May 3, 2024 · Altostratus clouds appear as gray or bluish-gray sheets of cloud that partially or totally cover the sky at mid-levels. Even though they cover the sky, you can typically still see the sun as a dimly lit disk behind them, but not enough light shines through to …

The list of cloud types groups all genera as high (cirro-, cirrus), middle (alto-), multi-level (nimbo-, cumulo-, cumulus), and low (strato-, stratus). These groupings are determined by the altitude level or levels in the troposphere at which each of the various cloud types is normally found.

Apr 6, 2021 · First up on our list are our low-level clouds, which are mostly found between the surface of the Earth and 7,000 feet (2,000 m) above the ground. These clouds include: The puffy, mound-shaped clouds that you see on sunny days, cumulus clouds are …

Mar 26, 2025 · Altocumulus clouds have several patchy white or gray layers, and seem to be made up of many small rows of fluffy ripples. They are lower than cirrus clouds, but still quite high. They are made of liquid water, but they don’t often produce rain.

Aug 9, 2021 · Wispy cirrus clouds or cartoonishly fluffy cumulus clouds can be cool enough on their own. But occasionally, you’ll witness a formation that looks eerily like a UFO, a breaking ocean wave, or...

Mar 28, 2023 · Before sunrise and after sunset, cirrus are often colored bright yellow or red. These clouds are lit up long before other clouds and fade out much later; some time after sunset they become gray. At all hours of the day, cirrus near the horizon are often of a yellowish color.

Apr 27, 2022 · Stratus clouds are flat, uniform, gray clouds. Usually, they are gray and resemble fog near the horizon, rather than actual fog which is on the ground. Stratus clouds produce overcast days. Sometimes they produce mist or a light drizzle.

Sep 22, 2020 · Altostratus clouds are mid-level, gray, blanket-like clouds. These clouds are uniform and featureless, and can sometimes produce rain. Cirrostratus clouds are thinner, transparent, and found at high altitudes. Think of hazy, veil-like clouds found high in the sky.

Mar 28, 2023 · While clouds appear in infinite shapes and sizes, they fall into some basic forms. From his Essay of the Modifications of Clouds (1803), Luke Howard divided clouds into three categories: cirrus, cumulus, and stratus, plus a fourth special type, nimbus. The Latin word "cirro" means curl of hair.

Apr 1, 2025 · This striking satellite image reveals a giant, near-perfect cloud circle that formed in the heart of the Pacific Ocean more than a decade ago. While this type of cloud is not uncommon, it is ...