| Mid level (Alto) clouds
form at altitudes between 8,000 to 18,000
feet above ground level. These types of
clouds mainly comprised of water
droplets...but in the winter months they
are often made up of ice crystals or both
ice crystals and water droplets. Here are a
several examples of mid level (Alto)
clouds...
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Altocumulus |
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Altocumulus/Altostratus |
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Altocumulus/Altostratus |
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Altocumulus/Altostratus |
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Altocumulus/Altostratus |
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Altocumulus |
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Alto
Lenticular |
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Altocumulus |
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"Mid
level clouds glossary"
Altostratus... Mid level
clouds with a flat sheet look to
them.
Altocumulus... Mid level
clouds with a cumuliform shape.
Some less common types
cirrus clouds are...
Alto Lenticular... Sometimes
known as "Saucer Clouds".
They form on the front range of a
mountain range when the winds aloft
are strong.
In southern California... they'll
typically form on the east or north
side of the San Gabriel and San
Bernardino mountains.
"Alto" or mid
level clouds are typically a sign of
precipitation during the next 12 to 24
hours.
Continue on to the "Low Level Clouds"
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