Cirrostratus nebulosus

Form of cirrostratus cloud

Cirrostratus nebulosus
Cirrostratus nebulosus clouds producing a 22° sun halo.
Abbreviation	Cs neb
Symbol
Genus	Cirrus- (curl) -stratus (layered)
Species	nebulosus (nebulous)
Altitude	Above 6,000 m (Above 20,000 ft)
Classification	Family A (High-level)
Appearance	smooth, fog-like veil^[1]
Precipitation	No, but may indicate an approaching rain-producing weather system

Cirrostratus nebulosus is a type of high-level cirrostratus cloud. The name cirrostratus nebulosus is derived from Latin, the adjective nebulosus meaning "full of vapor, foggy, cloudy, dark".^[2] Cirrostratus nebulosus is one of the two most common forms that cirrostratus often takes, with the other being cirrostratus fibratus. The nebulosus species is featureless and uniform, while the fibratus species has a fibrous appearance.^[3] Cirrostratus nebulosus are formed by gently rising air. The cloud is often hard to see unless the sun shines through it at the correct angle, forming a halo.^[4] While usually very light, the cloud may also be very dense, and the exact appearance of the cloud can vary from one formation to another.^[5] In the winter, precipitation often follows behind these clouds; however, they are not a precipitation-producing cloud.^[6]

References

^ Wolken Online. "Cirrostratus". Cloud Atlas. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
^ Numen - The Latin Lexicon. "Definition of nebulosus". Retrieved 15 September 2011.
^ Dunlop, Storm (2003). The weather identification handbook (1st Lyons Press ed.). Guilford, Conn.: Lyons Press. p. 62. ISBN 1-58574-857-9.
^ Rodgers, Alan; Streluk, Angella (2007). Cloud cover (Rev. and updated. ed.). Chicago, Ill.: Heinemann Library. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-4329-0077-9.
^ Callanan, Martin. "Cirrostratus nebulosus". International Cloud Atlas. nephology.eu. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
^ Institute of Atmospheric Sciences at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. "Cirrostratus (nebulosus)". A Guide to the Sky. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2011.

External links

International Cloud Atlas – Cirrostratus nebulosus Archived 2020-12-30 at the Wayback Machine

Cloud genera and selected species, supplementary features, and other airborne hydrometeors - WMO Latin terminology except where indicated

Mesospheric

Extreme-level
80–85 km

Noctilucent (NLC) Polar mesospheric clouds	Noctilucent type I veils Noctilucent type II bands Noctilucent type III billows Noctilucent type IV whirls

Stratospheric

Very high-level
15–30 km

Nacreous polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)	Cirriform nacreous Lenticular nacreous
Nitric acid and water polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)	No differentiated sub-types; tends to resemble cirrostratus

Tropospheric

High-level
3–18 km

Cirrus (Ci)

Species	Cirrus castellanus (Ci cas) Cirrus fibratus (Ci fib) Cirrus floccus (Ci flo) Cirrus spissatus (Ci spa) Cirrus uncinus (Ci unc)
Ci-only varieties	Cirrus intortus (Ci in) Cirrus vertebratus (Ci ve)

Cirrocumulus (Cc)

Species	Cirrocumulus castellanus (Cc cas) Cirrocumulus floccus (Cc flo) Cirrocumulus lenticularis (Cc len) Cirrocumulus stratiformis (Cc str)

Cirrostratus (Cs)

Species	Cirrostratus fibratus (Cs fib) Cirrostratus nebulosus (Cs neb)

High-level-only
mutatus cloud

Mutatus non-height specific (see below)

Medium-level
2–8 km

Altocumulus (Ac)

Species	Altocumulus castellanus (Ac cas) Altocumulus floccus (Ac flo) Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len) Altocumulus stratiformis (Ac str) Altocumulus volutus (Ac vol)

Altostratus (As)

Altostratus undulatus

Nimbostratus (Ns)
Multi-level

Varieties	Nimbostratus virga (Ns vir)

Low-level
0–2 km

Cumulonimbus (Cb)
Towering vertical

Species	Cumulonimbus calvus (Cb cal) Cumulonimbus capillatus (Cb cap)
Cb-only supplementary features	Cumulonimbus cauda ((cau) Tail cloud) Cumulonimbus incus (inc) Cumulonimbus murus ((mur) Wall cloud)
Cb-only accessories and other	Cumulonimbus flumen ((Cb flu) Beaver tail) Overshooting top Hot tower

Cumulus (Cu)
Variable vertical extent

Species	Fractus Cumulus humilis (Cu hum) Cumulus mediocris (Cu med) (Cumulus congestus (Cu con) (Cumulus castellanus (unofficial alternative name for Cu con)) (ICAO term for Cu con and "Cu cas" is Towering cumulus [Tcu]))
Other	Horseshoe Trade wind cumulus

Stratus (St)

Species	Stratus fractus (St fra) Stratus nebulosus (St neb)
St-only genitus cloud and other	Stratus silvagenitus (St sil) Fog (Fg) Surface level

Stratocumulus (Sc)

Species	Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas) Stratocumulus floccus (Sc flo) Stratocumulus lenticularis (Sc len) Stratocumulus stratiformis (Sc str) Stratocumulus Undulatus Stratocumulus volutus (Sc vol)

Low-level-only
supplementary features

Arcus ((arc) Shelf)
Tuba ((tub) Funnel cloud)

Low-level-only
accessory cloud and other

Pileus (pil)
Velum (vel)
Pannus (pan)
Other- Actinoform cloud (Stratocumulus)

Non-height
specific

Varieties	Duplicatus (du) Lacunosus (la) Opacus (op) Perlucidus (pe) Radiatus (ra) Translucidus (tr) Undulatus (un)
Supplementary features	Asperitas (asp) Cavum (cav) Fluctus (flu) Mamma (mam) Praecipitatio (pra) Virga (vir)
Mother clouds and human-made clouds	(Mother cloud)+genitus (e.g. cumulogenitus (cugen) (Mother cloud)+mutatus (e.g. cumulomutatus (cumut) Homogenitus (hogen) Homomutatus (homut)