High Clouds: cloud bases above 6km (20,000 ft)

SHUTTERSTOCK

Cirrus These clouds are made exclusively of ice crystals. They are not
as horizontally extensive as cirrostratus clouds.

JIM LEE/NOAA

Cirrostratus These are thin layered clouds composed of ice crystals.

They are relatively indistinct and give the sky a whitish appearance.

Middle Clouds: cloud bases 2-6km (6,50020,000 ft)

SHUTTERSTOCK

Cirrocumulus These high clouds can produce striking skies. Composed

of ice crystals, they often contain linear bands, numerous patches of
greater vertical development, or both.

DENNIS TASA

Contrails A contrail is a long, narrow cloud that is formed as exhaust

from a jet aircraft condenses in cold air at high altitude. Upper level
winds may gradually cause contrails to spread out.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Altocumulus These midlevel clouds are horizontally layered but exhibit

varying thicknesses across their bases. Thicker areas can be arranged as
parallel linear bands or as a series of individual puffs.

JIM LEE/NOAA

Altostratus These are midlevel, layered clouds that produce gray skies
and obscure the Sun or Moon enough to make them appear as poorly
defined bright spots. In this example, the setting sun brightens the clouds
near the horizon but the gray appearance remains elsewhere.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Altocumulus (Lenticular) These clouds are marked by their

lens-shaped appearance. They usually form downwind of mountain
barriers as horizontal airflow is disrupted into a sequence of waves.

JIM LEE/NOAA

Altostratus (Multilayer) These are midlevel layered clouds that are

dense enough to completely hide the Sun or Moon.


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Low Clouds and Clouds of Vertical Development: Cloud bases 0-2 km (0-6,500 ft)

JIM LEE/NOAA

Cumulus These clouds often have flat bottoms, rounded tops, and a
cellular structure made up of individual clouds. (The word cumulus
comes from the Latin word for heap.) Cumulus clouds tend to grow
vertically.

JIM LEE/NOAA

Nimbostratus These low clouds are thick gray layers that contain
sufficient water to yield light-to-moderate precipitation.

JIM LEE/NOAA

Cumulus Humilis Often called fair-weather cumulus, these small

white individual masses lack conspicuous vertical development and
rarely produce precipitation.

SHUTTERSTOCK
JIM LEE/NOAA

Cumulus Congestus These clouds have considerably more

vertical development than cumulus humilis. They may produce
heavy precipitation, but not the severe weather associated with
some cumulonimbus clouds.

JIM LEE/NOAA

Stratocumulus These are low, layered clouds that have regions of

some vertical development. Differences in thickness create varying
degrees of darkness when seen from below.

Cumulonimbus These clouds result from very strong updrafts that may
push the cloud tops up to several kilometers into the stratosphere. Their
characteristic feature is the anvil, a zone of ice crystals extending outward
from the main portion of the cloud.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Cumulonimbus with Mammatus These are dramatic features

associated with some cumulonimbus, resulting from strong downdrafts
and turbulence along the bases or margins of the clouds.

NOAA

Cumulonimbus with Wall Cloud A feature associated with some

cumulonimbus clouds. When wall clouds are present, heavy rain, hail,
and sometimes tornadoes can be expected.

2013 by Pearson Education, Inc.