Look up in the sky. What do you see? Is it a clear blue day, or does the sky contain one of the many various types of clouds that can form in our atmosphere? Chances are you can see at least a bit of white in the sky, but once you spot a cloud, how do you tell what kind it is, and how can you be sure if it means rain or not?
Clouds are organized into four core categories. These are Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus, and Nimbus.
Below I will outline each of these four core types of clouds, their physical description, and the type of weather you can expect from each.
Cirrus
This type of cloud's name comes from the Latin word "cirro," which means curl of hair; a perfect fit considering that these clouds mainly appear as light wisps in the sky. These kinds of clouds are found in high elevations, above 18,000 feet, and are made up of ice crystals, which is what gives them their signature wispy look. Because of their altitude and composition, they can beautifully reflect the light of the sun before sunrise and after sunset, creating a colorful skyline.
Cumulus
Cumulus clouds are the ones that you most likely have dreamed of taking a nap on. They often appear big, white, and fluffy. These clouds are found closer to the Earth's surface, usually below 6,000 feet.
Cumulus clouds are usually found on nice days and will likely first appear in the morning, grow throughout the day, and dissipate in the evening.
Stratus
Strato, the Latin word for layer, is where this cloud gets its name. This cloud is usually a gray color, and takes the shape of a large flat sheet, or blanket in the sky. Stratus clouds are also found in lower elevations, usually below 6,000 feet. This type of cloud can, if thick enough, produce some precipitation in the form of light rain, or snow grains.
Nimbus
Nimbus clouds are basically a combination of the previous three categories. Nimbus is the Latin word for rain, so you could guess correctly that this cloud indicates precipitation. Unlike the other types of clouds this type is not typically found at one certain elevation, but rather spans from near the surface to above 50,000 feet. The height and density of these clouds is what causes them to frequently create thunderstorms.
Not every cloud falls strictly into one of these categories. Many types of clouds are what you might call crossovers between these different core types, because they contain properties of more than one. Some examples are:
Cirrostratus, which has the wispiness of the cirrus clouds, and the sheet like appearance of stratus. Nimbostratus, which is a broad blanket of dark cloud like stratus, but is thicker, and produces precipitation like a nimbus.
Cumulonimbus, which has the white fluffyness of a cumulus, while having the magnitude and size of a nimbus.
Stratocumulus, which is a thin patchy layer of cloud that has the spread out property of a stratus, and the white puffy look of a cumulus.
So there you have it, all the different types of clouds. To learn more and to see more examples of these types of clouds, watch the video below. And the next time you walk outside and look up into the sky, you may see more than just shapes in the clouds, you'll be able to identify the type of cloud based on it's appearance, and remember, if the cloud is dark and mountainous, you might want to take cover.
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