Types of clouds: names, characteristics and photos

Despite their cotton appearance, clouds are clusters of water droplets suspended in the atmosphere , but become visible when certain concentrations are reached.

Its formation occurs when warm updraft air traps water vapor and moisture in the atmosphere. At a certain height, this water vapor condenses due to the cold, forming tiny drops of water or ice crystals.

In the case of drops, they take a spherical shape and a size between 0.004 and 0.1 mm. Since they are in suspension, their erratic movement causes them to collide and group together, giving rise to the clouds that we see. When the right circumstances are met, the thickness of these droplets can increase, thus causing precipitation.

Learn more about this process with these other AgroCorrn articles about What is the water cycle and How clouds form .

This is a list with the names of the main types of clouds :

Types of high clouds

• Cirrus
• Cirrocumulus
• Cirrostratus

Middle cloud types

• Altostratus
• Altocumulus
• Nimbostratus

Low cloud types

• Stratocumulus
• Strata

Types of vertical clouds

• Cumulus clouds
• Cumulonimbus

High clouds are those that form in low and middle latitudes and at altitudes above 6,000 meters . At this height, the air is at a very low temperature and has very little humidity, so these clouds are mainly made up of ice crystals . They tend to be thin and intensely white in color.

Cirrus

Cirrus or cirrus clouds are clouds that take the form of thin filaments, as if they were hair or fibers of some kind. They are made exclusively of ice crystals. If they are seen in large areas and you can see how the wind moves them, it means that warmer airs are approaching with the possibility of precipitation in between 24 and 36 hours.

Cirrocumulus

Cirrocumulus form a thick white blanket or blanket over the sky. Each of its small parts is totally white and does not make shadows. It is an unusual type of cloud to see, which is usually preceded by a notable change in the weather in less than 12 hours, usually by storms.

Cirrostratus

Cirrostratus or cirrostratus form an even more concentrated veil or tapestry, taking on the appearance of a pale, translucent veil. They tend to be of great extension, and a marked lunar or solar halo is always distinguished when their light passes through them. Warm fronts or moderate storms precede.

Below you can see photos of the types of clouds mentioned here and in the same order.

The middle clouds form at altitudes of between 2,000 and 7,000 meters . They are usually made up of water droplets , although if the temperature is low enough they may contain ice crystals.

Altostratus

These clouds form a distinctly gray blanket that tends to cover the entire sky in large areas. You can make out the sun or moon against some thin sections of the upper stratum, without completely covering them. They do not cast shadows on the ground.

Altocumulus

They resemble cirrocumulus in their tapestry form with some regular pattern, but differ from them because altocumulus tend to have a darker part and a lighter part. They adopt the appearance of small rolled masses. If they appear in the first hours of humid and warm days, they usually mean a storm for the last hours of the day.

Nimbostratus

The nimbostratus form a dense layer of dark and gray clouds, they are able to completely hide the sun and are characterized by bringing precipitation in the form of rain.

Below you can see images of the types of clouds mentioned here and in the same order.

The low clouds are formed below 2,000m and only in colder climates may contain particles of snow or ice , is usual that consist entirely of water.

Stratocumulus

They form a layer of patches or rows of rounded and jumbled masses, revealing a blue sky between them. They are of various shades of gray and of considerable size and, in addition, they rarely involve precipitation.

Strata

A low, gray mist that is darker than that of the Altostratus that does not descend to the ground. They generally do not precipitate beyond very light drizzles, although they usually do not do so at all.

To learn more about the clouds that can form snow and ice, we advise you to read these other posts on How snow and hail form and What is a snow storm and how it forms .

Here we show you photos of the types of clouds mentioned here and in the same order, above stratocumulus and below strata.

These clouds are very striking and easy to distinguish, since their base can be very close to the surface and they develop upwards, being able to exceed 10,000 meters in altitude. These are the two types of vertical clouds :

Cumulus clouds

They are one of the most typical clouds to draw, with rounded shapes like pieces of cotton separated from each other in the sky, with tips in the shape of a dome or tower. When their vertical development is small they imply good weather.

Cumulonimbus

Clusters that grow very large can form cumulonimbus clouds. They are clouds with a dark base that can be found just over 500 meters from the ground, and with an upper part that exceeds altitudes of 10,000 meters. They are impressive and imposing, and contain water at the base and ice at the top. They can cause precipitation of all kinds.

Here you can see images of the types of clouds mentioned here and in the same order, cumulus clouds above and cumulonimbus below. In addition, we leave you a video from our YouTube channel in which you will see all these clouds and thus you can better differentiate them.

If you liked discovering the different types of clouds, their names, characteristics and photos and you want to learn more about them, we recommend these other AgroCorrn posts about Why clouds are white and Why few clouds form in desert areas . Also, did you know that trees influence the formation of clouds and rain ? Here you can find out everything about this curious phenomenon: Why trees attract rain .