Stratus cloudStratus clouds are low-levelclouds characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective or cumuliform clouds formed by rising thermals. The term describes flat, hazy, featureless clouds at low altitudes varying in color from dark gray to nearly white. The word stratus is derived from the prefix Strato- meaning 'layer'. Stratus clouds may produce a light drizzle or a small amount of snow.
CloudVisible mass of particles suspended in the atmosphereCloudscape over Borneo, taken by the International Space StationIn meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, ice crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water, primarily, comprises the droplets and crystals.
Altostratus cloudAltostratus are middle-altitude clouds that develop horizontally and have a flat and uniform texture in the mid levels. As a middle-altitude cloud type, they can be made up of water droplets (including supercooled droplets), ice crystals, or a mixture of the two. Altostratus clouds usually appear as gray or blueish featureless sheets, although some variants have wavy or banded bases.
Cumulonimbus cloudCumulonimbus (from Latin'swell' and 'cloud') is a dense, towering, vertical cloud, typically forming from water vapor condensing in the lower troposphere that builds upward carried by powerful buoyant air currents. Above the lower portions of the cumulonimbus the water vapor becomes ice crystals, such as snow and graupel, the interaction of which can lead to hail and to lightning formation, respectively. When causing thunderstorms, these clouds may be called thunderheads.
LightningWeather phenomenon involving electrostatic dischargeNot to be confused with lighting or thunder."Lightening" redirects here. For other uses, see wikt:lightening.Strokes of cloud-to-ground lightning strike the Mediterranean Sea off of Port-la-Nouvelle in southern France.Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions.
Cirrostratus cloudCirrostratus () is a high-altitude, very thin, and generally uniform stratiform genus-type of cloud. It is composed of ice crystals, which are particles of frozen water. Cirrostratus is difficult to see and can produce halos. These optical effects are caused when the cloud takes the form of thin cirrostratus nebulosus. The cloud has a fibrous texture with no halos if it is thicker cirrostratus fibratus.
RainForm of precipitationHeavy rainfall on a roofRain or rainfall is a form of atmosphericprecipitation composed of droplets of wateraerosols that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and fall by gravity. Depending on the intensity, rain can be described as a drizzle (very light, sporadic rainfall), a shower (brief, moderate rainfall), a cloudburst (brief heavy rainfall) or a downpour (prolonged heavy or "torrential" rainfall).
Stratocumulus cloudA stratocumulus cloud [Kämtz1840], occasionally called a cumulostratus, belongs to a genus-type of clouds characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in altocumulus, and the whole being at a lower height, usually below 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).
Cumulus cloudCumulus clouds are clouds that have flat bases and are often described as puffy, cotton-like, or fluffy in appearance. Their name derives from the Latin, meaning "heap" or "pile". Cumulus clouds are low-level clouds, generally less than 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in altitude unless they are the more vertical cumulus congestus form. Cumulus clouds may appear by themselves, in lines, or in clusters.
SnowPrecipitation in the form of ice crystal flakesSnow is a form of solidatmosphericprecipitation consisting of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the air—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground, where they undergo further changes.
Rain and snow mixedRain and snow mixed (American English) or sleet (Commonwealth English) is precipitation composed of a mixture of rain and partially melted snow. Unlike ice pellets, which are hard, and freezing rain, which is fluid until striking an object where it fully freezes, this precipitation is soft and translucent, but it contains some traces of ice crystals from partially fused snowflakes, also called slush.ThunderThunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning produces rapid expansion of the air in the path of a lightning bolt. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave, often referred to as a "thunderclap" or "peal of thunder".
amorphousRelated word or term.nimbo-Related word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.