Types of Clouds

All clouds are made up of basically the same thing: water droplets or ice crystals that float in the [ ]()

sky. But all clouds look a little bit different from one another, and sometimes these differences
can help us predict a change in the weather.

INDEX
**[ High Clouds (16,500-45,000 feet)
\ \ ]()**

[ Cirrus
]()

[ Cirrostratus ]()

[ Cirrocumulus ]()

**[ Mid-level Clouds (6,500-23,000 feet) \ \ ]()**

[ Altocumulus ]()

[ Altostratus ]()

[ Nimbostratus ]()

**[ Low Clouds (less than 6,500 feet)

\ \ ]()**

[ Cumulus ]()

[ Stratus ]()

[ Cumulonimbus ]()

[ Stratocumulus ]()

[ Contrails ]()
 [ Mammatus Clouds ]()

[ Orographic Clouds ]()

[ Lenticular Clouds ]()

/end [ ]()

** High Clouds (16,500-45,000 feet)

**

** Cirrus **

Cirrus clouds are delicate, feathery clouds that are made mostly of ice crystals. Their wispy shape
comes from wind currents which twist and spread the ice crystals into strands.

* Weather prediction: A change is on its way! *

** Cirrostratus **
 Cirrostratus clouds are thin, white clouds that cover the whole sky like a veil. These clouds are
most commonly seen in the winter, and can cause the appearance of a halo around the sun or the
moon.

* Weather prediction: Rain or snow will arrive within 24 hours! *

** Cirrocumulus **

Cirrocumulus clouds are thin, sometimes patchy, sheet-like clouds. They sometimes look like
they’re full of ripples or are made of small grains.
* Weather prediction: Fair, but cold. However, if you live in a tropical region, these clouds could be a
sign of an approaching hurricane! *

** Mid-level Clouds (6,500-23,000 feet)

**

** Altocumulus **

Altocumulus clouds have several patchy white or gray layers, and seem to be made up of many
small rows of fluffy ripples. They are lower than cirrus clouds, but still quite high. They are made
of liquid water, but they don’t often produce rain.

* Weather prediction: Fair *

** Altostratus **
 Altostratus clouds are gray or blue-gray mid-level clouds composed of ice crystals and water
droplets. The clouds usually cover the entire sky.

* Weather prediction: Be prepared for continuous rain or snow! *

** Nimbostratus **

Nimbostratus clouds are dark, gray clouds that seem to fade into falling rain or snow. They are so
thick that they often blot out the sunlight.
* Weather prediction: Gloomy with continuous rain or snow *

** Low Clouds (less than 6,500 feet)

**

** Cumulus **

Cumulus clouds look like fluffy, white cotton balls in the sky. They are beautiful in sunsets, and
their varying sizes and shapes can make them fun to observe!

* Weather prediction: Fair *

** Stratus **
 Stratus cloud often look like thin, white sheets covering the whole sky. Since they are so thin,
they seldom produce much rain or snow. Sometimes, in the mountains or hills, these clouds
appear to be fog.

* Weather prediction: Fair, but gloomy *

** Cumulonimbus **

Cumulonimbus clouds grow on hot days when warm, wet air rises very high into the sky. From far
away, they look like huge mountains or towers.
* Weather prediction: Look out for rain, hail, and tornadoes! *

** Stratocumulus **

Stratocumulus clouds are patchy gray or white clouds that often have a dark honeycomb-like
appearance.

* Weather prediction: Fair weather for now, but a storm might be on its way. *

** Contrails **
 Contrails are made by high-flying jet airplanes. They are still clouds, though, because they are
made of water droplets condensed from the water vapor in the exhaust of the jet engines.

[ Click here to test out making contrails in our simulator!]()

* Weather prediction: Contrails can provide information about the layers of moisture in the sky. *

** Mammatus clouds **

Mammatus clouds are actually altocumulus, cirrus, cumulonimbus, or other types of clouds that
 have these pouch-like shapes hanging out of the bottom. The pouches are created when cold air
within the cloud sinks down toward the Earth.

* Weather prediction: Severe weather might be on its way! *

** Orographic clouds **

Orographic clouds get their shape from mountains or hills that force the air to move over or
around them. They can also be formed by sea breezes and often appear as lines where two air
masses meet.

* Weather prediction: An early sign that the conditions might be right to form afternoon thunderstorms! *

** Lenticular clouds **
 Lenticular clouds are shaped like lenses or almonds or...flying saucers! They may get their shape
from hilly terrain or just the way the air is rising over flat terrain.

* Weather prediction: None! *

Type 1
 Veils, very tenuous stratiform; resembles cirrostratus or poorly defined cirrus.
Type 2
Long stratocumuliform bands, often in parallel groups or interwoven at small angles. More widely
spaced than cirrocumulus bands.
2A
Bands with diffuse, blurred edges.
2B
Bands with sharply defined edges.
⠀
Type 3
Billows. Clearly spaced, fibrous cirriform, roughly parallel short streaks.
3A
Short, straight, narrow streaks.
3B
Wave-like structures with undulations.
⠀
Type 4
Whirls. Partial (or, more rarely, complete) cirriform rings with dark centers.
4A
Whirls possessing a small angular radius of curvature, sometimes resembling light ripples on
a water surface.
4B
Simple curve of medium angular radius with one or more streaks.
4C
Whirls with large-scale ring structures.

== Form → == == Stratiform == == Cirriform == Stratocumulifo == Cumuliform == Cu

== non- mostly non- rm free- rm
== Level ↓ == convective == convective == limited- convective == con
convective ==

==** Extreme-level **== [ Noctilucent ]() [ Noctilucent ]() [ Noctilucent ]()

(NLC) veils billows or whirls bands

 ==** Very high- [ Nitric acid ]() [ Cirriform nacreo ]() [ [ Lenticular nacre ]() [

level **== & water polar [ ]() [ us PSC]() [ ]() ous PSC]() [ ]()

stratospheric ]()

(PSC)

==** High-level **== [ Cirrostratus (Cs) ]() [ Cirrus (Ci) ]() [ Cirrocumulus ]()

(Cc)

==** Mid-level **== [ Altostratus (As) ]() [ Altocumulus ]()

(Ac)

==** Towering [ Cumulus [ Cum

vertical **== congestus (Cu ]() (Cb
con)

==** Multi-level or [ Nimbostratus ]() [ Cumulus

moderate (Ns) mediocris (Cu ]()

vertical **== med)

==** Low-level **== [ Stratus (St) ]() [ Stratocumulus ]() [ Cumulus humilis ]()

(Sc) (Cu hum)

or fractus (Cu fr)
[ ]()

==** Surface-level **== [ Fog or mist ]() [ ]()

Tropospheric Cloud Types with Latin Etymologies

* Cloud types are sorted in alphabetical order except where noted. *

WMO general
** Altocumulus (altus and cumulus) ***** *** ** ** *** ***** **

Latin for "high heap": Applied to mid-level stratocumuliform.

** Altostratus (altus and stratus) ***** *** ** ** *** ***** **

"High sheet": Applied to mid-level stratiform.

** Cirrocumulus (cirrus and cumulus) ***** *** ** ** *** ***** **

"Hair-like heap": Applied to high-level stratocumuliform.

** Cirrostratus (cirrus and stratus) ***** *** ** ** *** ***** **
"Hair-like sheet": Applied to high-level stratiform.
** Cirrus**

"Hair-like": Applied to high-level cirriform.

** Cumulonimbus (cumulus and nimbus) ***** *** ** ** *** ***** **

"Precipitation-bearing heap": Applied to vertical/multi-level cumulonimbiform.

** Cumulus **

"Heap": Applied to low-level and vertical/multi-level cumuliform.

** Nimbostratus (nimbus and stratus) ***** *** ** ** *** ***** **

"Precipitation-bearing sheet": Applied to multi-level stratiform with vertical extent that produces
precipitation of significant intensity.
** Stratocumulus (stratus and cumulus) ***** *** ** ** *** ***** **

"Sheet-like heap": Applied to low-level stratocumuliform.

** Stratus **

"Sheet": Applied to low-level mostly shallow stratiform.

WMO species
** Castellanus (Cas) **

Latin for "castle-like": Applies to stratocumuliform (Sc cas, Ac cas, Cc cas) and dense cirriform (Ci cas)
with a series of turret shapes – indicates air mass instability.
** Congestus (Con) **

Latin for "congested": Applies to cumuliform (Cu con/Tcu) with great vertical development and
heaped into cauliflower shapes – indicates considerable air mass instability and strong upcurrents.
** Fibratus (Fib) **

"Fibrous": Cirriform (Ci fib) or high stratiform (Cs fib) in the form of filaments, can be straight or
slightly curved; indicates strong, continuous upper winds.
** Floccus (Flo) **

"Tufted": Applies to stratocumuliform (Sc flo, Ac flo, Cc flo) and high cirriform (Ci flo); indicates some
mid or high-level instability.
** Fractus (Fra) **

"Broken": Low stratiform (St fra) or cumuliform (Cu fra) with an irregular shredded appearance – forms
in precipitation and/or gusty winds.
** Humilis (Hum) **

"Small": Applies to cumuliform (Cu hum) with little vertical extent; indicates relatively slight air mass
instability.
** Lenticularis (Len) **

"Lens–like": Stratocumuliform (Sc len, Ac len, Cc len) having a lens-like appearance – formed by
standing waves of wind passing over mountains or hills.
** Mediocris (Med) **

"Medium-size": Cumuliform (Cu med) with moderate vertical extent; indicates moderate instability and
upcurrents.
** Nebulosus (Neb) **

"Nebulous": Indistinct low and high stratiform (St neb, Cs neb) without features; indicates light wind if
any and stable air mass.
** Spissatus (Spi) **

"Dense": Thick cirriform (Ci spi) with a grey appearance; indicates some upward movement of air in
the upper troposphere.
** Stratiformis (Str) **

"Sheet-like": Horizontal cloud sheet of flattened stratocumuliform (Sc str, Ac str, Cc str); indicates very
slight air mass instability.
** Uncinus (Unc) **

"Hook-like": Cirriform (Ci unc) with a hook shape at the top; indicates a nearby backside of a weather
system.
** Volutus (Vol) **

"Rolled": Elongated, low or mid-level, tube shaped, stratocumuliform (Sc vol, Ac vol).

WMO varieties
** Opacity-based
Opacus **

Latin for "Opaque". A thick sheet of stratiform or stratocumuliform cloud.

** Perlucidus **

"Semi-transparent". Sheet of stratocumuliform cloud with small spaces between elements.

** Translucidus **

"Translucent". Thin translucent patch or sheet of stratiform or stratocumuliform.

** Pattern-based
Duplicatus **

Latin for "Double". Closely spaced often partly merged layers of cloud in one of several possible
forms.
** Intortus **

"Twisted". Curved and tangled cirriform.

** Lacunosus **

"Full of holes". Thin stratocumuliform cloud distinguished by holes and ragged edges.
** Radiatus **
"Radial". Clouds in one of several possible forms arranged in parallel lines that appear to converge at
a central point near the horizon.
** Undulatus **

"Wavy". Stratiform or stratocumuliform cloud displaying an undulating pattern.

** Vertebratus **

"In the form of a back-bone". Cirriform arranged to look like the back-bone of a vertebrate.
[ ]()

WMO supplementary features

Precipitation-based supplementary features
** Praecipitatio **

Latin for "falling": Cloud whose precipitation reaches the ground.

** Virga **

"Twig" or "branch": Cloud whose precipitation evaporates before reaching the ground.
Cloud-based supplementary features
** Arcus **

Latin for "arch" or "bow": Feature mostly attached to cumulus, thick with ragged edges.

Cloud-based supplementary features

** Asperitas **

"Roughness": A highly disturbed and chaotic wave feature occasionally seen with a stratocumulus or
altocumulus cloud.
** Cavum **

"Hole": Supercooled altocumulus or cirrocumulus distinguished by a hole with ragged edges and virga
or wisps of cirrus.
** Cauda **

"Tail": A tail cloud that extends horizontally away from the murus cloud and is the result of air feeding
into the storm.
** Fluctus **

Crested wave-like stratocumulus, altocumulus, or cirrus cloud formed by wind-shear.

** Incus **

"Anvil": Top part of a mature cumulonimbus cloud; anvil-shaped feature.

** Mammatus **

WMO term mamma: "Breast": A feature in the form of round pouches on under-surface of a cloud.
* *

** Murus **

"Wall": Cumulonimbus wall cloud with a lowering rotating base that can portend tornadoes.
** Tuba **
"Funnel" or "tube": Feature in the form of a column hanging from the bottom of cumulus or
cumulonimbus.

Accessory clouds
** Pannus **

Latin for "shredded cloth": A ragged or shredded accessory cloud that forms in precipitation below
the main cloud.
** Pileus **

"Capped": A hood-shaped accessory cloud.

** Velum **

"A ship's sail": An accessory cloud in the form of a sail.

Genitus mother clouds

** Altocumulogenitus **

Formed by the partial transformation of altocumulus mother cloud.

** Altostratogenitus **

Formed by the partial transformation of altostratus.

** Cirrogenitus **

Partial transformation of cirrus.

** Cirrocumulogenitus **

Partial transformation of cirrocumulus.

** Cirrostratogenitus **

Partial transformation of cirrostratus.

** Cumulogenitus **

Spreading out or partial transformation of cumulus.

** Cumulonimbogenitus **

Spreading out or partial transformation of cumulonimbus.

** Nimbostratogenitus **

Partial transformation of nimbostratus.

** Stratogenitus **

Partial transformation of stratus.

** Stratocumulogenitus **

Partial transformation of stratocumulus.

 Reference
[ Types of Clouds ]()

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