cirrocumulus
Definition
Noun: A high-altitude cloud type, appearing as a thin, white patch, sheet, or layer composed of very small, regularly arranged elements in the form of grains, ripples, or a honeycomb, without shading. It is composed almost entirely of ice crystals and often indicates fair but cold weather.
Usage
Cirrocumulus is a technical meteorological term used to classify a specific type of cloud. It is typically used in weather reports, aviation forecasts, and scientific descriptions. - It is often abbreviated as Cc in weather maps and observations. - It is one of the ten main cloud genera.
Examples
- The sky was dotted with a delicate pattern of cirrocumulus, resembling fish scales.
- Pilots noted the presence of high cirrocumulus clouds, suggesting stable atmospheric conditions aloft.
- Cirrocumulus clouds are sometimes called a "mackerel sky" due to their rippled appearance.
Advanced Usage
- Cirrocumulus stratiformis: A species of cirrocumulus that appears in extensive, horizontal sheets or layers.
- Cirrocumulus floccus: A species where the cloud elements appear as small, tufted, cumuliform patches.
- Cirrocumulus lenticularis: A species with lens-shaped elements, often formed by mountain waves.
- Cirrocumulus castellanus: A species where the cloud elements show vertical development, giving a small turreted or castle-like appearance.
Variants and Related Words
- Cirro-: A prefix used in cloud names (e.g., , ) indicating high altitude.
- Cumulus: A cloud genus characterized by detached, heaped, and fluffy elements. When combined with "cirro-", it describes the small, rippled, high-altitude form.
- Mackerel sky: A common colloquial name for a sky filled with cirrocumulus clouds, due to its resemblance to the pattern on a mackerel's back.
Synonyms
- High cumulus (less common, descriptive)
- Mackerel cloud (colloquial)
Related Phrases/Idioms
- Mackerel sky: An idiom referring to a sky covered with cirrocumulus (or sometimes altocumulus) clouds. It is often used in the weather proverb: "Mackerel sky, not twenty-four hours dry," suggesting a change in weather is coming, though cirrocumulus itself often indicates fair weather.
Noun
-
a cloud at a high altitude consisting of a series of regularly arranged small clouds resembling ripples
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