Clouds of the Day - Wednesday, November 8, 2023

These Altocumulus could fool you into thinking they are a stratus or a stratocumulus or altocumulus layer. It has the look of all three cloud types. I called them stratocumulus because the nearby airport measured the cloud ceiling at just under 6,500 feet which is the treshold to be named Altocumulus. This illustrates that clouds are not necessarily discrete and easy to identify. The truth is, atmospheric processes are complex so we do the best we can knowing that clouds are on a continuum. Naming them may not be cut and dried.

Naming these clouds suffers from the same problem. Are they a form of cumulus or stratocumulus? You can take your pick.