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Cloud classification for runaways ;)

MedEwok wrote:

SC I think, though I never really got the hang of differentiating cloud types and their abbreviations…

It’s funny how often I hear this. Yet, it’s not really that difficult, provided you don’t consult one of the “expert” books about it but a more pedestrian one. I’ll try to give a VERY basic explanation which will have some meteorologists groan but which might stick longer than you may like :). And I will leave out any atmospheric physics but simply go by visual identification. The same way people who man Synoptical Stations are taught (even though they do get a bit more science).

In general, there are only very few different kinds of cloud.

In the lower altitudes up to about 6000 ft AMSL there are Cumulus CU, Stratocumulus SC, Stratus ST

In the medium altitudes up to about 20’000 ft AMSL there are the higher versions of those: Alto Cumulus AC and Altostratus AS.

And finally high up there are Cirrus CI, Cirruocumulus CC and Cirrustratus CS clouds.

Then there are two which are in multiple altitudes: Nimbostratus NS and Cumolonimbus CB

Cumulus CU in general are clouds which are either higher than wide or maximum square. They are the typical “cowlyflower” clouds and can go from very small to monstrous. Altocumuli AC are the same but simply higher up. If a Cumulus grows out of proportion, it becomes a Cumolonimbus, which is the one cloud I don’t need to talk about because everyone can identify it already :)


These are Cumuli (subgroup humilis, as they are very small “humble”).

Here’s a whole bunch of them close together starting to grow fast. I’d call this a group of Cumulus Congestus, as it is caused by convection and has the potential to grow into a Cumolonimbus rather fast.

That is a bunch of Cumuli in front and a huge CB in the back. This was a very typical convective situation near Salzburg.

That is a CB from below. Probably the scariest one I’ve ever seen in our area.

The same one a bit earlier.


Here’s a bunch of Altocumuli over the Alps. In the middle floor there is no mixed form like the CU/SC form, so if it has contours and holes it is almost always AC.

Another example of AC.

This is a mix of AC and AS. The AC are those which are recognizable with forms, the AC are the grey flat ones.

Stratus Clouds are such which look like a flat surface from below. They have hardly any contours at all. If you need an indea, come to Zurich in winter or imagine the frosted glass on your toilet window horizontal.


That is a stratus almost on the floor where it would be called fog. It’s rather thin and already opening up.

The mix form of these are the Stratocumuli which are different from the Cumulus by being wider than high. SC account for LOTS of cloud and you can almost never be wrong in the lower area to call them SC if there is any doubt whatsoever.


That is a nice example.

This is another.

A quite dense SC cover at Klagenfurt.

A Nimbostratus has one very clear indication: It rains or snows. If it doesn’t it is not a Nimbostratus (NS) but either a Stratus or more likely a SC.

One example of a typical NS cover with some fractured SC below it.

Cirrus CI and CS Cirrostratus are very high up and for most of us without any consequence.


Here’s a Cirrus covered cloud (this one would be a Cirrus Spissatus to be exact, because it covers large chunks of sky as opposed to a Fibratus which doesn’t.)

You can find more pics and a lot of explanations on the net,

A very nice place to start is this one:

http://www.wolkenatlas.de/

It is German but it is THE place to look for cloud pics and explanations.

Last Edited by Mooney_Driver at 28 Feb 16:01
LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Thank you, Urs, much appreciated! Presented that way, the stuff may perhaps find a little corner in my old brain.

EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

Highly appreciated, @Mooney_Driver
As it happens I was right in classifying the clouds mentioned in the original post you quoted as Stratocumulus.

I admit rather than really learning these names I found it easier to just translate them from Latin. Having had 6 years of Latin at school does bring benefits after all. Still your visual collection makes it much easier to learn than if you go by some book (as I did for PPL theory). Thumbs up!

Last Edited by MedEwok at 28 Feb 21:00
Low-hours pilot
EDVM Hildesheim, Germany

Another vote of thanks @Mooney_Driver for such a useful post.

UK, United Kingdom

It’s nice to see such a generous educational post. Thank you!

EIWT Weston, Ireland

Brilliant post, Mooney_Driver – many thanks

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

What cloud is this?

It took me about an hour to fly past it; it was huge. It didn’t look like a CB at any stage of development. It may have just been a random piece of humid air. The location was N France so dead flat underneath.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Weird cloud over EIDW at the moment. Not sure how to classify that stuff!

Last Edited by zuutroy at 23 Sep 16:49
EIMH, Ireland

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

zuutroy wrote:

Weird cloud over EIDW at the moment. Not sure how to classify that stuff!

Seems to be a Stratocumulus Mammatus

EDGH
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