#Stratus cirrus clouds how to

A cloud-filled valley (stratus clouds) seen from the Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.

Alto translates to “high.” Confusingly, this doesn’t mean the clouds in the highest part of the atmosphere, just that the cloud is higher relative to others of its type.Ĭonfused? Stay with me.

Cirro translates to “curl.” These clouds are sometimes (but not always) curled and are found in the highest layer of the troposphere.

Nimbo translates to “rain,” and is used for the two clouds that regularly produce rain.

Strato translates to “layered.” Clouds with strato in their name are often flat and form a wide layer across the sky.

Cumulo translates to “heaped.” Think puffy, piled, marshmellowy clouds.

Learning what each of these Latin roots means is key to keeping your clouds straight: The genera names are all formed from the same five latin terms - cirro, cumulo, strato, nimbo, alto - which are mixed and matched to create names like cumulonimbus, cirrostratus, cirrocumuus….

© David Abercrombie / Flickr But First, A Latin LessonĬlouds are grouped into 10 different genera, organized based on shape and the altitude where they’re found. So if you’re like me and curious about clouds - or just short on ways to entertain yourself - here’s some basic information, resources, and tips to get you started.

#Stratus cirrus clouds how to

I’ve also spent a lot of time staring out of the window, so I figured it was finally time to learn how to identify clouds, a hobby known as cloudspotting. After 6 months I’ve started a birding yard list, planted a garden, reorganized every closet in the house, and irritated my neighbors with my suburban spotlighting misadventures. I could remember “cumulonimbus,” from my 4th-grade science class, and that’s about it. With birds to see, butterflies to identify, and mammals to spotlight, I just never quite got around to honing my cloud identification skills.

It’s a question that I’ve wondered many times over the years, but somehow I always failed to follow up on finding the answer.