Cumulonimbostratus clouds?

Question

What are Cumulonimbostratus clouds? I can't find any info on them.

Answer 1

Cumulonimbostratus clouds are responsible for producing convective (heavy) showers. Usually occurs when there is abundance of warm air rising, allowing for the air parcel to cool to the dewpoint and lead to clouds. Also there must be some instablity for the clouds to continue to grow vertically.

A rule of thumb: The more unstable the atmosphere is along with a good amount of daytime heating, the good chance you will have tstorm late in the afternoon or early evening. After the sun sets, you loose the daytime heating, so chances are no more storms. Although, there is some execeptions but we'll just keep it simple.

Answer 2

I don't believe I have ever seen that combination before.

Of course there is cumulus which is the puffy fair weather cloud, and cumulonimbus which is the thunderstorm cloud, and stratus which is a flat gray cloud, and nimbostratus which is a flat gray cloud that produces light rain. and stratocumulus which is status formed from the flattening and spreading out of cumulus. But never seen or hear of any reference to cumulonimbostratus before.

I would have to say that one is made up by someone.

The closest thing would be the cirrostratus anvil produced by a cumulonimbus.

Answer 3

Of course there is cumulus which is the puffy fair weather cloud, and cumulonimbus which is the thunderstorm cloud, and stratus which is a flat gray cloud, and nimbostratus which is a flat gray cloud that produces light rain. and stratocumulus which is status formed from the flattening and spreading out of cumulus. But never seen or hear of any reference to cumulonimbostratus before.

Answer 4

I think you have combined two cloud groups into one name.

For a complete cloud list with pictures, here are a couple of links for you to look over.

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/cldtyp/home.rxml

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/clouds_max.htm

This second link is interactive. Click on the cloud picture for a closer look.

An observer may say he see Cumulonimbus (tall building clouds with or without an anvil which would likely be associated with a heavy shower or thunderstorms) and Nimbostratus (thick low clouds usualy associated with more of a steady light to moderate rain). These two types of clouds can easily be visible when you are located near the coastal mountain location or when you have very elevated convection.

Just for fun...Here is an example of a situation where you may find these clouds the same area: In the late summer...in the interior portion of central California...You have monsoonal moisture going over the Northern Sierra Mountains during a major marine air instrusion over the California valley location. You will have elevated base thunderstorms above a valley filled with thick fog and low stratus deck clouds. What you can end up with is a very rare "Thunderfog" event with drizzle on the vallley floor near sea level....dense fog between 500 feet to 1000 feet in the upper valley region...dry lightning in the foothills between 1500 to 3000 feet elevation...and rain or hail and dangerous cloud to ground lightning for those above 5000 feet elevation.

Answer 5

There is no cloud with such a name.Probably you are referring to the cumulonimbus cloud .This is the only cloud that produces thunderstorm.

Answer 6

Type of Cloud
(Genus) Image Appearance Altitude (height)
Cumulo-nimbus
(Thunderheads) Can cause lightning, thunder, hail, strong rains, strong winds, and tornadoes Near ground up to 75,000 feet (~23,000 m)
(convective clouds)
Cirro-stratus Thin, wispy, appear in sheets. Located above thunderheads Above 18,000 feet (~6,000 m)
(High-altitude clouds)
Cirrus Thin, wispy, filamentous, or curly Above 18,000 feet (~6,000 m)
(High-altitude clouds)
Cirro-cumulus Small, puffy, patchy and/or with a wavelike appearance Above 18,000 feet (~6,000 m)
(High-altitude clouds)
Alto-cumulus Medium-sized puffy, patchy, scattered clouds - often in linear bands 6,500 - 20,000 feet (~2,000-6,000 m)
(Middle-altitude clouds)
Alto-stratus Thin, uniform 6,500 - 20,000 feet (~2,000-6,000 m)
(Middle-Altitude clouds)
Strato-cumulus Broad and flat on the bottom, puffy on top, Below 6,500 feet (~2,000 m)
(Low-altitude clouds)
Cumulus Puffy and piled up. Below 6,500 feet (~2,000 m)
(convective clouds)
Stratus Uniform, flat, thick to thin layered clouds will ill-defined edges Below 6,500 feet (~2,000 m)
(Low-altitude clouds)
Nimbo-stratus Uniform, dark, flat, low, featureless clouds that produce precipitation Below 6,500 feet (~2,000 m)
(Low-altitude clouds)
Fog In contact with the ground
(Ground-hugging clouds)

also see
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/clouds/