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Just changed how I identify cumulus clouds after 30 years
I always thought any big puffy cloud was just a cumulus, nothing special. Last week I was out at the lake and saw this huge flat-bottomed cloud that was really tall on top. My neighbor who used to be a pilot pointed out that the flat bottom means it's actually a cumulus congestus, not just a regular fair-weather cloud. He showed me how the vertical development was the tell, and now I can't stop seeing the difference everywhere I look. Has anyone else had a similar moment where you realized you were missing something obvious about cloud types?
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lucas636d ago
Yeah but did he tell you about the different kinds of rain clouds too? I had a similar wake-up call a few years back when I was trying to figure out why some thunderstorms just dump on you while others just rumble and move on. Like a nimbostratus is that flat grey blanket that just sits there and soaks everything for hours, but a cumulonimbus is the big anvil-headed one that comes in fast with hail and wind. Once you start looking at the shape and the bottom edge you realize the whole sky is basically a dictionary of weather. What was the biggest cloud you were misreading before this?
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