What type of cloud indicates rain

These are the awe-inspiring and ominous clouds mainly observed during the summer months and can be indicative of developing thunderstorms, including lightning, hail, heavy rain and even tornadoes. The strongest thunderstorms can even produce cumulonimbus clouds that tower up to 60, feet!

Above: Textbook example of a towering cumulonimbus cloud Courtesy Wikipedia. Personally, stratus clouds are my least-favorite and I'm sure that likely goes for most people. These clouds, which look like a layer of gray blanketing the sky, are generally associated with wet conditions.

They typically form when warm air is lifted over cold air, which allows the water vapor to condense rather uniformly, transforming the sky into a gray and dreary scene. In fact, stratus clouds can last for days and bring cool temperatures, persistent rain, drizzle, or even snow. Above: Layer of stratus clouds Courtesy Wikipedia. Now on to my favorite type of cloud, cirrus clouds! Ever notice those high, thin and wispy clouds that usually make for beautiful sunsets?

Yep, those are cirrus. They develop very high up in the atmosphere and are actually made up of tiny ice crystals. We can see cirrus clouds in a variety of scenarios including outflow from large scale storms, like nor'easters, tropical cyclones and even thunderstorm complexes. When gusts of wind blow water droplets outside the cloud, they rapidly evaporate in the drier environment, giving water clouds a very sharp edge.

On the other hand, ice crystals carried outside the cloud do not quickly evaporate, giving a wispy appearance. Cumulonimbus are often flat-topped. Within the Cumulonimbus, warm air rises by convection. In doing so, it gradually cools until it is the same temperature as the surrounding atmosphere.

At this level, the air is no longer buoyant so cannot rise further. Instead it spreads out, forming a characteristic anvil shape. Cirrus form very high in the atmosphere. They are wispy, being composed entirely of ice crystals falling through the atmosphere. If Cirrus are carried horizontally by winds moving at different speeds, they take a characteristic hooked shape. Only at very high altitudes or latitudes do Cirrus produce rain at ground level. But if you notice that Cirrus begins to cover more of the sky, and gets lower and thicker, this is a good indication that a warm front is approaching.

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Cloud Classification and Characteristics Clouds are classified according to their height above and appearance texture from the ground. The following cloud roots and translations summarize the components of this classification system : 1 Cirro- : curl of hair, high. Figure from: www. Cirrus clouds over a field cirrostratus cirrocumulus Floyd County IN.

Ben Schott, NWS. Cirrus above Cirrostratus above Cirrocumulus above Altostratus above Altocumulus above Stratus above Stratocumulus above Nimbostratus above Cumulus above Cumulus congestus above Cumulonimbus above Wall cloud above Shelf cloud above Fractus scud above Mammatus above Contrails above Cloud chart showing the different types of high, mid, and low-level clouds, as well as a number of other interesting cloud types and formations.

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Cirrus above. Cirrostratus above. Cirrocumulus above. Altostratus above. Altocumulus above. Stratus above. Stratocumulus above. Cirrostratus clouds can turn into altostratus clouds if these descend to a lower altitude.

As a nice piece of trivia, cirrostratus clouds almost always move in a westerly direction. The sight of them usually means rainfall is imminent in the next 24 hours. They usually appear between lower stratus clouds and higher cirrus clouds, and normally precede altostratus when a warm frontal system is advancing.

When altocumulus appears with another cloud type at the same time, storm normally follows. Altocumulus clouds are common in most parts of the world. Altocumulus clouds are quite common in most parts of the globe. They usually grow by convection, in most cases after damp air rises to mix with descending dry air. Altocumulus clouds may also form in combination with other types of clouds like cumulonimbus.

The amount of rainfall from altocumulus is projected from light to moderate. Altostratus often spread over thousands of square miles and are strongly linked to light rain or snow. These gloomy clouds are the heavy rain bearers out there forming thick and dark layers of clouds that can completely block out the sun.

Though they belong to the middle-level category, they may sometimes descend to lower altitudes. Nimbostratus clouds form as a result of the gradual accumulation of moist area over a large area as the warm frontal system lifts the warm and moist area higher up in the atmosphere where it condenses.

As outlined earlier, a nimbostratus cloud can form from other types of clouds, like a descending altostratus. Spreading cumulonimbus clouds may also lead to the formation of nimbostratus. Stratus clouds are composed of thin layers of clouds covering a large area of the sky. This is simply mist or fog when it forms close to the ground.