Types of Clouds

Clouds come in many different shapes and sizes. Scientists group clouds by their shape and how high they are in the sky. Some clouds are puffy and white. Others are thin and wispy. Learning to identify cloud types can help you predict the weather.

High, Middle, and Low Clouds

Clouds are grouped by height. High clouds like cirrus are thin and icy. They form above 20,000 feet. Middle clouds like altostratus form between 6,500 and 20,000 feet. Low clouds like stratus hang below 6,500 feet. Some clouds, like cumulonimbus, can stretch from low to high altitudes.

What Clouds Tell Us

Different clouds bring different weather. Fluffy cumulus clouds usually mean a nice day. Dark nimbostratus clouds bring steady rain. Towering cumulonimbus clouds can bring thunderstorms. Thin cirrus clouds often mean the weather will change within a day or two.

Fun Facts

• There are over 100 types and subtypes of clouds.
• Lenticular clouds look like flying saucers and form near mountains.
• Mammatus clouds have pouch-like shapes hanging from their base and often appear before severe storms.

Did You Know?

In 2017, scientists officially added a new cloud type to the cloud atlas for the first time in over 30 years. It is called asperitas, and it looks like a rough, wavy ocean in the sky!