Cirrocumulus floccus

{{Short description|Type of cloud}}

{{Infobox Cloud

|name=Cirrocumulus floccus

|image location=Cc floccus un (28112021).jpg

|image name=Cirrocumulus floccus clouds

|abbreviation=Cc flo

|symbol=Clouds CH 9.svg

|genus=Cirro- (curl)
-cumulus (heaped)

|species=floccus (lock of wool)

|variety=

|altitude_m=Above 6,000

|altitude_ft=Above 20,000

| level = high

|appearance=small tufts

|precipitation=Occasionally virga}}

Cirrocumulus floccus is a type of cirrocumulus cloud. The name cirrocumulus floccus is derived from Latin, meaning "a lock of wool".{{cite web |title=Definition of floccus |url=http://latinlexicon.org/definition.php?p1=1006366 |accessdate=13 July 2011 |author=Numen - The Latin Lexicon}} Cirrocumulus floccus appears as small tufts of cloud with rounded heads, but ragged bottoms. The cloud can produce virga, precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground.{{cite book |last=Dunlop |first=Storm |title=The weather identification flipbook |year=2003 |publisher=Lyons Press |location=Guilford, Conn. |isbn=1-58574-857-9 |page=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KoZMvgAACAAJ|edition=1st Lyons Press}} Like cirrocumulus castellanus, cirrocumulus floccus is an indicator of atmospheric instability at the level of the cloud.{{cite web |last=Callanan |first=Martin |title=Cirrocumulus floccus |url=http://nephology.eu/cirrocumulus/cirrocumulus-floccus |work=International Cloud Atlas |publisher=nephology.eu |accessdate=13 July 2011 |archive-date=30 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230003825/http://nephology.eu/cirrocumulus/cirrocumulus-floccus |url-status=dead }} In fact, cirrocumulus floccus can form from cirrocumulus castellanus, being the evolutionary state after the base of the original cloud has dissipated.{{cite web |title=floccus |url=http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=floccus1 |work=Glossary of Meteorology |accessdate=13 July 2011 |author=American Meteorological Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041231162924/http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=floccus1 |archive-date=31 December 2004 |url-status=dead }}