What are two facts about cumulonimbus clouds?

A cumulonimbus cloud forms at heights less than 20,000 feet, but can extend upwards much further. The top of a cumulonimbus cloud can reach 39,000 feet or sometimes higher into the atmosphere. In the lower level of the cumulonimbus cloud it is mostly made up water droplets.

What are some fun facts about cumulus clouds?

Cumulus clouds are puffy clouds that sometimes look like pieces of floating cotton. The base of each cloud is often flat and may be only 1000 meters (3300 feet) above the ground. The top of the cloud has rounded towers.

How long are cumulonimbus clouds?

The cumulonimbus base may extend several kilometres across and occupy low to middle altitudes – formed at altitude from approximately 200 to 4,000 m (700 to 10,000 ft). Peaks typically reach to as much as 12,000 m (39,000 ft), with extreme instances as high as 21,000 m (69,000 ft) or more.

Why are cumulonimbus clouds so powerful?

Fueled by vigorous convective updrafts (sometimes in excess 50 knots), the tops of cumulonimbus clouds can easily reach 39,000 feet (12,000 meters) or higher.

How tall are cumulonimbus clouds in the sky?

Facts about Cumulonimbus Clouds 5: the height of cumulonimbus clouds. Cumulonimbus clouds can be found at the height from low to middle altitude. It usually lies around 700 to 1,000 feet or 200 to 4,000 meter. Check facts about Cumulus clouds here. Cumulonimbus clouds can reach up to the highest altitude at 20,000 feet or 6,000 meter.

What does the word cumulonimbus mean in Latin?

More About Cumulonimbus Clouds. The word cumulonimbus is formed from two words. Cumulus means ‘pile’ in Latin, and nimbus means ‘rain cloud.’ These describe a cumulonimbus cloud perfectly, because it grows up vertically like a billowy pile, and these clouds usually bring rain or other wet weather.

Why does a cumulonimbus cloud have an anvil shape?

They are very dense clouds that soar up to a height of about 15 – 22 km. The anvil or mushroom shape is caused due to the strong wind shear or warm air turbulence when the cloud reaches the troposphere.

What do you need to know about cumulus clouds?

Fact 1: As you might imagine, Cumulus clouds are a type of cloud: the white or grey fluffy things that float in the sky. Fact 2: Cumulus clouds are the clouds that we all drew as children… Their upper sections are like cauliflowers: white, fluffy, and with puffy rounded upper lobes. Their underside is often nearly completely flat.