| Trade wind cumulus cloud | |
|---|---|
 Trade wind clouds reaching up to about 1400 m altitude over the west of Tenerife, on the left the Mount Teide. | |
| Genus | Cumulus |
| Altitude | 500-2000[1] m (1500-7000 ft) |
| Classification | Family C (Low-level) |
| Appearance | Low-altitude, fluffy |
| Precipitation | normally none, at best some drizzle |
Trade wind cumulus (or trade cumulus) clouds are formed by cooling and moisture absorption of the dry trade winds over the relatively cold sea surface in the eastern parts of the oceans. [2][3] These are clouds, typically Cumulus humilis or Cumulus mediocris, which are considered as fair weather clouds.
Characteristic for trade wind clouds is the uniform height of the upper cloud limit, which typically lies between 1000 and 1500 meters and thus indicates the altitude of the trade wind inversion[3] Due to orographic lift at mountains, the clouds can also rise higher, but the trade wind inversion also limits a further rise here, so that even in this case a light drizzle can occur at best. At night, the trade wind clouds usually dissipate again, especially over land.[4]
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