What Are the Different Types of Clouds? (With Pictures)

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Plus, find out how clouds form

Co-authored by Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: December 9, 2025 Fact Checked

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High-Level Clouds

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Mid-Level Clouds

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Low-Level Clouds

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How do clouds form?

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Video

When you look up at the clouds, do you really know what they mean? If you want to do more than just look at clouds, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the different types of clouds there are in the sky. In addition to understanding the differences between high, mid, and low-altitude clouds, you’ll find out what weather they typically predict, plus discover how clouds are formed.

What are the different types of clouds?

An illustration that shows different types of clouds, and their names.

Cirrus: High-altitude, wispy clouds
Cumulus: Puffy, cotton-like clouds
Stratus: Flat, layered clouds
Nimbus: Rain-bearing clouds

Section 1 of 4:

High-Level Clouds

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Cirrus Cirrus clouds look feather-like and wispy, because they’re primarily made up of ice crystal stands. When you see a few cirrus clouds high up in a blue sky, it usually means fair weather. Otherwise, they may also predict that a change in the weather is coming.^{[1]
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- High clouds: They form above 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) and are made mostly of ice crystals. High clouds include: cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus.
- The 5 species of cirrus clouds include:
  - Fibratus: Appear straight and soft.
  - Uncinus: Are hooked at the end.
  - Spissatus: Appear thick and patchy.
  - Castellanus: Have unique tops.
  - Floccus: Have more defined spots.^{[2]
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Cirrocumulus These are thin clouds that appear as patches of cotton. They can sometimes mean that a warm front is approaching, along with possible winds and precipitation. Cirrocumulus clouds can also indicate a possible hurricane if spotted in the tropics.^{[3]
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- Cirrocumulus clouds were associated with a folk tale that warned sailors of possible storms: “Mare’s tails and mackerel scales make tall ships take in their sails.” Cirrocumulus clouds were referred to as a “mackerel sky.”
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Cirrostratus Cirrostratus clouds look as if a thin, white veil of mist is covering the whole sky. They can predict that either rain or snow is arriving in the next 24 hours. They are also associated with halos, which are large, bright circles that surround the sun or moon. ^{[4]
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- Cirrostratus clouds are the clouds usually responsible for decreased visibility when flying.

Section 2 of 4:

Mid-Level Clouds

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Altocumulus These clouds are round and solid, usually with grey or white patchy layers. They often fill the sky with what look like fluffy ripples. Altocumulus clouds are mostly associated with fair weather.^{[5]
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- Mid clouds: These clouds form between 6,500 to 20,000 feet (2,000 and 6,000 meters), and are mainly made of water droplets. They include altocumulus, altostratus, and nimbostratus.
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Altostratus Altostratus appear as bluish or greyish layers of clouds that often take up the entire sky and block the sun from view. They often indicate that a warm front is approaching, and may thicken and become low-level stratus clouds, which can lead to rain or snow.
- On their own, altostratus clouds don’t usually lead to much precipitation beyond light showers.^{[6]
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These clouds block out the sun and cover the sky, like the altostratus, but they are much darker and thicker-looking. They appear as dark grey, shapeless layers. Nimbostratus clouds look this way because they contain rain, snow, or ice pellets; they usually predict heavy rain or snow.^{[7]
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Section 3 of 4:

Low-Level Clouds

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Stratus These thin grey-white clouds look like a sheet of blanket that covers the whole sky. They form when the weather is already cold, and warmer, moist air blows in. Stratus clouds are known to predict rain if it’s warm or snow if it’s cold, but can also produce fog when they’re extra low to the ground.^{[8]
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- Low clouds: They form below 6,500 feet (1,981 meters), and are made mostly of water droplets. They include stratus, cumulus, stratocumulus, and cumulonimbus.
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Cumulus Known as the prettiest type of cloud, cumulus clouds are big, white, and fluffy. They are mostly associated with fair weather. Cumulus clouds usually have a flat base with a dome-shaped top, and look like the first type of clouds you might have learned to draw when you were little.^{[9]
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- Cumulus clouds are also known as vertical clouds, because they grow upwards in the atmosphere.
- The word “cumulus” means “pile” in Latin to describe when things pile up, or accumulate.
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Stratocumulus Stratocumulus clouds are masses that form in a layer. They are seen as a combination of cumulus and stratus clouds, with a darker tint instead of looking bright white. Stratocumulus clouds signal fair weather with the possibility of a storm on the way.^{[10]
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- Stratiformis: A subspecies of stratocumulus that reaches more continuously over the sky.
- Lenticularis: A subspecies of stratocumulus that looks more like separate, oval-shaped clouds
- Castellanus: A subspecies of stratocumulus with a more distinct-looking top.
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Cumulonimbus Cumulonimbus are large, dark, vertical clouds that appear to grow high into the sky with bulging tops. They’re often seen on very hot, humid days. Cumulonimbus clouds are also vertical clouds, and are known to extend through all 3 levels of formation: high, mid, and low. When they’re low, they’re a warning for severe weather, from thunder, lightning, and rain to hail.^{[11]
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- Cumulonimbus clouds are the best example of how to predict the weather without a forecast.

Section 4 of 4:

How do clouds form?

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Clouds form when moist air cools and condenses into water droplets or ice crystals. When this occurs, warm water from oceans, lakes, and rivers evaporates into water vapor. The water vapor rises, cools, and condenses around particles like dust or pollen. When these super-light crystals or water droplets gather, they form visible masses suspended in the Earth’s atmosphere that we see as clouds.^{[12]
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- The particles that water droplets or ice crystals form around are called condensation nuclei.
- Clouds often form near weather fronts, which are places where air is heated at the Earth’s surface and is forced to rise to areas of low pressure—for example, wind must move upward because it comes up against a mountain range.