🔍 Key Concepts

• Cloud classifications by altitude (high, middle, low, and vertical development) • The typical appearance and weather associated with thunderstorm-producing clouds • Difference between layered (stratus) and heap/puffy (cumulus) clouds

💭 Think About

• Which type(s) of clouds are most strongly associated with thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy showers? • Among the options, which cloud type grows vertically through many layers of the atmosphere rather than staying as a flat layer? • Think about the classic tall, cauliflower-shaped cloud with anvil tops seen in summer storms—what cloud family does that belong to?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which cloud type is known for strong vertical development and instability • Eliminate cloud types that are mainly thin, wispy, or uniform layers with little vertical growth • Confirm which option is commonly linked in textbooks and marine weather guides with thunderstorms, gust fronts, and squalls