Basic Cloud Types

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Basic Cloud Types
What type(s) of clouds are pictured here?
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Clouds are classified by what vertical level
their bases (or bottoms) form at
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Low Clouds

• Low clouds can be on the ground (fog) to 6,000
  above the surface.

6,000 ft above ground

• Five low cloud types
• Cumulus
• Stratus and Fog
• Stratocumulus
• Nimbostratus
• Cumulonimbus

Lyndon State
Green Mountains
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Cumulus Heaped or lumpy looking, most
commonly portrayed type in art, film
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Stratocumulus looks both lumpy and layered,
flatter than cumulus but more lumpy than stratus
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Nimbostratus a stratus cloud that's
precipitating rain and/or snow is falling from
the cloud and reaching the ground
Nimbus precipitating
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Middle Clouds

• Middle clouds can extend from 6,000 to 20,000
  above
• the surface.

20,000 ft above ground

• Two basic middle cloud types Alto prefix
• Altocumulus
• Altostratus

6,000 ft above ground
Lyndon State
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Altocumulus look like cotton balls, about the
size of your fist or smaller if you extend your
arm and look towards them
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High Clouds

• High clouds can extend from 20,000 to 40,000
  above the surface.

• Three basic high cloud types cirro prefix
• Cirrus
• Cirrostratus
• Cirrocumulus

6,000 ft above ground
Lyndon State
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Cirrus appear wispy in pieces or small patches,
not organized in sheets
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(No Transcript)
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Special Clouds

• Contrail short for condensation trail forms
  when water from air plane
• exhaust forms clouds behind the plane

Lenticular type of mid-level cloud Produced by
airflow over terrain, frequently mistaken for
UFOs
Lenticular
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Lenticulars over the Salt Lake Valley