Wednesday, March 7, 2012

What are the major cloud types?聽 What type of weather is associated with each type?

I need it for a project and my teacher sucks.What are the major cloud types?聽 What type of weather is associated with each type?
There are four main types. Cumulus, Cirrus, Stratus and Cumulonimbus. Cumulus are the big puffy clouds that bring partly cloudy skies. Cirrus are those high altitude flat looking ones that bring fair weather or mostly sunny skies. Stratus are low-level clouds usually overcast skies that bring rain and fog is a type of stratus cloud. Cumulonimbus are ones that look like cumulus but they tower on top of each other and bring thunderstorms.What are the major cloud types?聽 What type of weather is associated with each type?
Cumuliform clouds (cumulus, cumulus congestus and cumulonimbus) do not have a specific height in the atmosphere but they grow vertically. Cumulonimbus clouds are the tallest clouds and can gorw to be 20,000ft and have an anvil top. Cumulus congestus is the developing stage for cumulonimbus. Cumulonimbus brings heavy precipitation. Most cumulus clouds are known as fair weather cumulus clouds in blue skies. Stratiform clouds streach across the sky in layers. Cirrostratus does not produce precipitation but are a warning sign for changing weather to come. Altostratus makes the sun look watery while cirrostratus produces a halo. Cirrostratus clouds are in the higher part of the atmosphere and are from 6000-13000ft high. Altostratus is 5000-7000 ft and stratus clouds also streach across the sky in layers. This makes the sky overcast and may produce drizzle. Stratocumulus clouds (surface- 2000ft) are confusing to identify even for me. They are like cirrocumulus (same height as cirrostratus and cirrus) and altocumulus (same height as altostratus). they are all pellet clouds. The closer to the surface, the bigger the cloud. There are nimbostratus clouds which are major precipitation producers and may be confused with stratus clouds except they have a darker base. Cirrus clouds bring changing weather and are a good sign of an upcoming front or storm. Then there are nacreous and noctilucient clouds from stratosphere which say that there is too much pollution in the air if you see them and special mountain clouds

like banner clouds and lenticular clouds that are created with certain upper troposphere winds.

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