Altocumulus

There are several subclassifications, including altocumulus castellanus altocumulus lenticularis altocumulus stratiformis altocumulus volutus, all referring to the different shapes the clouds take.

All three are associated with the stratiformis species of altocumulus and stratocumulus.

An example of this would be a layer of altocumulus stratiformis arranged in seemingly converging rows separated by small breaks.

Another variety, duplicatus (closely spaced layers of the same type, one above the other), is sometimes found with cirrus of both the fibratus and uncinus species, and with altocumulus and stratocumulus of the species stratiformis and lenticularis.

Cirro-stratocumulus is therefore abbreviated to cirrocumulus and alto-stratocumulus is shortened to altocumulus.

If the altocumulus is mixed with moisture-laden altostratus, the precipitation may reach the ground.

It is occasionally seen with cirrocumulus and altocumulus of the species stratiformis, castellanus, and floccus, and with stratocumulus of the species stratiformis and castellanus.

Layered altocumulus and cirrocumulus are physically more closely related to stratocumulus than to cumulus heaps.

Opaque altocumulus associated with a weak frontal or low-pressure disturbance can produce virga, very light intermittent precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground.

The full technical name of a cloud in this configuration would be altocumulus stratiformis radiatus perlucidus, which would identify respectively its genus, species, and two combined varieties.

The stratocumuliform group is cross-classified into the genera cirrocumulus (high-étage), altocumulus (middle-étage), and stratocumulus (low-étage).

They are sometimes seen with cirrus, cirrocumulus, and altocumulus, but not stratocumulus.

Virga is a feature seen with clouds producing precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground, these being of the genera cirrocumulus, altocumulus, altostratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, and cumulonimbus.