We live with clouds every day, but most of us don't realize that knowing your clouds and the differences between the types can tell you about the weather that might be coming. This is a guide to all the common (and some uncommon) cloud types that you might see on any given day.
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Cirrocumulus Clouds
High Level Cloud
The last type of cirrus clouds are the cirroculmulus, which are layered clouds with cumuliform lumps. They can also present in rows across the sky.
Nimbostratus
Low Level Clouds
Nimbostratus are thick, dense stratus or stratocumulus clouds producing steady rain or snow. Unlike layered, horizontal stratus, cumulus clouds are more individual-looking. They have flat bottoms and rounded tops, and grow upwards. Their name, Nimbo, depends on the degree of verticality
Altostratus
Mid Level Cloud
Lower to the ground than cirrus, these clouds look flat and uniform. They often mean the warm front is close and will generally thicken into stratus or nimbostratus. These strato type clouds do not normally produce significant precipitation at the surface, although a light shower may occur from a particularly thick alto-stratus layer.
Cirrostratus
High Level Cloud
These cirrus-type clouds form more of a veil or a thin-looking, uniform sheet over the sky. You can get that sun-halo effect when there are cirrostratus clouds overhead. They are also the next phase of cloud after cirrus as the warm front draws closer.
Cirrus
High Level Cloud
These clouds are the wispy, feathery ones you see way high up. They are composed entirely of ice crystals and they usually are the first sign of an approaching warm front.
Altocumulus
Mid Level Clouds
These clouds exhibit less strato (flat and uniform) characteristics and more cumulo (this means fluffier). They usually indicate localized areas of rising, moist air with clear areas between them of sinking, drier air. In the morning especially, these clouds indicate instability in the air, which could then be released into deep convection by the afternoon or evening.
Stratus
Low Level Clouds
These are the uniform, flat, grey common clouds you see hanging around on a cold, dismal, grey day. Often meaning you will see some level of precipitation.
Stratocumulus
Low Level Clouds
These guys are hybrids of stratus and cumulus all clumped together continuously just like strato clouds. Stratocumulus also can be thought of as a layer of cloud clumps with thick and thin areas. These clouds tend to appear frequently, either before or after a frontal system.
Cumulus Congestus
Low Level Cloud
(Storm Cloud)
A cumulus cloud that gets super tall (but is not yet a thunderstorm) is called cumulus congestus or towering cumulus. It will lead to a thunderstorm cloud if enough instability, moisture, and lift are present. Only then can strong updrafts develop in the cumulus cloud leading to a mature, deep cumulonimbus cloud.
Cumulus
Low Level Cloud
These are the clouds that little kids draw when they draw clouds. Puffy and fuffy, cumulus clouds are cellular (look like individual clouds) in nature, have flat bottoms and rounded tops, and grow vertically. Scattered cumulus clouds showing little vertical growth on an otherwise sunny day are referred to as cumulus or flat cumulus.