Cloud Types
Most clouds have something to do with the weather. Seeing a certain kind of cloud might mean that it will probably rain or snow, or that the weather will be sunny and nice. These clouds can be divided into groups based on how high they are above the Earth's surface. The following table has about the different cloud groups.
| Cloud Group and Height * |
Cloud Types |
High Clouds
5,000-13,000m
( Noctilucent clouds are the highest clouds in the sky, but they do not affect the weather like the rest of the clouds in this table.)
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Unusual Clouds
(View cloud heights on each cloud's individual page)
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* Cloud height tells us how high a certain kind of cloud is above the ground. The cloud heights in this table are for the mid-latitudes. Cloud heights are different in tropical areas and in the polar regions.
Clouds
How Clouds Form
CMMAP - Studying Clouds and Climate
Clouds in Art
Cloud Image Gallery
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The high cloud group is made up of Cirrus, Cirrostratus, and Cirrocumulus clouds. High clouds are made of ice crystals. The base of a high cloud above the surface can be anywhere from 6000-18000m in the
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There is a special kind of cloud that is found in the mesosphere, which is the third layer of the Earth's atmosphere. These clouds are called noctilucent clouds (NLC’s) or polar mesospheric clouds (PMC’s).
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Cirrus clouds are the most common of the High Cloud group. They are made of ice crystals and have long, thin, wispy streamers. Cirrus clouds are usually white and predict fair weather.
...more Cirrocumulus clouds belong to the High Cloud group. They are small rounded puffs that usually appear in long rows. Cirrocumulus are usually white, but sometimes appear gray. Cirrocumulus clouds are the
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Cirrostratus clouds belong to the High Cloud group. They are sheetlike thin clouds that usually cover the entire sky. The sun or moon can shine through cirrostratus clouds. When looking at the sun through
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The middle cloud group is made up of Altostratus and Altocumulus clouds. Middle clouds are made of ice crystals and water droplets. The base of a middle cloud above the surface can be anywhere from 2
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Altocumulus clouds are part of the Middle Cloud group. They are grayish-white with one part of the cloud darker than the other. Altocumulus clouds usually form in groups. Altocumulus clouds are about
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