What is the theme of the weather from the clouds?

Characteristics and classification of clouds

Cloud is a visible suspension composed of water droplets, supercooled water droplets, ice crystals or their mixture condensed from water vapor in the atmosphere.

The formation, shape characteristics, quantity, distribution and evolution of clouds not only reflect the movement, stability and water vapor status of the atmosphere at that time, but also are one of the important characteristics for predicting future weather changes. Correct observation and analysis of cloud changes is an important factor to understand atmospheric physical conditions and master the law of weather changes.

The generation and change of clouds are very complicated. Like anything else, it contains its own special contradictions, thus forming a colorful appearance and rapidly changing characteristics. Only by mastering these characteristics of clouds can we correctly identify clouds and continuously improve the observation level of clouds.

The appearance characteristics of clouds are ever-changing, and the reasons for their formation are different, but they all have the same characteristics. According to the characteristics and actual needs of clouds, clouds are usually divided into three groups: low, medium and high, and then divided into ten genera and several categories according to their shape characteristics, structure and nuclear origin.

Cloud to cloud.

low cloud

Cumulus light cumulus

cumulus congestus

Fractal cumulus

Bare cumulonimbus clouds

Capillary cumulonimbus

Translucent stratocumulus

Opaque stratocumulus

stratocumulus

stratocumulus

Lentiform stratocumulus

stratocumulus

Fractal stratus

Nimbostratus, nimbostratus.

Broken rain layer

Mesospheric cloud

High-level cloud transparent high-level cloud

Opaque upper layer cloud

Cumulus flocculus cumulus

cumulonimbus

Castellanus cumulus, ac casting

Lenticular altocumulus

Opaque cumulus clouds

Translucent cumulus clouds

high cloud

cirrus

Cirrus spinosus

Pseudosclerosis

cirrus uncinus

cs fil

Cirrostratus with thin curtain

Cirrocumulus, cirrocumulus.

low cloud

Low clouds are mostly composed of water droplets, and thick or vertically developing low clouds are composed of water droplets, supercooled water droplets and ice crystals. The height of cloud bottom is generally below 2500 meters, but it varies with seasons, weather conditions and different geographical latitudes. Most low clouds are likely to produce precipitation, and there is often continuous precipitation in nimbostratus. Cumulonimbus clouds often have intermittent precipitation, sometimes very heavy.

cumulus

Cumulus individuals are obvious, the bottom is flat, the top is convex, and the clouds are mostly unconnected; Clouds formed by air convection and water vapor condensation.

cumulonimbus

The clouds are thick and big, much like towering mountains. The top has begun to freeze, showing white, vague outline and some fibrous structures. The bottom is very dark, and there are often rain banners hanging down or broken rain clouds.

Cumulonimbus clouds are mostly composed of water droplets, supercooled water droplets, ice crystals, snowflakes, and sometimes scattered particles and hail. In the cloud, there is a strong ascending and descending airflow area, and the ascending and descending airflow with a speed of tens of meters per second can be observed, and there are often ups and downs in the cloud bottom.

Cumulonimbus cloud is the peak stage of convection development. Mature cumulonimbus clouds often produce strong formation precipitation, which may be accompanied by strong winds, lightning and other phenomena, sometimes hail, and occasionally tornadoes.

stratocumulus

Clouds are generally large, with great differences in thickness and shape, some in strips, some in sheets, and some in clusters. Usually grayish white or gray, with loose structure. Thin clouds can tell the position of the sun, while thick clouds are relatively dark. Clouds are often arranged in rows or waves.

The thickness of stratocumulus is usually between several hundred meters and two thousand meters. Most of them are composed of water droplets with a diameter of 5-40 microns. Cumulonimbus clouds that appear in winter may also be composed of ice crystals or snowflakes.

In most cases, stratocumulus is formed by the condensation of water vapor due to the mixing of air fluctuation and turbulence. Sometimes it is formed by intense radiation cooling. Generally speaking, it means that the weather is relatively stable, but the stratocumulus gradually thickens and even merges into layers, which means that the weather will change. Low and thick stratocumulus clouds often produce precipitation.

stratus

The clouds are evenly layered, gray and foggy, and the bottom of the clouds is very low but does not touch the ground.

Stratospheric clouds are generally composed of water droplets or supercooled water droplets with a diameter of 5-30 microns. The thickness is generally 400-500m.

Stratosphere is formed by intense radiation cooling or turbulent mixing, water vapor condensation or fog lifting when the gas layer is stable at night. Stratospheric clouds often dissipate after sunrise due to temperature rise and the destruction of the stable layer. Sometimes it rains in Mao Mao and it snows in rice.

Cloud

Nimbostratus is low and shapeless, and the clouds are evenly layered, which can completely cover the sun and the moon. It is dark gray or grayish white, and the bottom of the clouds is often accompanied by broken rain clouds. Clouds are widely distributed horizontally, often covering the whole day. The thickness of the cloud is 4000-5000 meters.

The lower part of nimbostratus is generally composed of water droplets or supercooled water droplets. The upper part of the northern nimbostratus is often composed of ice crystals or snow crystals.

Nimbostratus mostly occurs in the warm front cloud system (sometimes in other weather systems), which is formed by the upward sliding and adiabatic cooling of the whole wet air system. It often causes long-term continuous precipitation. The agricultural proverb "When the sky is covered with gray cloth, the rain will continue" refers to the precipitation situation in nimbostratus.

Mesospheric cloud

Medium clouds are mostly composed of water droplets, supercooled water droplets, ice crystals or their mixtures, and some cumulus clouds can also be composed of a single water droplet. The height of the cloud bottom is usually between 2500 and 5000 meters. High-level clouds often produce precipitation, while thin cumulus clouds generally do not produce precipitation.

altostratus

Clouds are evenly distributed, grayish white or gray, and the cloud bottom is often in a strip structure, which often appears in the frontal cloud system and often covers the whole day. High-level clouds are generally composed of water droplets with a diameter of 5-20 microns, supercooled water droplets, ice crystals and snow crystals.

altocumulus clouds

Clouds are small and distinct, with great differences in thickness and layers. Thin clouds are white, and the outlines of the sun and the moon can be seen. Thick clouds are dark gray, and the outline of the sun and the moon is unclear. Dense cloud bands, often oblate, tiled, fish-scale or wavy.

Cumulus clouds consist of water droplets or water droplets mixed with ice crystals. Sunlight and moonlight penetrate through thin cumulus clouds, and are often diffracted to form halos or flowers with red inside and outside.

The cause of formation of altocumulus is similar to that of stratocumulus. Thin cumulus clouds are stable and rarely change, which generally indicates sunny days. There is a folk saying that "Wayun will burn people" and "there is no need to turn over the carp in the sky". If the thick cumulus clouds continue to thicken and merge into layers, it means that the weather will change and even precipitation will occur.

high cloud

High clouds are all made up of tiny ice crystals. The height of the cloud bottom is usually more than 5000 meters. Generally, high clouds do not produce precipitation. In winter, it occasionally snows in cirrostratus and Cirrus in the north, and sometimes you can see snow banners.

cirrus

Clouds have fibrous structure, often white, shadowless, silky luster, mostly strip, flake, feather, hook, ball and so on. Cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals.

cirrostratus

Clouds are evenly layered, transparent or milky white. Through the clouds, the outlines of the sun and the moon are clear, and objects on the ground are blocked, which often leads to dizziness. The thickening of cirrostratus is decreasing and the system is developing, which indicates that the weather system will have an impact on the stations. Therefore, there is a folk saying that the sun is dizzy in the middle of the night and the moon is dizzy at noon. But if there is no obvious development, even if the cloud cover decreases, the weather will not change obviously in the future.