Key facts
- Abbreviation
- Ac
- Genus
- alto-, meaning high, and cumulo-, meaning heap
- Species
- Castellanus Floccus Lenticularis Stratiformis Volutus
- Variety
- Duplicatus Lacunosus Opacus Perlucidus Radiatus Translucidus Undulatus
- Altitude
- 2,000–7,000 m, (7,000–23,000 ft)
- Classification
- Family B (Medium-level)
- Appearance
- Middle-altitude Stratocumulus clouds arranged in groups or rolls. Has smaller clouds separate from each other
- Precipitation
- Virga only
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
Altocumulus (from Latin altus 'high' and cumulus 'heaped') is a middle-altitude cloud genus that belongs mainly to the stratocumuliform physical category, characterized by globular masses or rolls in layers or patches – the individual elements being larger and darker than those of cirrocumulus and smaller than those of stratocumulus. However, if the layers become tufted in appearance due to increased airmass instability, then the altocumulus clouds become more purely cumuliform in structure.
Like other cumuliform and stratocumuliform clouds, altocumulus signifies convection. A sheet of partially conjoined altocumulus perlucidus is sometimes found preceding a weakening warm front, where the altostratus is starting to fragment, resulting in patches of altocumulus perlucidus between the areas of altostratus. Altocumulus is also commonly found between the warm and cold fronts in a depression, although this is often hidden by lower clouds.