How Many Types of Clouds Are There?
There are 10 main types of clouds that are found in nature. These clouds are combinations of three different families; cirrus, cumulus and stratus clouds.
According to the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, the different families of clouds include cirrus “curl of hair” clouds, cumulus “heap” clouds and stratus “layer” clouds. Combinations of these different families of clouds make up 10 different types of clouds, which include cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, altostratus, altocumulus, nimbostratus, stratus, stratocumulus, cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds. Cirrus clouds are wispy and high in the atmosphere. Stratus clouds are low and gray clouds. Cumulus clouds look like cauliflowers and appear before storms strike. Cumulonimbus clouds tend to bring about thunderstorms.
