Editing Cloud (section)

====Mid-level====
[[File:Sunrise (Abbottabad).jpg|thumb|Sunrise scene giving a shine to an altocumulus stratiformis perlucidus cloud]]
[[File:As 1.jpg|thumb|Altostratus translucidus near top of photo thickening into altostratus opacus near bottom (see also 'species and varieties')]]
Nonvertical clouds in the middle level are prefixed by ''alto-'', yielding the genus names ''altocumulus'' (Ac) for stratocumuliform types and ''altostratus'' (As) for stratiform types. These clouds can form as low as {{convert|6500|ft|abbr=on|order=flip|-2}} above surface at any latitude, but may be based as high as {{convert|13000|ft|abbr=on|order=flip|-2}} near the poles, {{convert|23000|ft|abbr=on|order=flip|-2}} at midlatitudes, and {{convert|25000|ft|abbr=on|order=flip|-2}} in the tropics.<ref name="Definitions" /> As with high clouds, the main genus types are easily identified by the human eye, but distinguishing between them using satellite photography alone is not possible. When the supporting data of human observations are not available, these clouds are usually collectively identified as ''middle-type'' on satellite images.<ref name="Cloud type identification" />

* Genus [[altocumulus]] (Ac) – This is a midlevel cloud layer of limited convection that is usually appears in the form of irregular patches or more extensive sheets arranged in groups, lines, or waves.<ref name="altocumulus">{{Cite web |year=2017 |editor-last=World Meteorological Organization |title=Altocumulus, International Cloud Atlas |url=https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/clouds-genera-altocumulus.html |access-date=16 May 2017}}</ref> Altocumulus may occasionally resemble cirrocumulus, but is usually thicker and composed of a mix of water droplets and ice crystals, so the bases show at least some light-gray shading.<ref name="ac-compared">{{Cite web |year=2017 |editor-last=World Meteorological Organization |title=Ac Compared With Cc, International Cloud Atlas |url=https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/ac-compared-with-cc.html |access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref> Altocumulus can produce virga, very light precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground.<ref name="mid-level-clouds">{{Cite web |year=2017 |editor-last=Met Office |title=Mid Level Clouds – Altocumulus |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/clouds/mid-level-clouds/altocumulus |access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref>
* Genus [[altostratus]] (As) – Altostratus is a midlevel opaque or translucent nonconvective veil of gray/blue-gray cloud that often forms along warm fronts and around low-pressure areas. Altostratus is usually composed of water droplets, but may be mixed with ice crystals at higher altitudes. Widespread opaque altostratus can produce light continuous or intermittent precipitation.<ref name="altostratus">{{Cite web |year=2017 |editor-last=World Meteorological Organization |title=Altostratus, International Cloud Atlas |url=https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/clouds-genera-altostratus.html |access-date=16 May 2017}}</ref>