Altocumulus clouds are medium-height clouds made up of water droplets and flattened patches or flakes. They can indicate a light rain or thunderstorm later in the day. Altocumulus clouds can take on different shapes and patterns and are classified as a medium-height cloud. Altocumulus lenticularis is round and smooth, while altocumulus castellanus takes on a turret shape resembling a castle and can indicate approaching thunderstorms. Altocumulus floccus is a subtype that occurs when castellanus clouds break up and looks like small tufts with rounded tops and ragged bases.
Altocumulus is a type of cloud that belongs to the group of clouds found at medium height, between 8,000 and 18,000 feet (about 2,500 to 5,500 meters). Its name is composed of the word alto, which is used to indicate medium-height clouds, and cumulus, which means pile. This type of cloud consists mainly of water droplets and consists of patches or layers made up of flattened patches or flakes. While it usually indicates nothing more than a light rain, if anything, altocumulus clouds appearing on a warm, rising morning can herald a thunderstorm later in the day.
Clouds form when the air rises and cools, and the water vapor in the air condenses into droplets. There are three main groups of clouds, classified by the heights at which they form into high, medium and low clouds. Altocumulus and altostratus make up the medium-height group. Both form when a large mass of air rises over a hill or lifts when it encounters a climate front, causing a large mid-height condensation zone. Although clouds are mostly made up of water droplets, as the temperature gets colder they can be made up of ice crystals.
In addition to being classified by height, the major cloud types can be further categorized by their shapes. Altocumulus lenticularis is the term used to describe altocumulus clouds when their shape is round and smooth, similar to a lens. Due to their disc-like shapes, these clouds may occasionally be mistaken for UFOs. They often arise on the sheltered sides of hills and may combine to form stacks or rows of saucers.
Altocumulus castellanus is another subtype. It occurs when the upper atmosphere is unstable and the cloud takes on a turret shape resembling a castle. When these clouds appear in the middle of the day, they often indicate approaching thunderstorms. A different subtype known as altocumulus floccus is sometimes created when castellanus clouds break up.
The flakes look like small tufts with rounded tops and ragged bases, which may indicate trails of rain or snow. This rain or snow, which does not reach ground level but flows from the bottom of the clouds, is known as virga. In addition to taking on a number of different shapes, altocumulus clouds can be arranged in a variety of different patterns across the sky. They might consist of a layer of tiny clouds that are quite close together, or they may be spread out in lines or waves, which may be parallel to each other.
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