Know your clouds: How to identify common cloud types

Wondering how to identify clouds?

Clouds come in an infinite variety, yet a few simple features—shape and height—will help you identify many of the most common types.

Here's how to identify some common types of clouds.

Stratus Clouds: Layers

Stratus clouds—from the Latin meaning spread or laid out—are horizontal, featureless clouds that can cover the sky. They form when air rises slowly and may produce multiple layers.

Cumulus Clouds: Heaps

In contrast to stratus clouds, cumulus clouds form when air rises more quickly. They are the puffy, fluffy, classic clouds that would come to mind were we asked to think of a cloud.

Cirrus clouds are the wispy curls like hair way up high.

Adjusting for altitude

Mid-level clouds use the prefix “alto” and high-level clouds use “cirro.” So, for example, a mid-level cumulus cloud becomes altocumulus, and a high-level stratus cloud becomes cirrostratus.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology produced a lovely video and visual for cloud types . They go into the ten main types.

I updated this from the original for my book Big Ideas Little Pictures

Related Sketches to Know Your Clouds

• Banner clouds
• Lenticular clouds
• Thunder clouds
• Dirty thunderstorm
• Lake effect snow