What do mammatus clouds look like?

Pouch-like lobes hanging from a cloud base

What is thought to create the pouches?

Pockets of cold, moist air sinking

When are mammatus often seen?

After the main storm has passed

Do mammatus clouds produce tornadoes?

No, but they can appear with severe storms

Can mammatus form under clouds other than cumulonimbus?

Yes, including altocumulus and cirrus

Mammatus Clouds Quiz: Pouches Beneath the Storm

Sinking pockets of cold air give some storm clouds a bumpy underside, and this mammatus clouds quiz explains how they form and what they mean. Play 10 interactive questions on the Latin name, cumulonimbus anvils, sinking air, sunset light, aircraft turbulence and the myth that mammatus always bring tornadoes.

Start Mammatus Clouds Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Look
What do mammatus clouds look like?
Name
What does the Latin root of mammatus refer to?
Where
Under which part of a thunderstorm do mammatus often form?
Cause
What is thought to create the pouches?
Timing
When are mammatus often seen?
Tornado
Do mammatus clouds produce tornadoes?
Aviation
Why do pilots take note of mammatus?
Light
When are mammatus most dramatic to photograph?
Other clouds
Can mammatus form under clouds other than cumulonimbus?
Type
How does the International Cloud Atlas classify mammatus?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What do mammatus clouds look like?
Answer: Pouch-like lobes hanging from a cloud base
The lobes can cover large areas of sky.
Q2: What does the Latin root of mammatus refer to?
Answer: Udder or breast
The pouches reminded early observers of an udder.
Q3: Under which part of a thunderstorm do mammatus often form?
Answer: The anvil
The spreading anvil of a cumulonimbus is a common place.
Q4: What is thought to create the pouches?
Answer: Pockets of cold, moist air sinking
Air cooled by evaporating cloud droplets sinks and bulges downward.
Q5: When are mammatus often seen?
Answer: After the main storm has passed
Many observers spot them as a storm moves away.
Q6: Do mammatus clouds produce tornadoes?
Answer: No, but they can appear with severe storms
They are a sign of a strong storm but not a tornado themselves.
Q7: Why do pilots take note of mammatus?
Answer: They can signal turbulence
The sinking and rising air around them can be bumpy.
Q8: When are mammatus most dramatic to photograph?
Answer: At sunset when lit from below
Low sunlight colors the pouches orange and pink.
Q9: Can mammatus form under clouds other than cumulonimbus?
Answer: Yes, including altocumulus and cirrus
They are classified as a supplementary feature called mamma.
Q10: How does the International Cloud Atlas classify mammatus?
Answer: As a supplementary feature
The feature is called mamma and attaches to several cloud types.

Mammatus Clouds Quiz – Storm Clouds Turned Upside Down

Mammatus clouds are pouch-like lobes hanging from the base of a cloud. Their name comes from the Latin word for udder or breast, and the International Cloud Atlas lists them as a supplementary feature called mamma.

They often form under the spreading anvil of a cumulonimbus thunderstorm when pockets of cold, moist air sink. They are frequently seen after a storm has passed and look especially dramatic at sunset.

Mammatus do not produce tornadoes, though they can accompany severe storms. Pilots watch for them because they can signal turbulence. They can also appear beneath altocumulus and cirrus clouds.

What This Quiz Teaches

Weather fans and photographers will enjoy these questions.

What mammatus look like
Where they form
Why they form
Whether they are dangerous
When to see them

Did You Know?

Mammatus can last from minutes to hours.
Each lobe can be hundreds of meters across.
They are common in the US Great Plains.
Weather spotters share photos of them online.
Volcanic ash clouds sometimes show mammatus.