What are the major types of cloud cover in weather map?
Cloud cover may also influence temperatures at the surface of the planet. Most clouds take on these three basic shapes—cumulus, cirrus, and stratus—and are further classified as nimbo-form if they bring rain. For example, thick, gray, stratus clouds that bring heavy precipitation are called nimbostratus.
What is considered a high cloud coverage?
Clear below 12,000 feet (as reported by an automated weather station). These are high cirrostratus clouds (see Learning Goal 1a). So even though this is nice flying weather with bright sunlight shining through the clouds, the sky is still completely covered with clouds.
How is cloud coverage measured?
In meteorology, cloud cover is measured in oktas, or eighths of the sky. If you look up at the sky, and mentally divide it into eight boxes, then imagine all the cloud you can see squashed into these boxes. This is how many oktas of cloud there are.
What are the three main categories of clouds?
From his Essay of the Modifications of Clouds (1803) Luke Howard divided clouds into three categories; cirrus, cumulus and stratus.
What do different types of clouds mean?
Another type of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus. Since cumulus clouds are the heaping, giants, cumulonimbus clouds are giant, heaping rain clouds….Did you know?
| Cloud Name | Type | Latin Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulus | Vertical developing (all levels) | “heap” |
| Nimbostratus | Low-level, rain | “rain sheet” |
| Stratocumulus | Low-level | “heap & sheet” |
What is obscured sky cover?
(Also called obscured sky cover.) In U.S. weather observing practice, the designation for the sky cover when the sky is completely hidden by surface-based obscuring phenomena.
How do you observe cloud cover?
How we measure cloud amount
- 0 oktas represents the complete absence of cloud.
- 1 okta represents a cloud amount of 1 eighth or less, but not zero.
- 7 oktas represents a cloud amount of 7 eighths or more, but not full cloud cover.
- 8 oktas represents full cloud cover with no breaks.
What is an Okta cloud cover?
In meteorology, an okta is a unit of measurement used to describe the amount of cloud cover at any given location such as a weather station. Sky conditions are estimated in terms of how many eighths of the sky are covered in cloud, ranging from 0 oktas (completely clear sky) through to 8 oktas (completely overcast).