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Reading the Sky
You do not need an app to forecast the next few hours. You need to look up and know four shapes. This is a field guide to the clouds that matter, what they are made of, and what each one is quietly telling you about the weather on its way.


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Cumulus
Fluffy and flat bottomed on a fair day. Harmless alone, but watch if they pile upward through the afternoon.


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Stratus
A low grey blanket over everything. Expect drizzle and a dull still day, rarely a real storm.


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Cirrus
Thin icy streaks high up. Often the first sign that a warm front and rain are a day or so away.


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Cumulonimbus
The anvil topped giant. When you see one building, hail, lightning and a downpour are close.


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A quick rule. Clouds getting lower and thicker through the day mean weather is coming. Clouds lifting and thinning mean it is clearing.