Accessory cloud

Short description: Cloud dependent on a larger cloud system

Wall cloud on the right under a cumulonimbus cloud

An accessory cloud is a cloud which is dependent on a larger cloud system for its development and continuance. It is often an appendage but also can be adjacent to the parent cloud system.[1]

The arcus and roll clouds, shelf cloud, wall cloud, and scud are examples of low level or vertical accessory clouds whilst the anvil, and overshooting top, are examples of high level accessory clouds. The condensation funnel of funnel clouds and tornadoes are also accessory clouds. They are associated with deep moist convection and especially cumulonimbus, the primary cloud producing thunderstorms. The pileus and mammatus types can form at various altitude ranges depending on the main clouds with which they are associated. The World Meteorological Organization classifies most accessory clouds as supplementary features. The height range classification of a supplementary feature is the same as the parent cloud. As an example, the anvil cloud (supplementary feature incus) forms at high altitude but is not classified by the WMO as a high cloud because of its association with the genus cumulonimbus.[2]

## Precipitation

## See also

* List of cloud types

## References

1. ↑ "Accessory Cloud definition". A Comprehensive Glossary of Weather, Geographic.org. https://geographic.org/climate/a.html#Accessory_Cloud. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
2. ↑ World Meteorological Organization (1995). "WMO cloud classifications". http://www.weatheranswer.com/public/Clouds_WMO.pdf. Retrieved 2012-01-23.

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[[Earth:ClCloud List of cloud types|genera]] and selected species, supplementary features, and other airborne hydrometeors - WMO Latin terminology except where indicated

Mesospheric|

| Extreme-level
80-85 km|

| Noctilucent (NLC)
polar mesospheric clouds|

Noctilucent
Polar mesospheric clouds

|

Stratospheric|

| Very High-level
15-30 km|

| Nacreous clouds|

Nacreous

|

Nitric acid and water
polar stratospheric clouds (PSC)|

Nitric acid and water polar stratospheric clouds

Tropospheric|

| High-level
3-18 km|

| Cirrus (Ci)|

| Species|

* Cirrus castellanus (Ci cas)
* Cirrus fibratus (Ci fib)
* Cirrus floccus (Ci flo)
* Cirrus spissatus (Ci spa)
* Cirrus uncinus (Ci unc)

|

Ci only varieties|

* Cirrus intortus (Ci in)
* Cirrus vertebratus (Ci ve)

Cirrocumulus (Cc)|

| Species|

* Cirrocumulus castellanus (Cc cas)
* Cirrocumulus floccus (Cc flo)
* Cirrocumulus lenticularis (Cc len)
* Cirrocumulus stratiformis (Cc str)

|

Cirrostratus (Cs)|

| Species|

* Cirrostratus fibratus (Cs fib)
* Cirrostratus nebulosus (Cs neb)

|

High-level only
accessory and other|

(Homomutatus (homut) Contrail)

Medium-level
2-8 km|

| Altocumulus (Ac)|

| Species|

Altocumulus castellanus (Ac cas)
Altocumulus floccus (Ac flo)
Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len)
Altocumulus stratiformis (Ac str)
Altocumulus volutus (Ac vol)

|

Altostratus (As)|

Altostratus (As)

Nimbostratus (Ns)|

Nimbostratus (Ns)

Low-level
0-2 km|

| Cumulonimbus (Cb)|

| Species|

Cumulonimbus calvus (Cb cal)
Cumulonimbus capillatus (Cb cap)

|

Cb Only Supplementary features|

Cumulonimbus cauda ((cau) Tail cloud)
Cumulonimbus incus (inc)
Cumulonimbus murus ((mur) Wall cloud)

Cb only Accessories & Other|

Cumulonimbus flumen ((Cb flu) Beaver tail)
Overshooting top
Hot tower

Cumulus (Cu)|

| Species|

Fractus
Cumulus humilis (Cu hum)
Cumulus mediocris (Cu med)
Cumulus congestus (Cu con) (ICAO term Towering cumulus [Tcu])

|

Other|

Horseshoe

Stratus (St)|

| Species|

Stratus fractus (St fra)
Stratus nebulosus (St neb)

|

St only Accessories & Other|

Stratus silvagenitus (St sil)
Fog

Stratocumulus (Sc)|

| Species|

Stratocumulus castellanus (Sc cas)
Stratocumulus floccus (Sc flo)
Stratocumulus lenticularis (Sc len)
Stratocumulus stratiformis (Sc str)
Stratocumulus volutus (Sc vol)

|

Low-level only
supplementary features|

Arcus ((arc) Shelf)
Tuba ((tub) Funnel cloud)

Low-level only
accessory and other|

Pileus (pil)
Velum (vel)
Flammagenitus (flgen)
Cataractagenitus (cagen)

Non-height
specific|

| Varieties|

Duplicatus (du)
Lacunosus (la)
Opacus (op)
Perlucidus (pe)
Radiatus (ra)
Translucidus (tr)
Undulatus (un)

|

Supplementary features|

Asperitas (asp)
Cavum (cav)
Fluctus (flu)
Mamma (mam)
Praecipitatio (pra)
Virga (vir)

accessory and other|

Accessory cloud
Pannus (pan)
Homogenitus (hogen)
Actinoform cloud

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