Meal.
Not all clouds are the same: Meteorologists are very precise and distinguish between different families, genera and species. An overview.
The clouds appear soft and fluffy when they glide easily and loosely through the sky. But appearances are deceptive: they can be real heavyweights! Due to the water that makes up the clouds, a simple fair-weather cloud can easily weigh a thousand tons. A huge thundercloud can even hold several million tons of water.
But it doesn’t matter whether it’s sunshine or a thunderstorm: not all clouds are the same. The meteorologists take the subdivision quite precisely and distinguish between four cloud families, ten cloud types and 14 cloud types. There are also nine subspecies and nine accompanying clouds and special forms.
The cloud families indicate the altitude at which the clouds are located. The four families are: the High Clouds (5-13 km), the Intermediate Clouds (2-7 km), the Low Clouds (0-2 km) and the Vertical Clouds (very high clouds, between 0-13 km). All of the altitude information applies to the middle latitude, which also includes Germany. However, the cloud families do not say anything about the shape of the clouds.
Therefore, the focus in this overview is on the ten cloud types. They are determined, among other things, by the size and shape of the cloud, its distribution in the sky or its transparency. The exact appearance of the genera can be described even more precisely by the 14 species, among other things. These possible cloud configurations are briefly outlined in the explanations.
altocumulus
The altocumulus clouds are often composed of a large carpet of evenly spaced patches of white or gray. However, these can also grow together to form fields or layers. These types of clouds usually announce bad weather – thunderstorms are common in summer.
Altostratus
An altostratus is a gray or bluish layer or field of clouds of that color. The clouds with the streaky, fibrous or uniform appearance, which can completely cover the sky, sometimes allow the sun to shine through faintly.
cirrocumulus
The cirrocumulus clouds usually form their shape from small white and granular spots. Their arrangement is regular to irregular; sometimes the spots are connected and sometimes they float loosely in the air. The cirrocumulus clouds consist mostly of ice crystals, so they do not cause precipitation. However, they are often a sign of a thunderstorm to follow.
cirrostratus
Cirrostratus clouds cover part of the sky, but often the whole sky with a white veil. This veil is thin, so light can shine through, and its texture can be fibrous or smooth. It is not uncommon for cirrostratus clouds to announce a warm front.
cirrus
Cirrus clouds are mostly composed of fine ice and snow crystals. The shape of the clouds is therefore also very fine – they almost look like hair. Cirrus clouds appear in the form of delicate white spots, threads, or ribbons.
cumulonimbus
A cumulonimbus cloud is a very dense cloud that can be up to 500 meters in size and up to 10 kilometers in diameter in the shape of a tall mountain. The cloud is often flattened at the top, its shape reminiscent of an anvil. Lower down are mostly ragged clouds that have merged with the main cloud. Cumulonimbus clouds are made up of water droplets and ice crystals, the latter appearing at the top because it is colder there. The clouds can therefore cause heavy precipitation in the form of rain, snow, hail and sleet showers. That is why the cumulonimbus is also often called a thundercloud.
Cumulus
The classic fair weather clouds are called cumulus. They are usually flat underneath, while the top often looks like a cauliflower. These water clouds are separated from each other and mostly shine in a white color. Their underside, on the other hand, is often a little darker. Because they don’t hold much water, even very large cumulus clouds never produce large amounts of rain.
Nimbostratus
A nimbostratus is a dense, gray and usually very dark cloud layer, behind which the sun also completely disappears. The cloud usually appears when it rains or snows.
stratocumulus
Stratocumulus is the most common type of cloud in Germany. The gray and/or white patches in the sky are characteristic of these clouds. However, stratocumuli also appear as fields or layers, almost always have dark areas and are nonfibrous or dense in structure. These clouds are an indication of stable weather because they can occur in all weather conditions.
stratus
Stratus clouds are gray layered clouds that can almost reach the ground. However, the sun can occasionally be seen through them. The clouds have no structure and sometimes appear in ragged plumes. It can produce drizzle or snow-like precipitation. (ben)
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