There are ten types of clouds. All of them varying in appearance, location and effect to the weather condition. Cloud charts map out these clouds and determine how they affect the weather.

Clouds are generally grouped into three in a cloud chart. They are grouped into three:

  • High Altitude Clouds (Clouds with bases forming above 18000 feet)
  • Middle Altitude Clouds (Clouds with bases at 7000 to 18000 feet)
  • Low Altitude Clouds (Clouds which bases are at 7000 feet and below)

High Altitude Clouds. These are the clouds in higher altitude which are composed of ice crystals. They look wispy and stretch across the sky. Cirrus clouds, Cirrostratus clouds, Cirrocumulus clouds are the cloud types falliing under the High Altitude Clouds.

Altocumulus clouds and Altostratus clouds are Middle Altitude Clouds. When formed together, they form an inchoate looking sky. Appearing in patches in some sides and long and wispy in others.

Low Altitude Clouds such as the Stratus, Nimbostratus, Cumulus are the most well formed clouds. Usually appearing in masses or heaps. The Stratus cloud is known to signal rain. The stratocumulus clouds are known to look like sheets or rolls stretched over a low part of the sky. Cumulus clouds look like heaps of cotton candy.