1. Clouds

3. Clouds are classified by shape, then by altitude

4. Three main types based on SHAPE:
Stratus- flat layers
Cumulus- fluffy, rounded
Cirrus- wispy, feathery

5. Clouds based on altitude:
Cirrus= high level clouds
Stratus= low level clouds
Cumulus= middle to low level cloud
4. Alto= high

6. Cirrus Clouds
These are wispy, feathery clouds coming from the Latin root of “curl of hair”. They are made of ice crystals because they only form at high levels. They bring fair or pleasant weather, but often indicate a storm or rain is on its way.

7. Mackerel Sky- cirrocumulus/altocumulus

8. Types of Cirrus Clouds: Cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus

9. Cumulus Clouds Means “heap” or “mass”
Cumulus Clouds Means “heap” or “mass”. These clouds usually indicate fair weather

10. Types of Cumulus Clouds (based on altitude)
Cumulonimbus= “heap” “rain”
Altocumulus= “high” “heap”
Cirrocumulus= “curl of hair” “heap”
Cumulus, stratocumulus, altocumulus, cirrocumulus

11. Cumulonimbus “heaped” ”rain”
These are puffy, towering clouds with flat tops. These will bring precipitation and/or thunderstorms that can be severe!!

12. Altocumulus “high” “heaps”
Rain or snow will be likely within 24 hours.

13. Stratus Clouds – spread out, layered
Low, uniform dull gray clouds that form in flat layers. These are low clouds that usually bring steady rains, snow, or very cloudy days.

14. Types of Stratus Clouds (Based on altitude)
Nimbostratus= “rain” “layered”
Altostratus= “high” “layered”
Cirrostratus= “curl of hair” “layered”

15. Nimbostratus Clouds “Nimbo” means rain

16. Stratocumulus Clouds These are “layered” “heaps”
Stratocumulus Clouds These are “layered” “heaps”. They bring light precipitation

17. Altostratus Clouds “Alto” means high

18. Cirrostratus Clouds “Cirrus” means curl of hair
Cirrostratus Clouds “Cirrus” means curl of hair. These never bring precipitation.