Cloud types
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Contents |
High-level clouds
Cirrus
Abbreviation: Ci
These form above 16,500 feet (5,000 m), in the cold region of the troposphere. They are denoted by the prefix cirro- or cirrus. At this altitude water almost always freezes so clouds are composed of ice crystals. The clouds tend to be wispy, and are often transparent.
cirrus
cirrus
castellanus
cirrus
radiatus
cirrus uncinus
cirrus
fibratus
cirrus
spissatus
cirrus
intortus
cirrus
vertebratus
cirrus
floccus
cirrus
duplicatus
cirrus
with mammatus
cirrus
kelvin-helmholtz
Isolated cirrus clouds often indicate a stable situation and do not bring precipitation.
Cirrocumulus
Abbreviation: Cc cirrocumulus
undulatus
cirrocumulus
castellanus
cirrocumulus
floccus
cirrocumulus
lenticularis
cirrocumulus
lacunosus
cirrocumulus
with mammatus
Cirrocumulus clouds are often associated with a front but do cause precipitation.
Cirrostratus
Abbreviation: Cs cirrostratus
duplicatus
cirrostratus
nebulosus
cirrostratus
fibratus
cirrostratus
undulatus
Cirrostratus clouds are often translucent and do not bring precipitation
Contrail
Aircraft engines emit water vapour into the atmosphere, and this vapour is then frozen into ice crystals. These are known as condensation trails (contrails).
Medium-level clouds
Altostratus
Abbreviation: As
altostratus
undulatus
altostratus
radiatus
altostratus
lenticularis
altostratus
duplicatus
altostratus
translucidus
altostratus
opacus
altostratus
mammatus
altostratus
praecipitatio
Altostratus is usually associated with a weather front and can bring rain or snow.
Altocumulus
Abbreviation: Ac
altocumulus
duplicatus
altocumulus
undulatus
altocumulus
stratiformis
altocumulus
castellanus
altocumulus
radiatus
altocumulus
floccus
altocumulus
lacunosus
altocumulus
translucidus
altocumulus
perlucidus
altocumulus
opacus
altocumulus
with mammatus
altocumulus
virga
Altocumulus is not usually associated with a front but can still bring rain or snow
Nimbostratus
Abbreviation: Ns
nimbostratus
opacus
nimbostratus
pannus
nimbostratus
praecipitatio
nimbostratus
virga
nimbostratus
floccus
Nimbostratus tend to bring constant precipitation
Low-level clouds
Stratocumlus
Abbreviation: Sc
stratocumulus
opacus
stratocumulus
undulatus
stratocumulus
castellanus
stratocumulus
floccus
stratocumulus
lenticularis
stratocumulus
radiatus
stratocumulus
lacunosus
stratocumulus
duplicatus
stratocumulus
translucidus
stratocumulus
perlucidus
stratocumulus
mammatus
stratocumulus
praecipitatio
Stratocumulus can produce rain or drizzle
Stratus
Abbreviation: St
opacus
nebulosus
translucidus
undulatus
lenticularis
fractus
praecipitatio
Stratus can often produce drizzle
Cumulus
Abbreviation: Cu
humilis
fractus
Mediocris
congestus
orographic
radiatus
praecipitatio
arcus
tuba
pileus
velum
pannus
Cumulus is sometimes called fair weather cloud but can develop into more stormy conditions
Vertically developed clouds
Cumulonimbus
Abbreviation: Cb
capillatus
calvus
incus
pileus
spissatus
mammatus
arcus
shelf
scud
roll
praecipitatio
tuba
velum
pannus
Cumulonimbus is the cloud of storms and rain or showers
Other clouds
Nacreous cloud (mother of pearl)
A thin cloud seen most often between sunset and sunrise and is between 12 to 18 miles (19 to 29 km) high
A thin cloud seen most often between sunset and sunrise and is 32 to 35 miles (51 to 56 km) high
The meaning of cloud names
Main cloud components
Altum - height
Cirrus – lock of hair
Cumulus – heaped
Nimbus – rain bearing
Stratus – layer
main cloud types
Cirrus – lock of hair
Cirrostratus – cirrus and stratus - lock of hair and layer
Cirrocumulus – cirrus and cumulus – lock of hair and heaped
Altostratus – altum and stratus – height and layer
Altocumulus – altum and cumulus – height and heaped
Nimbostratus – nimbus and stratus – rain bearing and layer
Stratocumulus – stratus and cumulus – layer and heaped
Stratus - layer
Cumulus - heaped
Cumulonimbus – cumulus and nimbus – heaped and rain bearing
Main sub-cloud types
Castellanus – castle-like with a series of turret shapes
Congestus – moderate development and heaped into cauliflower shapes
Fibratus – thin filament type clouds, can be straight or slightly curved
Floccus – looking like a tuft of wool, small congestus
Fractus – irregular shredded appearance
Humilis – small, low, flattened cumulus
Lenticularis – having a lens-like appearance
Mediocris – medium size cumulus with small bulges at the top
Nebulosus – indistinct cloud without features
Spissatus – thick cirrus with a grey appearance
Stratiformis – horizontal cloud sheet
Uncinus – cirrus with a hook shape at the top
Other cloud types
Arcus – arch or a bow – mostly attached to cumulus, thick with ragged edges
Duplicatus – double – partly merged layers of cloud
Incus – anvil - top part of CB cloud, anvil shaped
Intortus – twisted – curved and tangled cirrus
Mamma – cows udder – round pouches on surface of cloud
Lacunosus – full of holes – thin cloud distinguished by holes and ragged edges
Opacus – thick and shadowy – an opaque sheet of cloud
Pannus – shredded cloth – shredded sections attached to main cloud
Perlucidus – translucent – sheet of cloud with small spaces among itself
Pileus – capped – hood shaped cumulus type cloud
Praecipitatio – falling – cloud whose precipitation reaches the ground
Radiatus – radiant – parallel lines converging at a central point, often cirrus
Tuba – like a trumpet – column hanging from the bottom of cumulus
Translucidus – transparent – translucent patch or sheet
Undulatus – wavy – cloud displaying an undulating pattern
Velum - a ship’s sail – sail-like in appearance
Vertebratus – skeletal and bone like – cirrus arranged to look like bones or skeleton
Virga – stick or branch – precipitation that does not reach the ground
Storm Clouds
clouds associated with the development and duration of storms
Accessory Cloud – cloud that is attached to and develops on body of main cloud
Anvil – the top flatter part of a cumulonimbus cloud
Anvil Dome – the overshooting top on a CB that is often present on a supercell
Anvil Rollover – (slang) circular protrusion attached to underside of anvil
Back-sheared Anvil – (slang) anvil that spreads upwind, indicative of extreme weather
Cloud tags – ragged detached portions of cloud
Collar Cloud – rare ring shape surrounding upper part of wall cloud
Cumulus – heaped clouds
Cumulus arcus – arch or a bow shape, attached to cumulus, thick with ragged edges
Cumulus congestus – moderate development and heaped into cauliflower shapes
Cumulus fractus – ragged detached portions of cumulus cloud
Cumulus humilis - small, low, flattened cumulus, early development
Cumulus Mediocris - medium size cumulus with small bulges at the top
Cumulus pannus - shredded sections attached to main cumulus cloud
Cumulus pileus - capped – hood shaped cumulus cloud
Cumulus praecipitatio - cumulus whose precipitation reaches the ground
Cumulus radiatus – cumulus arranged in parallel lines
Cumulus tuba - column hanging from the bottom of cumulus
Cumulus velum - cumulus displaying an undulating pattern
Cumulonibus – rare cloud similar to mammatus, attached to underside of CB
Cumulonimbus – heaped towering rain-bearing clouds that stretch to the upper levels
Cumulonimbus arcus - arch or a bow shape, attached to cumulonimbus
Cumulonimbus calvus – cumulonimbus whose upper parts have lost their shape
Cumulonimbus capillatus - CB whose upper parts have taken on a cirrus-like form
Cumulonimbus incus – CB with anvil aloft
Cumulonimbus mammutus - pouch-like protrusions that hang from under an anvil
Cumulonimbus pannus - shredded sections attached to main CB cloud
Cumulonimbus pileus - capped – hood shaped cumulonimbus cloud
Cumulonimbus praecipitatio - CB whose precipitation reaches the ground
Cumulonimbus spissatus - cumulonimbus with a thick grey appearance
Cumulonimbus tuba - column hanging from the bottom of cumulonimbus
Cumulonimbus velum - cumulonimbus displaying an undulating pattern
Debris cloud – rotating ‘cloud’ of debris found at base of tornado
Funnel Cloud – funnel of cloud hanging from under CB but not making contact with ground
Knuckle Cloud – lumpy protrusion that hangs from edge or underside of anvil
Roll Cloud – elongated, low-level, tube shaped, horizontal cloud
Rope Cloud – narrow, sometimes twisted funnel type cloud seen after tornado dissipates
Scud Cloud – ragged detached portions of cloud
Shelf Cloud – wedge shaped cloud often attached to the underside of CB
Wall Cloud – distinctive fairly large lowering of the rain free base of a CB, often rotating
