Clouds
Upper Level Clouds
Cirrus
Thin, wispy clouds that usually form above 18,000 feet. These clouds are blown by strong westerly winds and usually point to fair weather.
Cirrocumulus
Small, rounded puffs that usually appear in long rows high in the sky. They are white but sometimes appear gray. They usually appear in the winter and indicate cold but fair weather.
Cirrostratus
Sheet-like, high-level clouds composed of ice crystals. The sun and moon can been seen through these clouds. These clouds usually indicate a rain or snow storm.
Middle Level Clouds
Altocumulus
Middle-altitude clouds that are composed primarily of water droplets and appear as gray puffy masses. These clouds usually indicate a humid morning and thunderstorms later in the day.
Altostratus
Gray or blue-gray mid-level clouds composed of ice crystals and water droplets. These clouds often form before storms with continuous rain or snow.
Lower Level Clouds
Stratocumulus
Low, lumpy clouds that usually produce little or no precipitation, but when they do it is light rain or snow.
Stratus
Clouds that look like a huge gray blanket that hangs low in the sky. These clouds mean rain if it is warm and snow if it is cold.
NImbostratus
These clouds have considerable vertical and horizontal extent and produces precipitation over a wide area.
Cumulus
These are puffy clouds that sometimes look like pieces of floating cotton. These clouds usually indicate fair weather.
Cumulonimbus
These are heavy and dense clouds of considerable vertical extent in the form of a mountain or huge towers. These clouds are thunderstorm clouds.
Vertical Clouds
Fog
Fog is made up of condensed water droplets which are the result of the air being cooled to the point where it can no longer hold all of the water vapor it contains.
Four Examples Include:
1. Radiation Fog
2. Advection Fog
3. Upslope Fog
4. Evaporation Fog
Storms
Parkersburg, Iowa Tornado
- The F5 tornado in Parkersburg, Iowa was on May 25, 2008.
- This tornado killed eight people and injured dozens.
- The tornado began near the Butler and Grundy County line and grew quickly in size and intensity over a few minutes. It was nearly three-quarters of a mile wide when it hit Parkersburg.
- This tornado caused several millions of dollars worth of destruction with nearly 200 homes getting destroyed.