.
Scud Clouds
low, detached clouds caught in thunderstorm outflow

Scud clouds are low, detached clouds caught in the outflow beneath the thunderstorm. As cold air first reaches the ground, it lifts relatively warm air, resulting in saturation through ascent. Thus, the presence of sub-thunderstorm base scud clouds almost always indicates the presence of outflow.


Photograph by Doswell


Terms for using data resources. CD-ROM available.
Credits and Acknowledgments for WW2010.
Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.