Clouds of the Day - Thursday, June 8, 2023 - Going Vertical

Below are a few photos from June 4th. The principle cloud type is Cumulus and the species is congestus which makes the name Cumulus congestus. The last photo is Cumulus fractus - a “fractured” cumulus cloud. Before the photo was taken the clouds was a Cumulus congestus but it quickly evaporated leaving the debris in the upper center-left of the photo. Learning cloud names is easier if you can take the time to practice. It is all done through repetition.

What’s in a name? If someone asks you for the name of the clouds in the photos below, just say Cumulus, and you would be correct. Cumulus is one of ten principle cloud types. The principle cloud type (also called genus) describes the altitude and form of the cloud. If you want to describe the cloud further add a second name - the species. Species describes the size, shape, and form of the cloud. The Weather Briefing cloud chart includes the genus and species names. If you go one step further the cloud variety name can be added. It describes the cloud layer thickness, the arrangement of cloud elements, or the presence of multiple layers. See the supplements to the cloud chart on our website for more information.