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Mr. Hartwell -- F-M Meteorology

Mr. Hartwell -- F-M Meteorology. Cloud Types & Properties. Clouds. Formed when moist air is cooled enough to allow saturation & condensation to take place. Saturation : air is completely filled with water vapor Condensation : phase change from gas to liquid. Clouds cont.

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Mr. Hartwell -- F-M Meteorology

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  1. Mr. Hartwell -- F-M Meteorology Cloud Types & Properties

  2. Clouds • Formed when moist air is cooled enough to allow saturation & condensation to take place. • Saturation: air is completely filled with water vapor • Condensation: phase change from gas to liquid

  3. Clouds cont. • Different types form based on: • Amount of moisture in the air • Vertical air temperature through troposphere • Character of rising air (speed & location) • Approaching weather systems • Identified by: • Shape • Height • Composition • Character (puffy vs. layered) Cloud types used as forecasting tools!

  4. Classification—Type #1 • Cirrus —feathery, wispy, thin

  5. Classification—Type #2 • Cumuliform —puffy, round, pretty

  6. Classification—Type #3 • Stratiform —layered, sheet-like, strata=layers (like rocks)

  7. Classification—Type #4 • Nimbus —produces precipitation

  8. Heights (HIGH): CIRRUS (Ci) • Cirrus — made of ice crystals • Align with upper level winds • Indicate fair weather conditions Aka: Mare’s Tails (look like horse’s tails)

  9. Heights (HIGH): Cirrocumulus (Cc) • Cirrocumulus — ice crystals • Occur in moist & unstable air (aloft) • Appear with precip.-causing weather (warm fronts) Aka: “Mackerel sky, not three days dry”

  10. Heights (HIGH): Cirrostratus (Cs) • Cirrostratus — ice crystals • Common in winter with precip.-causing weather • Produce sun dogs & halos

  11. Sun Dog Halos

  12. Heights (Middle) : Altocumulus (Ac) • Occur in moist air that is lifting • Fist-thumb-pinkeytip rule • Altocumulus = thumb size • Signals approaching storm system

  13. Heights (Middle) : Altostratus (As) • Layered; liquid water • Gray to pale blue • Occurs where moist air is rising slowly • Just ahead of rainy weather

  14. Heights (Low) : Cumulus (Cu) • Puffy, white, pretty • Indicates fair weather • Well-defined bases • Caused by humid air rising in bubbles

  15. Heights (Low) : Cumulus Congestus • Aka: towering cumulus • Atmosphere is very unstable • Indicates stormy conditions later in the day

  16. Heights (Low) : Status (St) • Sheet cloud; layers • Hovers just above the ground (was fog?) • No precip., but may be misty

  17. Precipitating Clouds: Nimbostratus (Ns) • Same as stratus, just precipitating • Precedes warmth (occur before warm fronts)

  18. Precipitating Clouds: Cumulonimbus (Cb) • Thunderstorm! • Can poke into stratosphere • Associated with severe weather • Anvil shape tops with mammatus clouds

  19. Precipitating Clouds: Cumulonimbus (Cb)

  20. Precipitating Clouds: Cumulonimbus (Cb) Mammatus cloud (below) Anvil shape (above)

  21. Miscellaneous: Contrails

  22. Miscellaneous: Fallstreaks Formation: Sublimation of falling ice crystals carried by winds aloft

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