| Family | Midlatitude | Characteristics of | Cloud Names | Comments |
| Elevation of Bases | Family | |||
| High | 12 km (36000 ft) | Ice crystals. "Feathery." | cirrus | Fernlike |
| Halo arond sun or moon. | cirrostratus | Sheets | ||
| Jet stream levels. | cirrocumulus | Small lumps | ||
| Middle | 6 km (18000 ft) | Mostly water droplet. | altostratus | Thick sheets |
| Bases appear gray and | altocumulus | Large lumps | ||
| block out sun's light. | ||||
| Low | Sfc to 1 km (3000 ft) | Water droplet (except | stratus | Cloud on the ground |
| nimbostratus, which may | stratocumulus | Same as stratus with some vertical growth | ||
| be stacked above freezing level) | nimbostratus | Multiple layers of stratiform clouds | ||
| Vertical | Sfc to 2 km (6000 ft) | Water droplets make up | cumulus | Width of base greater than height. |
| Development | bottom portion (cauliflower | cumulus congestus | Height greater than width of base. | |
| or whipped cream texture) | cumulonimbus | Anvil tops, lightning, rain, hail. | ||
| and ice crystals make up anvil top. |