Which of the following cloud types is composed entirely of ice crystals, appears as thin, wispy strands high in the troposphere, and frequently precedes the arrival of a warm front?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Cirrus clouds form at altitudes above 6,000 meters where temperatures are extremely low, causing water vapor to sublimate directly into delicate ice crystals that are swept across the sky by high-altitude jet stream winds. Other choices like stratus clouds form low, uniform gray blankets resembling fog, while cumulus clouds exhibit puffy vertical development. Meteorological observation of cirrus filaments often provides the first visual indication of an approaching weather front.