fractus"A cloud species in which the cloud elements are irregular but generally small in size, and that presents a ragged, shredded appearance, as if torn. All of these characteristics change ceaselessly and often rapidly.
Fractus - Ragged, detached cloud fragments; same as scud.
Fujita Scale (or F Scale) - A scale of wind damage intensity in which wind speeds are inferred from an analysis of wind damage: F0 (weak): 40- 72 mph, light damage.
FRACTUS The elements of cumulus and stratus clouds that appear in irregular fragments, as if they had been shred or torn. Never appears in cirrus clouds. Also known as scud. Related terms: cumulus fractus and stratus fractus ...
Fractus
Latin - to break or fracture
Ragged, detached cloud fragments.
Free convection ...
Fractus Ragged, detached cloud fragments; same as scud.
Friction Head The decrease in total head caused by friction.
fractus—Clouds in the form of irregular shreds, appearing as if torn; have a clearly ragged appearance; applies only to stratus and cumulus, i.e., cumulus fractus and stratus fractus.
freezing—See change of state.
Fractus- Ragged, detached cloud fragments
Freeze- Occurs when the surface air temperature is expected to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below over a widespread area for a significant period of time.
CUMULUS FRACTUS Cumulus clouds that appear in irregular fragments, as if they had been shred or torn. Also appears in stratus clouds (called stratus fractus), but not in cirrus clouds.
Fractus - Ragged, detached cloud fragments
Front - The boundary or transition zone between two different air masses. The basic frontal types are cold fronts, warm fronts and occluded fronts.
(or fractus) Small, ragged, low cloud fragments that are unattached to a larger cloud base and often seen with and behind cold fronts and thunderstorm gustfronts. Such clouds are generally associated with cool moist air, such as thunderstorm outflow.
Cumulus Fractus
Cumuliform
Descriptive of all clouds with vertical development in the form of rising mounds, domes, or towers ...
SCUD Low fragments of clouds, usually stratus fractus, that are unattached and below a layer of higher clouds, either nimbostratus or cumulonimbus.
Scud Ragged low clouds, usually stratus fractus. Most often applied when such clouds are moving rapidly beneath a layer of nimbostratus.
STFRStratus FractusSTGStrongStilling basinIn hydrologic terms, a basin constructed to dissipate the energy of fast-flowing water (e.g., from a spillway or bottom outlet), and to protect the streambed from erosion.
Stratus often occurs in the form of ragged patches, or cloud fragments (stratus fractus), in which case rapid transformation is a common characteristic. Stratus clouds have characteristically low vertical velocities, usually less than 1 m s-1.
CU Cumulus Fractus...........CUFRA Towering Cumulus..........TCU Stratus Fractus...........STFRA Nimbostratus..............NS Stratocumulus.............SC Stratus...................ST ...
Fractostratus - Layered but shredded clouds - also known as stratus fractus.
Lenticular cloud - Smooth lens shape to the cloud and often seen downwind from mountains. For example, alto cumulus standing lenticularis (ACSL).
Cloud Tags Ragged, detached cloud fragments; fractus or scud.
Cloud-Water Lightning (CW) Lightning occurring between cloud and water.
Wall clouds that persist for more than ten minutes, wall clouds that seem to move violently up or down, and violent movements of cloud fragments (scud or fractus) near the wall cloud are indications that a tornado could form.
 See also: Cloud, Clouds, Layer, Low, Horizon
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