Altostratus types.
Cirrus castellanus — More vertically established and have a turret-like top.
Altostratus Translucidus– Its more transparent than other types permitting the contour of the sun to be noticeable through it.
Altocumulus types.
Stratocumulus clouds are low-lying clouds that have a large horizontal structure. Credit: Pixabay, saragib.
Stratocumulus.
Cumulus clouds are characterized by a white, fluffy appearance. People say these resemble cauliflowers. Credit: Pixabay, Hans.
Cirrostratus clouds have a veil-like appearance that can appear like a curly blanket covering the sky. Theyre quite clear which makes it simple for the sun or the moon to peer through. Their color differs from light gray to white and the fibrous bands can vary widely in thickness. Purely white cirrostratus clouds symbolize these have actually stored moisture, suggesting the existence of a warm frontal system.
translucidus ( tr)– clear sufficient to permit the sun or moon to be seen;.
This post originally appeared in 2018 and has given that been upgraded with new info.
Altocumulus castellanus — These typically lead to cumulonimbus thunderstorms. Theyre taller and puffier looking than they are large.
Cumulonimbus incus — Like when it comes to cumulonimbus capillatus, the top of the cloud is fibrous however this time likewise anvil-shaped. This particular shape is the result of the cloud reaching the barrier of the troposphere and should now grow outward.
If youve ever looked up at the sky and seen thin, wispy clouds that resemble plumes or horse tails, you were probably taking a look at cirrus clouds.
Altoculumus clouds are in some cases called social clouds because they appear in groups. They have a grayish-white color with some parts darker than others. Credit: Pixabay, MabelAmber.
Stratus clouds are composed of thin layers of clouds covering a big location of the sky. Theyre featureless however that does not indicate you cant tell them apart from other types. Think of a cloudy, gloomy day– a stratus cloud is likely looming above.
Cumulus fractus– Simply the damaged residues of cumulus clouds that are dissipating.
Stratocumulus castellanus — These are thicker, drizzly stratocumulus clouds.
Stratocumulus appear like a thick white blanket of stretched-out cotton. They resemble both stratus and cumulus clouds, for this reason the name.
Cirrocumulus species.
Cloud species and ranges.
Stratus Praecipitatio — A type of stratus cloud that comes with precipitation through ice prisms, snow grains or light drizzles.
For years, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, who is the creator of The Cloud Appreciation Society, has actually been on an objective to convince the world that a brand-new category of cloud deserves recognition. He called it Undulatus asperatus, an odd cloud formation with a distinct undulating and rolling movement. Its characterized by localized waves in the cloud base, either smooth or dappled with smaller features, often coming down into sharp points, as if viewing a roughed up sea surface area from below. Varying levels of illumination and densities in the cloud can cause dramatic visual impacts.
Cirrus fibratus — The most typical kind of cirrus cloud. Fibrous and thin, cirrus fibratus is typically aligned with the high-altitude wind direction. It looks like white parallel stripes which streak across the sky.
PERK: Asperitas (Undulatus asperatus).
As a great piece of trivia, cirrostratus clouds practically always move in a westerly direction. The sight of them generally implies rainfall impends in the next 24 hours.
Stratus Nebulosus– Featureless gray stratus clouds that form in cool and steady conditions when wet air moves onto a water or cold ground surface area.
Stratocumulus types.
Low-level clouds (0-2km/ 0-6,500 feet).
Altostratus Duplicates — In this cloud formation, you will see two or more layers of altostratus clouds on top of each other.
Cirrocumulus.
Cumulus humilis– These cumulus clouds are larger than they are high. Youll frequently find more than one dotting the horizon.
Mid-level clouds (2-7 km): altostratus, nimbostratus, and altocumulus.
Altocumulus stratiformis — Looks like a lot of flat-bottomed puffy clouds packed tightly together but separated by small streaks. These can in some cases extend over the entire sky.
Cirrostratus.
Low-level clouds (0-2 km): stratus, cumulus, cumulonimbus, and stratocumulus.
intortus ( in)– irregular or tangled;.
Whats worth bearing in mind about cirrocumulus clouds is that they never ever create rainfall (however can mean winter) nor do they interact with other types of clouds to form larger cloud structures.
A cloud is a noticeable accumulation of minute droplets of water, ice crystals, or both, suspended in the air. They differ in shape and size, all clouds are generally formed in the same method through the vertical uplift of air above the condensation level. Clouds may likewise form in contact with the ground surface area, too– its just called fog, ice fog, or mist.
Stratus Translucidus– Has a veil-like pattern that describes the sun and moon.
Cirrostratus clouds. Credit: Pixabay, jingoba.
Nimbostratus clouds form as a result of the progressive accumulation of wetness over a big location as the warm frontal system lifts warm wetness greater up in the environment where it condenses. As laid out earlier, a nimbostratus cloud can form from other kinds of clouds, like a descending altostratus. Spreading cumulonimbus clouds might likewise result in the development of nimbostratus.
There are 10 main types of clouds, which can be divided into 3 major groups, each with its own unique cloud species, based on the elevation at which they form.
Cirrocumulus clouds display features from both cumulus and cirrus clouds however need to not be confused with altocumulus clouds. While the two can look similar, cirrocumulus does not have shading and some parts of altocumulus are darker than the rest. They form when unstable vertical currents fulfill a cirrus layer, producing the puffy cumulus shape.
Cirrus floccus — These have a more cotton wool-like appearance than any other cirrus.
Altocumulus clouds are quite typical in many parts of the globe. They generally grow by convection, most of the times after moist air increases to blend with descending dry air. Altocumulus clouds may likewise form in mix with other types of clouds like cumulonimbus.
Altostratus clouds often top thousands of square kilometers and are highly linked to light rain or snow. Theyre not capable of yielding heavy rain its typical for altostratus clouds to change into nimbostratus clouds which are loaded with wetness and can deliver a pounding.
Stratus.
From fluffy cumulus clouds to threatening cumulonimbus, each type of cloud tells a special story about the weather and the environment. Cirrocumulus clouds show functions from both cumulus and cirrus clouds but should not be puzzled with altocumulus clouds. Altoculumus clouds are often called social clouds since they appear in groups. They normally appear in between lower stratus clouds and greater cirrus clouds, and normally precede altostratus when a warm frontal system is advancing. Altocumulus clouds might also form in mix with other types of clouds like cumulonimbus.
radiatus ( ra)– broad parallel bands converging owing to point of view;.
Nimbostratus– a bleak sight. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
When the Earths surface releases excess heat, Cumulonimbus clouds can be seen most commonly throughout the afternoons of summertime and spring months.
Stratocumulus cumulogenitus — These remarkably kind when a cumulus encounters a temperature inversion.
