ATSC-110L: Meteorology 1 Lab

Cloud Identification

Cloud Classification

Clouds are classified according to their height and appearance (texture)

A combination of 5 Latin words gives us all 10 major cloud classifications:

Cirrus → curl of hair, feathery
Cumulus → heap, rounded
Stratus → layered
Nimbus → raining
Alto → middle

Location

Based on cloud bases in the mid-latitudes.

High-Level Clouds:

Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Cirrocumulus

Mid-Level Clouds:

Altostratus, Altocumulus

Low-Level Clouds:

Stratus, Nimbostratus, Stratocumulus, Cumulus

Clouds with vertical development:

Cumulus Congestus, Cumulonimbus

Image 1: Low clouds exist from the surface to 6,500 feet. Mid-level clouds exist from 6,500 feet to 23,000 feet. High clouds exist from 16,000 ft to 43,000 feet.

High-Level Clouds

Cirrus (Ci)

Thin, wispy, silky clouds
Made of ice crystals
Blown by the wind

Image 2: Example of cirrus clouds.

Cirrostratus (Cs)

Thin clouds that cover a large portion (if not all) of the sky
Sheet-like
Made of ice crystals
Sometimes create optics like halos and sun dogs

Image 3: Example of cirrostratus clouds.

Cirrocumulus (Cc)

Little white puffs
Made of ice crystals or water droplets
Typically in long rows

Image 4: Example of cirrocumulus clouds.

Mid-Level Clouds

Altostratus (As)

Sun dimly visible
Deck of layered gray clouds

Image 5: Example of altostratus clouds.

Altocumulus (Ac)

Gray puffs (rounded elements)
Less than 1 km thick
Puffs are a little larger than the puffs of cirrocumulus

Image 6: Example of altocumulus clouds.

Low-Level Clouds

Cumulus (Cu)

Commonly referred to as "cotton candy clouds"
White or gray base, but white top
Summer day clouds

Image 7: Example of cumulus clouds

Stratus (St)

Low, grayish uniform cloud deck
Typically covers the whole sky
Typically no precipitation (if any would be drizzle)

Image 8: Example of stratus clouds.

Stratocumulus (Sc)

Lumpy clouds
Always appear in large groups covering most of the sky
Can look like cumulus but are a little flatter

Image 9: Example of stratocumulus clouds.

Nimbostratus (Ns)

Darker gray cloud
Light to moderate continuous precipitation (rain or snow)

Image 10: Example of nimbostratus clouds.

Clouds with Vertical Development

Cumulus Congestus (Tcu)

Towering cumulus
Most often a large single cloud, but can grow into each other
Cauliflower tops
Showery activity
Lightning is not yet present

Image 11: Example of towering cumulus clouds.

Cumulonimbus (Cb)

Thunderstorm cloud
Low base, but cloud tops can be as high as the tropopause
May have features such as an anvil (spread out on top) or Mammatus clouds (seen hanging beneath the anvil)

Image 12: Example of cumulonimbus clouds.

Practice Identifying Clouds Using the Live UND Skycams!

West

East

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