Clouds come in all shapes and sizes. They are the harbingers of the day’s weather, or, as Hurricanes Helene and Milton recently demonstrated, nature’s immense fury.

There are 10 primary types of clouds on Earth. Here you can learn about what they're made of, how they form and how they are classified.

Cirrus clouds at the level of the jet stream – often about 6 miles (10 kilometers), above the ground – can sometimes move at over 200 miles per hour (320 kilometers per hour).

Cirrus clouds are made up completely of ice crystals, which provides their white color and form in a wide range of shapes and sizes. These clouds are typically found at very high altitudes around ...

Buy & Sell Archives Santa Maria Business Directory John Lindsey: Clouds' many shapes, sizes, make them hard to classify Print Edition 71° Lindsey’s Weather ...

A scientist explains the different cloud types and how they help forecast weather By Ross Lazear, University at Albany, State University of New YorkUpdatedMarch 3, 2025 7:04 a.m.