How to Identify Nimbus Clouds
When children start to chant, "Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day," you can tell them their outdoor fun has been ruined by an invasion of nimbus clouds.
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Instructions
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Think precipitation when you see nimbus clouds.
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Classify nimbus clouds into two types: nimbostratus and cumulonimbus.
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Identify nimbostratus clouds as the low, grayish, flat clouds that reach no more than 6,500 feet.
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Watch for cumulus clouds to become cumulonimbus clouds when they begin to rise and build up vertically.
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Be alert for thunderstorms or other severe weather when you see cumulonimbus clouds.
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Look toward the top of the cumulonimbus clouds. Winds will shear the tops off as the mass builds into the stratosphere. The direction of the shear can tell you which way the storm is moving.
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Tips & Warnings
Nimbus clouds, particularly nimbostratus, seem to have little structure. Instead, they cover the entire sky.
A London pharmacists named Luke Howard invented the Latin names for clouds in the early 19th century. Oddly, he named nimbus clouds for their behavior (shedding precipitation that reaches the ground) while other cloud names refer to shape or altitude.
For a detailed explanation for making a visual estimate of where 6,500 feet is in the sky, see the Related Site, "Measuring Angles and Distances." Or try to visualize 22 American football fields all in a row.
Keep an ear tuned to weather alerts if you see cumulonimbus clouds on the horizon.
Seek shelter as a storm front approaches. Lightning can be deadly.
