HoffyEd ← Back to Weather
☁️ Interactive Learning Tools

Types of Clouds

Clouds are grouped by how high up they form and what shape they take. Learn the ten main cloud types, explore real photos, and test yourself with a photo quiz!

Where Clouds Form

Tap a layer below to see which clouds form there — from wispy high clouds made of ice, to thick low clouds that bring rain.

HIGH CLOUDS above 20,000 ft — ice crystals MIDDLE CLOUDS 6,500–20,000 ft — water & ice LOW CLOUDS near surface–6,500 ft — water droplets TOWERING CLOUDS low base, can grow miles high Cirrus Cirrostratus Cirrocumulus Altocumulus Altostratus Stratus Stratocumulus Nimbostratus Cumulus Cumulonimbus

The Cloud Catalog

Real sky photos for all ten cloud types. Click a tab above to filter by altitude family.

Cloud photographs courtesy of NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). Source: nesdis.noaa.gov — Types of Clouds

Can You ID the Cloud?

Look at each photo and pick the correct cloud type. Score 8 out of 10 to master this lesson!

QUESTION 1 OF 10
Cloud photo to identify
Credit: NOAA
Which type of cloud is this?