At present there are recognized 27 states of sky or "cloud types" that form from the upper
 atmosphere, right down to the earth's surface.  Here are some examples.

 















These clouds are called "Lenticular" and are common over mountain ranges.  Time lapse would reveal that these clouds remain semi-stationary while strong winds carve shapes around them, much like water around sand.  Those clouds are in the category of Altocumulus Standing Lenticular (ACSL). 

The second photograph also appears to have a scalloped front
edge at the top of the cloud which would indicate turbulence at
that level of the atmosphere.

  Similarly, these "Kelvin-Helmholtz" clouds appear as "waves" rolling
across the sky in this photo taken on the Oregon Coast.











  Altocumulus Undulatus is a cloud that forms in the middle 
  layer of the atmosphere and is generally associated with
  fair weather.  Other forms are called a "Mackeral Sky".






Mammatus Clouds form below Cumulus clouds and appear as rounded "pouches".  These are formed by cold air sinking from the bottom of the cloud.  These are generally assoicated with severe weather.



  This cloud type is Nimbostratus where strong
  surface winds appear to prevent the rain trails
  from reaching the earth's surface.









As weather systems intensify, so do the complexities of cloud formations.  In this photograph we find a Cumulonimbus with Anvil.  This late October photograph speaks to the energy inside this storm that subsequently spawned several tornados over the Colorado and Kansas plains that afternoon.

                                     

 WEATHER FACTOID:

Weather instruments such as this Anemometer measure wind direction and speed in knots.  Winds are always reported in the direction they are coming from, hence the arrow-like shape indicating where the wind is headed.