Discover Kaj The Cloud Guy's big 4

Stratus is Latin for "Layer" and these clouds are low and gray. They are most common in the cooler season and have significant impacts on temperature both day and night. Stratus clouds are in the lowest 10,000 ft of our atmosphere and resemble a gray blanket. On a cold winter day, these can potentially create flurries, too, if they are thick enough!

Cumulus clouds are the most common type of cloud and when you think of clouds in our sky, you often think of these. Latin for "heap" or "pile", Cumulus clouds resemble cotton balls, have flat bottoms and often occur in the afternoon hours mainly below 10,000 ft. When Cumulus clouds form in the afternoon, temperatures are typically within about five degrees of the daytime high. These clouds are an indicator of fair weather conditions and do not indicate precipitation.

Cirrus clouds are the highest cloud of the big 4 and the word Cirrus is Latin for "Lock of Hair". These thin and wispy clouds are made entirely of ice (even on the hottest of summer days) and are way up there - generally at or above 20,000 ft. That's at least 4 miles high! While scattered Cirrus clouds usually do not indicate anything notable, a large area of Cirrus clouds may indicate a change in weather coming soon.

Nimbus clouds are very similar to Stratus clouds, with the exception of precipitation. Nimbus is Latin for "Cloud" and are rain and/or snow producing clouds. These are almost always in the lowest 5,000 ft of the atmosphere, though early in their lifecycle, the bases of the clouds may be higher until precipitation pulls the base down.