Names of clouds describe how high they are in the sky and what they look like. Cumulus clouds are individual billowy clouds and usually signal fair weather; stratus clouds are layered and cover the sky - the type you see on a rainy day. Terms are combined for a more precise description. Clouds that are high in the atmosphere are 'cirro', middle atmospheric clouds are referred to as 'alto'. So high, thin layers of clouds are cirrostratus clouds, but middle atmosphere fluffy clouds are altocumulus. Clouds that produce rain or snow have nimbus or nimbo in their name; cumulonimbus clouds are also sometimes called thunderheads. Layers of puffy clouds that are broken and rolling are stratocumulus - ones my mother used to call buttermilk clouds.
Take a look at these pictures (all taken on the same day about the same time) and see if you can identify what kind of clouds they are. Or just enjoy the view!
Forget what kind of clouds these are. Do you see a fish??
I thought this looked like a Rorschach test.
These few wispy clouds were surrounded by other bigger clouds, but kindly left one clear spot for this sea horse to swim around in.
What do you see in these clouds?
Hope you enjoyed your tour of a September Rhode Island sky.
I thought I had left a comment yesterday, but I guess it hit the wrong button again! I like the first two pics the best. Nice clouds for an eastern sky! I think you must have more imagination than I do because I don't see what you see in those wisps of clouds.
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