Clouds. you see them every day but do you ever wonder what types of clouds you're seeing?

in this story I will tell you all you need to know about clouds.

Cirrus cloud

a cirrus cloud usually appears in a white or grey color.  It forms when water vapor undergoes deposition  at altitudes above 5,500 m (18,000 ft) in temperate regions and above 6,400 m (21,000 ft) in tropical regions. It also forms from the outflow of tropical cyclones or the anvils of cumulonimbus cloud.  cirrus gets its name from Latin meaning ringlit or curling hair.

stratus clouds

think of these guys as above ground level fog.

they are formed by rising thermals. when formed they show no signs of meteorological activity.

fog

think of this cloud as a lower level of stratus clouds.  Fog forms when the difference between air temperature and dew point is less than 2.5 °C or 4 °F.^[5].

cumulus clouds

think of these guys as the normal clouds you would normally see day to day. Cumulus clouds form via atmospheric convection as air warmed by the surface begins to rise. As the air rises, the temperature drops (following the lapse rate), causing the relative humidity (RH) to rise. If convection reaches a certain level the RH reaches one hundred percent, and the "wet-adiabatic" phase begins. At this point a positive feedback ensues: since the RH is above 100%, water vapor condenses, releasing latent heat, warming the air and spurring further convection. if you see these clouds you're most likely in for a good day!

cumulonimbus cloud

if you see these guys its best to pull up the blinds. these bad boys are what I like to call "destroyers of a nice day"  Cumulonimbus clouds are formed when a low pressure center develops with a high pressure system around it.

nimbostratus clouds

these clouds are low and dark clouds. Nimbostratus occurs along a warm front or occluded front where the slowly rising warm air mass creates nimbostratus along with shallower stratus clouds producing less rain, these clouds being preceded by higher-level clouds such as cirrostratus and altostratus.^[9][10] Often, when an altostratus cloud thickens and descends into lower altitudes, it will become nimbostratus.^[11]