- Cirrus uncinus cloud
-
Cirrus uncinus 
Cirrus uncinus cloudAbbreviation Ci unc Genus Cirrus (curl of hair) Species uncinus (hooked) Altitude Above 7000 m
(Above 23,000 ft)Classification Family A (High-level) Appearance curly, hooked Precipitation cloud? No Cirrus uncinus is a type of cirrus cloud. The name cirrus uncinus is derived from Latin, meaning "curly hooks". Also known as mares' tails, these clouds are generally sparse in the sky, and very thin.
The clouds occur at very high altitudes, at a temperature of about minus 40-50 Celsius. They are generally seen when a warm or occluded front is approaching. They are very high in the troposphere and generally mean that precipitation, usually rain, is approaching.
See also
External links
International Cloud Atlas - Cirrus uncinus
Cirrus cloud (Ci) types Species Cirrus castellanus (Ci cas) · Cirrus fibratus (Ci fib) · Cirrus floccus (Ci flo) · Cirrus spissatus (Ci spa) · Cirrus vertebratus (Ci ve) · Cirrus uncinus (Ci unc)Varieties Cirrus duplicatus (Ci du) · Cirrus intortus (Ci in) · Cirrus radiatus (Ci ra) · Cirrus undulatus (Ci un)Variants Cloud genuses Extreme-level High-level Medium-level Low-level Fog · Stratus (St) · Cumulus (Cu) · Stratocumulus (Sc) · Arcus (Roll) · Fractus · Funnel · Nimbostratus (Ns) · Shelf · Wall · Actinoform cloud · Undulatus asperatusVertical Cumulonimbus (Cb) · Cumulonimbus mammatus · Pyrocumulus · Pyrocumulonimbus · Overshooting top · AccessoryCategories:- Cloud types
- Atmospheric science stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
