Clouds of the Day - March 24, 2023

Cirrus spissatus is the only cirrus cloud type that can hide the Sun’s disk. All other cirrus are transparent to one degree or another. These clouds as thick clumps, as seen in this photo, and will often have ragged edges, also as seen in this photo.

This photo is looking to the northwest and the clouds are moving rapidly from the southwest to the northeast along the path of strong high altitude winds above 16, 000 feet.

The clouds below look like tufts of wool. Their name is altocumulus floccus. ‘Alto” means high and the prefix alto attached to a cloud type in this case means high cumulus - altocumulus. These clouds are found in the middle layers of the troposphere, between 6,500 feet and 16,500 feet, which makes them middle clouds. Clouds in the middle layer are either altocumulus or altostratus. Altocumulus are a puffy cloud type and altostratus are a flat cloud.