Cumulus congestus cloud

Cumulus congestus
Cumulus congestus clouds looming over the horizon, as seen from Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
Abbreviation	Cu con
Symbol
Genus	Cumulus ("heaped")
Species	Congestus ("piled up")
Variety	Radiatuse
Altitude	Up to 6,000 m (Up to 20,000 ft)
Classification	Family D (Vertically developed)
Appearance	Low-altitude, vertical, taller than it is wide, fluffy heaps of clouds with cotton-like appearance.
Precipitation	Rain, snow, or snow pellets.[1]

Cumulus congestus or towering cumulus clouds are a species of cumulus that can be based in the low- to middle-height ranges. They achieve considerable vertical development in areas of deep, moist convection. They are an intermediate stage between cumulus mediocris and cumulonimbus, sometimes producing rainshowers, snow, or ice pellets.^[2] Precipitation that evaporates before reaching the surface is virga.