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Cirrus clouds are thin, wispy clouds made of ice crystals that form very high in the atmosphere. They're important because they can affect weather patterns and Earth's temperature by influencing how sunlight and heat move through the atmosphere.
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Sky containing different types of cirrus clouds Cirrus (cloud classification symbol: Ci) is a genus of high-altitude cloud made entirely of ice crystals. Cirrus clouds typically appear wispy with white strands. In the Earth's atmosphere, cirrus are usually formed when warm, dry air rises, causing water vapor deposition onto mineral dust and metallic particles at high altitudes. Globally, they form anywhere between 6,000 and 20,000 meters (20,000 and 66,000 feet) above sea level, with the higher elevations usually in the tropics and the lower elevations in more polar regions.
Cirrus clouds can form from the tops of thunderstorms and tropical cyclones and sometimes predict the arrival of rain or storms. Although they are a sign that rain and maybe storms are on the way, cirrus themselves drop no more than falling streaks of ice crystals. These crystals dissipate, melt, and evaporate as they fall through warmer and drier air and never reach the ground. The word cirrus comes from the Latin prefix cirro-, meaning "tendril" or "curl". Cirrus clouds warm the earth, potentially contributing to climate change.