How many different types of cloud names are there?

Question

How many different types of cloud names are there?

Answer 1

There are many names but it is only in the eye of the meteorologist. Some may call a cloud something and another, something else. However clouds are sorted in three main families: the stratiform, the cumuliform and the sirriform clouds.

The stratiform clouds are flat and in layers. They come from an inversion when there is warmer air above cold one.

Cumuliform clouds are your usual cauliflower type of clouds coming from a convection of warm air rising and cooling down.

Sirriform clouds are high ice crystal clouds that look like hair.

When a cumulus or a stratus is high enough, it gets the prefix 'alto' which means ... high! If a cumulus flatens out into a cover, it can be called stratocumulus, etc.

... It's only names people gave to the clouds.

Answer 2

Every cloud is different, so really the number of cloud names is limited only to a person's creativity.

If you want to learn just some of the basic types, you can check out:

http://www.eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloud3...

For a slightly longer list, you can visit wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_types

For something more official than wikipedia, you can check out the NWS Sky Watcher Chart that lists 27 types of clouds:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//synop...