356. Cumulus Humilis

Berndnaut Smilde (Dutch, b. 1978). Still from Nimbus Atlas II, 2016. 6 HD slow-motion videos. Lent by the artist and Ronchini Gallery, London.

Artist Audio Stop

Audio Transcript

My favorite little lonely guy in the sky, this is a Cumulus Humilis cloud. They are very singular, they grow all by themselves, just a little bit of instability, they grow a little bit vertical, they don’t last that long, they’re often referred to as “fair-weather clouds”, they’re a very common cloud in the lower altitudes between about 1,500 and 10,000 feet, but in hotter countries or over mountainous terrain, these clouds can occur at higher altitudes. They have no indication of any bad weather coming, they often will dissipate within minutes of forming.

GATHERING CLOUDS