Clouds and Meteorology Flashcards
Low Level: Gray clouds that block the sky and can cause fog.
Stratus
Low Level: dark gray clouds that produce light rain or snow.
Nimbostratus.
Mid Level: are composed of water droplets and are gray and puffy. Usually seen on warm and humid mornings.
Altocumulus. **When you see mid level think “Alto”
Mid Level: made up of ice crystals and water droplets. They can cover the entire sky and form before rain storms.
Altostratus
High Level: thin wispy clouds that are blown by high winds. Made entirely of ice crystals.
Cirrus
High Level: look like small round puffs in the sky. Sometimes called mackerel clouds because they look like fish scales.
Cirrocumulus
High Level: are very thin sheets of clouds that cover large parts of the sky. Will make a halo around the moon and sun.
Cirrostratus
Vertical Cloud: They look like white fluffy cotton. It means “heap” or “pile” in Latin.
Cumulus
Vertical Cloud: Goes from Low to High Level. Gigantic clouds that bring intense bad weather and rain. Lightning clouds.
Cumulonimbus
How do clouds form?
- Sun Heats ground
- Air above ground is heated
- That air then rises, because hot air rises
- Air begins to cool and condense until it turns into a cloud.
What does a cold front look like on a map?
Drawn in blue with triangles
What does a warm front look like on a map?
Drawn in red with semi-circles (half circles)
What does a stationary front look like?
Drawn in red and blue with alternating triangles and semi-circles.
What does an occluded front look like?
Drawn in purple with triangles and semi-circles on same side of the line.
An Isotherm is:
A line that shows the same temperature zones. Line is drawn through same temperature areas and connects them together on a map.
