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Cumulonimbus Clouds
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Heavy and dense cloud, with considerable vertical extent, in the form of a mountain or huge towers. 

Usually part of its upper portion is smooth, or fibrous or striated and nearly always flattened.  This part often spreads out in the shape of an anvil or huge plume.

Under the base of the cloud it is usually very dark, with frequent ragged clouds and precipitation, sometimes in the form of virga.

Cumulonimbus is composed of water droplets and in the upper portion, ice crystals.  It can contain large raindrops , snowflakes, snow pellets, ice pellets, and hail.

cumulonimbus cloud oregon

 

Cumulonimbus can have a dark, menacing aspect when it produces thunder and lightning, intense showers of rain, snow, or hail and by squalls or hanging protuberances (cumulonimbus mammatus.  

A cumulonimbus cloud distinguishes itself from a cumulus cloud if at least part of its upper portion has lost sharpness of outlines or appears fibrous or striated.  If you cannot decide if a cloud is a cumulonimbus or a well-developed cumulus, call it cumulonimbus if it is accompanied by lightening, thunder or hail.

 

 

thunderstorm diagram

 Timelapse of a thunderstorm forming.  There is a beautiful CB in the middle of this video.

 

 

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