1 : heap, accumulation. 2 [New Latin, from Latin] : a dense puffy cloud form having a flat base and rounded outlines often piled up like a mountain — see cloud illustration. Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More About cumulus.

What does Cumulus mean in weather?

Uncommon Rain, Snow or Snow pellets. Cumulus clouds are clouds which have flat bases and are often described as "puffy", "cotton-like" or "fluffy" in appearance. Their name derives from the Latin cumulo-, meaning heap or pile.

What does cumulus cloud mean?

[ (kyooh-myuh-luhs) ] Large, white, puffy clouds that generally appear during fair weather, although they also form thunderheads on hot days. Some carry rain.

What language is Cumulus?

Cumulus cloud

Cumulo- means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. They are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance, and generally have flat bases.

What does cumulonimbus mean in science?

The cumulonimbus cloud, or thunderstorm, is a convective cloud or cloud system that produces rainfall and lightning. It often produces large hail, severe wind gusts, tornadoes, and heavy rainfall.

What is CUMULUS CLOUD? What does CUMULUS CLOUD mean? CUMULUS CLOUD meaning, definition & explanation

29 related questions found

What does cumulus mean in Latin?

Cumulus. From the Latin cumulus, which means an accumulation, a heap, a pile.

What happens to a cumulus cloud before it rains?

When it's about to rain, clouds darken because the water vapor is clumping together into raindrops, leaving larger spaces between drops of water. Less light is reflected.

Do altostratus clouds rain?

Altostratus clouds are “strato” type clouds (see below) that possess a flat and uniform type texture in the mid levels. ... However, altostratus clouds themselves do not produce significant precipitation at the surface, although sprinkles or occasionally light showers may occur from a thick alto- stratus deck.

Do cumulonimbus clouds bring thunderstorms?

Cumulonimbus storm cells can produce torrential rain of a convective nature (often in the form of a rain shaft) and flash flooding, as well as straight-line winds. ... Cumulonimbus clouds can also bring dangerous winter storms (called "blizzards") which bring lightning, thunder, and torrential snow.

What do cumulus clouds predict?

Cumulus – known as fair-weather clouds because they usually indicate fair, dry conditions. If there is precipitation, it is light. ... These clouds can forecast some of the most extreme weather, including heavy rain, hail, snow, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes.

What weather does cumulonimbus clouds bring?

Cumulonimbus clouds are associated with extreme weather such as heavy torrential downpours, hail storms, lightning and even tornadoes. Individual cumulonimbus cells will usually dissipate within an hour once showers start falling, making for short-lived, heavy rain.

How do you say a cumulus cloud?

1. Phonetic spelling of cumulus cloud. cu-mu-lus cloud. cumulus cloud. Matteo Lemke.
2. Meanings for cumulus cloud. It is a cotton-like cloud that is 3300 feet above the ground. Roger Little.
3. Synonyms for cumulus cloud. cloud. Emilia O'Connell.

How fast do cumulus clouds move?

Typically, clouds can move 30-120 miles per hour.

How long do cumulonimbus clouds last?

If a cumulonimbus cloud develops into a supercell, it can last several hours or longer. This type of storm often results in lightning, hail, strong and damaging wind, and tornadoes. Often the rain produced by a cumulonimbus cloud only lasts for 20 minutes or less, but the rainfall itself is often very heavy.

How high up are cumulonimbus clouds?

Cumulonimbus clouds are the kings of all clouds, rising from low altitudes to more than 60,000 feet (20,000 meters) above ground level. They grow due to rising air currents called updrafts, with their tops flattening out into an anvil shape.

How would you describe Altostratus?

Altostratus clouds are mid-level, gray or blue-gray clouds that usually cover the whole sky. The Sun or moon may shine through an altostratus cloud, but will appear watery or fuzzy. ... Occasionally, rain falls from an altostratus cloud. If the rain hits the ground, then the cloud has become a nimbostratus.

What are the four families of clouds?

For identification purposes, you need be con- cerned only with the more basic cloud types, which are divided into four "families." The families are: high clouds, middle clouds, low clouds, and clouds with extensive vertical development.

Where can Altostratus be found?

Definition: Sheet of featureless, gray clouds in the middle cloud level capable of masking the sun. Description & Characteristics. Altostratus clouds are found in the middle cloud level. And unlike their altocumulus counterpart, they're often boring to look at.

What do thunderclouds look like?

Cumulonimbus are generally known as thunderstorm clouds. High winds will flatten the top of the cloud into an anvil-like shape. Cumulonimbus are associated with heavy rain, snow, hail, lightning, and tornadoes. The anvil usually points in the direction the storm is moving.

When you see a cumulus cloud in summer what are you seeing?

These are the awe-inspiring and ominous clouds mainly observed during the summer months and can be indicative of developing thunderstorms, including lightning, hail, heavy rain and even tornadoes. The strongest thunderstorms can even produce cumulonimbus clouds that tower up to 60,000 feet!

Why do clouds turn GREY before it rains?

It is the thickness, or height of clouds, that makes them look gray. ... The tiny water droplets and ice crystals in clouds are just the right size to scatter all colors of light, compared with the smaller molecules of air that scatter blue light most effectively. When light contains all colors, we perceive it as white.

What are clouds named after?

Most of our names for clouds come from Latin and are usually a combination of the following prefixes and suffixes: Stratus/strato: flat/layered and smooth. Cumulus/cumulo: heaped up/puffy, like cauliflower. Cirrus/cirro: high up/wispy.

What does Alto mean in clouds?

- The prefix alto- means mid-level clouds, - The prefix nimbo- or the suffix -nimbus means precipitating, such as nimbostratus or cumulonimbus. - Stratocumulus are layered cumulus clouds.

What does the name Nimbus mean?

The name Nimbus is a boy's name meaning “dark cloud”. Nimbus is a word from nature for a type of cloud that has occasionally — very occasionally — been used for a human.