Rain clouds what type

The anvil usually points in the direction the storm is moving. As the ceiling lowers you will see types of storm clouds in the following order:. Cirrus Cirrostratus Altostratus Stratus Nimbostratus — storm clouds! Watch for cumulus puffy clouds that start to rapidly develop vertically up to become cumulonimbus thunderstorm clouds.

On hot and humid days, these storms occur over water as the radiant heat from the land absorbs moisture from nearby water and rises to produce thunderheads. This is an example of a cumulus cloud that is growing vertically up.

The bottom of the cloud is made of water droplets and the top is made of ice crystals. Parts of the cloud roll in a circular motion, much like boiling water. To sum it up; flat clouds getting lower or puffy clouds getting higher — keep your eye out for a storm. If you have a barometer on your boat check it every two to three hours. A rapid drop in pressure means a storm is approaching. Help the skipper by maintaining a watch for other boats and floating stuff in the water and by fastening down loose gear, hatches and ports.

Set your VHF radio to your local weather channel and listen out for any storm warnings, put your life jacket on, and keep your bilge pump on standby.

You may be in for some heavy weather. I know the importance of being geared up for anything. I do the deep digital dive, researching gear, boats and knowhow and love keeping my readership at the helm of their passions. Categories : Boats , Camping.

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Navigation Boat Safe. Thank you Reply. Almost everyone watches clouds, among the most fascinating and easily observed of all weather phenomena. Clouds form through the process of condensation when water vapor, primarily from the oceans, rises into the atmosphere where it cools and condenses into cloud formations.

Rain clouds, or nimbus, produce everything from drizzle to downpours; more violent relatives of theirs may unleash rain as part of intense thunderstorms.

Rain or "nimbus" clouds may appear as low, sheeted "stratonimbus" producing sprinkles or steady drizzle or as tall "cumulonimbus" clattering with thunder and flashing with lightning. The cumulonimbus's forerunner, cumulus congestus, may also drop rain. Depending on temperature, nimbus clouds may precipitate hail or snow instead of liquid rain.

Understanding the two major varieties of rain cloud means knowing the basics of how meteorologists classify clouds. Low-altitude clouds include stratus, cumulus and stratocumulus clouds. These clouds, which look like a layer of gray blanketing the sky, are generally associated with wet conditions. They typically form when warm air is lifted over cold air, which allows the water vapor to condense rather uniformly, transforming the sky into a gray and dreary scene.

In fact, stratus clouds can last for days and bring cool temperatures, persistent rain, drizzle, or even snow. Above: Layer of stratus clouds Courtesy Wikipedia. Now on to my favorite type of cloud, cirrus clouds! Ever notice those high, thin and wispy clouds that usually make for beautiful sunsets? Yep, those are cirrus. They develop very high up in the atmosphere and are actually made up of tiny ice crystals.

We can see cirrus clouds in a variety of scenarios including outflow from large scale storms, like nor'easters, tropical cyclones and even thunderstorm complexes. They also form out ahead of warm fronts and can be indicative of upcoming precipitation.

Above: Cirrus clouds on a beautiful day Courtesy geograph. Now we reach the clouds that are sometimes at the center of controversy, contrails. No, they are not formed as a result of chemicals emitted into the atmosphere, but mainly because of the water vapor released by the exhaust of an aircraft. This movement produces clouds as the moist air is cooled across the entire front. The presence of stratus clouds usually means a chilly, overcast day. If precipitation falls from stratus clouds, it is usually in the form of drizzle or light snow.

Cumulus clouds are large and lumpy. Their name comes from the Latin word meaning "heap" or "pile. Cumulus clouds are created by strong updrafts of warm, moist air. Most forms of heavy precipitation fall from cumulus clouds. The weather they bring depends on their height and size. The higher the base of a cloud is, the drier the atmosphere and the fairer the weather will be.

Clouds located close to the ground mean heavy snow or rain. Variations Clouds are also classified according to how high they are in the atmosphere and what kind of weather they produce. The prefix "cirro-" refers to clouds that lie more than 6, meters 20, feet above the Earth. The prefix "alto-" indicates clouds whose bases are between 2, and 6, meters 6,, feet above the Earth, such as altocumulus and altostratus clouds.

They are considered "mid-level" clouds and are mostly made of liquid water droplets, but can have some ice crystals in cold enough temperatures.

The prefix "nimbo-" or the suffix "-nimbus" are low-level clouds that have their bases below 2, meters 6, feet above the Earth. Clouds that produce rain and snow fall into this category.

Nimbostratus clouds bring continuous precipitation that can last for many hours. These low-level clouds are full of moisture. Cumulonimbus clouds are also called thunderheads. Thunderhead s produce rain, thunder, and lightning. Many cumulonimbus clouds occur along cold fronts, where cool air is forced under warm air. They usually shrink as evening approaches, and moisture in the air evaporate s.

Cumulonimbus clouds gradually become stratocumulus clouds, which rarely produce rain. Clouds and Weather Certain types of clouds produce precipitation. Clouds also produce the bolt of electricity called lightning and the sound of thunder that accompanies it. Lightning is formed in a cloud when positively charged particles and negatively charged particles are separated, forming an electrical field.

When the electrical field is strong enough, it discharges a superheated bolt of lightning to the Earth. Most of what we consider to be single lightning strikes are in fact three or four separate strokes of lightning. The sound of thunder is actually the sonic shock wave that comes when the air, heated by the lightning bolt, expands very rapidly. Thunder sometimes sounds like it comes in waves because of the time it takes the sound to travel. Because the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound, lightning will always appear before its thunder is heard.

Meteorologist s measure cloud cover, or the amount of the visible sky covered by clouds, in units called okta s. An okta estimates how many eighths of the sky octo- is covered in clouds.