METEOROLOGIST JEFF HABY
Seriously, it is time for cirrus clouds! Cirrus clouds are the high wispy clouds. They are made of ice crystals and the
interaction with relatively strong winds aloft give cirrus the wispy feathery appearance. They can appear bright white
due to the sun shining on the ice crystals. Typically, cirrus do not produce precipitation that reaches the ground. This
is because cirrus tend to be thin and any precipitation that does fall will vaporize before reaching the ground. Lots of
cirrus can indicate that a storm system is on the way since when a storm system approaches (mid-latitude cyclone) it is
high clouds that are seen first. Even during nice weather patterns it is common to see a few cirrus in the sky. They are
thin enough that often the sun will shine right through. Cirrus can develop when lifting occurs high aloft and the air
is moist enough to develop ice clouds. In some cases the moisture can originate from thunderstorms or lifting that
transports moisture into the upper levels. As this moisture is transported any additional lifting will help develop
new high level cirrus clouds.
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