Clouds and Cloud Formations

To understand skies, means to understand clouds and their formation. There are 4 basic types of cloud layer Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus and Nimbus:

• Cirrus are the highest cloud type at 20 000 - 40 000 ft - tufts or whisps in the blue sky
  

• Cirrocumulus exist like the parallel ripples formed on a shore with a receding tide

• Cirrostratus which throws a thin glaze over the sky, especially in winter with the sun in a halo, or the moon at night

• Cumulus exist at 7 000 - 20 000ft. - the warm red glow at sunset with striations of horizontal broken cloud

• Altocumulus creates beautiful dark and light cloud layer whereas altostratus is layers of featureless grey

• Stratocumulus exist at 3 500ft coupled to cumulus at 2 000ft

• Small cumulus can arrange themselves in parallel horizontal tufts reducing in size towards the horizon

• Cumulonimbus exist as an anvil type cloud layer - threatening rain clouds

• Stratocumulus exist as rounded masses or rollers coming in off the sea - rain threatening in the hinterland (behind you)

• Nimbus exists as strong rain threatening clouds