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What are the Different Types of Clouds in the Sky?

Bronwyn Harris
Bronwyn Harris

Clouds are made of tiny drops of water or small crystals of ice. Water vapor rises into the air, cooling and condensing into droplets of water, or if the air is cold enough, crystals of ice. When enough water vapor condenses into billions of ice crystals or drops of water, a cloud forms. Depending on how it forms, it becomes one of several types of clouds. The three main types found in the sky are cumulus, stratus and cirrus. They each have many derivatives.

Cumulus clouds are white and fluffy, like cotton balls in the sky. These form when warm, moist air rises quickly from the ground and cools off rapidly. They can form in clusters, and often are seen over the sea at regular intervals. A cumulus cloud may break up in about ten minutes. When they turn dark gray, they are called cumulonimbus clouds, and can produce rain, hail, or lightning. If the name has the suffix nimbus, it means precipitation.

Cumulus clouds.
Cumulus clouds.

Stratus clouds are flattened sheets of cloud that may stay in place for some time. They cause overcast weather or rain. Nimbostratus clouds are formed when air rises very slowly over a large area, and promise long steady rain. They resemble heavy gray blankets stretched out in the sky.

Cirrus clouds form very high in the sky, and are made up completely of ice crystals. They are wispy and light, and look a bit like feathers in the sky. If enough are in the sky that they seem to run into each other, they are called cirrostratus clouds, which look like a white veil in the sky.

Lightning from dark cumulus clouds.
Lightning from dark cumulus clouds.

Fog is similar to clouds in that they are both are made of tiny droplets of water. Clouds form much higher in the sky than fog, which forms at ground level. Fog is formed on calm, cool nights, because the ground is cold. The water vapor in the air condenses into droplets of water near the ground, filling the air with these droplets, and creating fog. These droplets of water are so small that it takes 7 trillion of them to make 1 tablespoon (14.78 ml) of water.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main categories of clouds?

Nimbostratus clouds are associated with rain and oncoming storms.
Nimbostratus clouds are associated with rain and oncoming storms.

Clouds are primarily categorized into four families based on their appearance and altitude: cumulus, stratus, cirrus, and nimbus. Cumulus clouds are fluffy and white, often indicating fair weather. Stratus clouds form uniform layers that can cover the entire sky. Cirrus clouds are wispy and found at high altitudes, while nimbus clouds are rain-bearing clouds that can extend across cloud categories.

How are clouds classified within these categories?

Within the main cloud families, clouds are further classified by their altitude and specific characteristics. For example, high-level clouds include cirrostratus and cirrocumulus, while mid-level clouds encompass altostratus and altocumulus. Low-level clouds consist of stratus and stratocumulus. Cumulonimbus clouds span multiple levels and are associated with severe weather like thunderstorms.

What type of cloud is typically associated with thunderstorms?

Cumulonimbus clouds are directly associated with thunderstorms. They are towering, anvil-shaped clouds that can reach up to 60,000 feet in altitude. These clouds are capable of producing heavy rain, lightning, thunder, hail, and even tornadoes. Their presence is a clear indicator of unstable air and potential severe weather conditions.

Can clouds help predict the weather?

Yes, clouds can be valuable indicators of impending weather. For instance, a sky filled with cirrostratus clouds often suggests that rain or snow could arrive within 24 hours. Altocumulus clouds might indicate the approach of a warm front, possibly leading to precipitation. Observing cloud patterns and types can provide clues about short-term weather changes.

What are "mackerel skies" and what do they signify?

"Mackerel skies" refer to a pattern of altocumulus clouds that resemble the scales of a mackerel fish. This cloud formation is often associated with moisture and instability at higher altitudes and can indicate that a change in weather is likely within the next 36 hours, potentially signaling the approach of a storm front.

How do clouds form in the atmosphere?

Clouds form when water vapor in the atmosphere cools and condenses into water droplets or ice crystals. This typically occurs when warm, moist air rises and expands in the cooler atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes. The specific type of cloud that forms depends on factors such as temperature, humidity, and the presence of aerosols which serve as condensation nuclei.

Discussion Comments

anon139737

so what are the very long straight clouds that are created by airplanes traveling at speed and criss-crossing the sky everywhere? These never used to be there! also it appears that they contain aluminum and other carcinogens!

anon80742

This seems like a good website if you do not know much about clouds, but i need more advanced!

anon80739

Thank you! You're the only person that helped me.

anon75440

Very helpful. I'm just finding the finishing touches on this subject.

anon67518

very helpful. could help me to recollect what i have studied long back.

anon67422

this helped me with my homework, too.

trela

this helped me so much.

anon61239

yes it is so helpful.

anon53097

awesome! this really helped me with my homework.

anon44009

this article should say what the clouds are called, like stratocumulous. it could really help me in my homework.

anon25060

my, it's so cool to know about this i am so amazed.

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    • Cumulus clouds.
      By: selezenj
      Cumulus clouds.
    • Lightning from dark cumulus clouds.
      By: Leonid
      Lightning from dark cumulus clouds.
    • Nimbostratus clouds are associated with rain and oncoming storms.
      By: powerzilly
      Nimbostratus clouds are associated with rain and oncoming storms.