 At some point in your life, you probably recognized a familiar shape in the cloud. And then you probably began wondering, why do clouds come in so many shapes and how did they form in the first place? Clouds are made up of many tiny water droplets or ice crystals. The formation of these droplets requires cool temperatures, water vapor, and an aerosol on which the vapor can condense. There are many different types of clouds. Cirrus, which means curl of hair in Latin, are high-elevation clouds that are thin and wispy. The presence of cirrus clouds usually means fair to pleasant weather. If clouds are really low and look like fog that doesn't reach the ground, there are stratus, which translates to layer. Altostratus clouds are mid-elevation, blue-gray clouds that cover the entire sky. These usually signal a storm with continuous precipitation. Cumulus clouds, heap in Latin, are puffy-like cotton with flat bases and rounded tops. They can occur at different heights above ground. The cloud can continue to grow upward and form a cumulonimbus or thunderstorm cloud. There is a lot of energy released in these clouds, which results in lightning and thunder. I'm sure you've seen a jet zoom across the sky, leaving a cloud behind. These are called contrails and are formed from the injection of water vapor into the air from the jet fumes. So before you leave the house in the morning, take a peek at the clouds because they can tell you a lot about the upcoming weather. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Mae Smith, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.