Cloud Cover

by Susan Milord
1
The daytime sky is like an ever-changing artist’s canvas. One minute it’s dotted
with tiny white clouds, the next it’s streaked with gray. There may be clouds
blanketing the entire sky or just one or two hovering over a lake or lone
mountaintop. Often there are two, or even more, types of clouds in the sky at the
same time.
2
In 1803 an English scientist named Luke Howard came up with the system of
classifying the different cloud shapes—one that is still in use today. The ten
basic types, and their usual place in the sky, are illustrated in the picture.
3
How can anyone ever keep the names straight? It’s easy if you know what the
different parts of the cloud names mean. The following three terms describe the
three main shapes of clouds:
Cirrus (SERR-us) clouds are curly.

Cumulus (Quoom-yoo-lus) clouds are puffy.

Stratus (STRA-tus) clouds are layered.

4
It’s also helpful to know that Cirro is used as a prefix for very high clouds. Alto
is the prefix for middle-level clouds. Nimbus (sometimes written as nimbo) means
“rain cloud.”
5
Cirrocumulus clouds, then, are high, puffy clouds, and nimbostratus are layered
rain clouds. Now see if you can identify the clouds that are in the sky today!

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1. Who wrote the Cloud Cover?

Answer: Susan Milord

2. What is the name of Susan Milord's book?

Answer: Cloud Cover

3. Who is the author of the book?

Answer: Susan Milord

4. What is like an ever-changing artist's canvas?

Answer: The daytime sky

5. What is the daytime sky like?

Answer: ever-changing artist's canvas

6. How many types of clouds are there in the sky at the same time?
Answer: two

7. Who came up with the system of classifying the different cloud shapes?
Answer: Luke Howard

8. How can you keep the names straight?

Answer: .

9. What do the different parts of the cloud names mean?

Answer: .
10. What do the following three terms describe?
Answer: the three main shapes of clouds

11. What shape are Cirrus clouds?

Answer: curly

12. What shape are Cirrus clouds?

Answer: curly

13. What is another name for Cumulus?

Answer: Quoom-yoo-lus

14. What type of clouds are puffy?

Answer: Cumulus

15. What is used as a prefix for very high clouds?

Answer: Cirro

16. What is Cirro used for?

Answer: a prefix for very high clouds

17. What is Cirro used as a prefix for?

Answer: very high clouds

18. What is the prefix for middle-level clouds?

Answer: Alto

19. What is another name for nimbus?

Answer: nimbo

20. What does nimbo mean?

Answer: rain cloud

21. What are puffy clouds called?

Answer: Cirrocumulus clouds

22. What type of clouds are nimbostratus?

Answer: layered rain clouds