Definition:
nimbus
pl
nimbuses
A
nimbus
, or
halois a shining cloud or aura believed to surround a deity that is
appearing on earth.
OR
a radiant light, often shown in paintings as a circle or halo about the head of a saint, deity, or the like.
OR
a gray rain cloud that covers the sky uniformly.
Fun Facts
1. What Is a Nimbus Cloud?: A "nimbus" cloud is a special type of dark, heavy, and thick cloud that brings us rain, snow, or stormy weather.
2. The Latin Word for Rain: The word nimbus comes from an old Latin word that literally means "rainstorm" or "dark cloud," which is a great clue about what these clouds are up to!
3. The Ultimate Rain Cloud: While fluffy white cumulus clouds usually mean nice, sunny weather, nimbus clouds are the workhorses of the sky that pack lots of moisture and precipitation.
4. Cumulonimbus Thunderstorms: Have you ever seen a massive, towering cloud shaped like a giant anvil or mountain top? That is a cumulonimbus cloud—the mighty king of clouds that brings lightning, thunder, heavy rain, and sometimes even tornadoes!
5. Nimbostratus Blanket Clouds: When the entire sky turns a gloomy, dark gray and a steady drizzle or snow shower starts falling for hours, you are looking at a nimbostratus cloud, which acts like a giant, low-hanging wet blanket over the landscape.
6. Touching the Ground: Sometimes nimbus clouds hang so low in the sky that they basically touch the ground, and that is when a rain cloud turns into thick, misty fog rolling through your neighborhood!
7. Making Rainbows: Right after a nimbus cloud finishes dumping its rain and moves away, the sun often peeks back out, shining its light through the leftover water droplets in the air to paint a colorful rainbow across the sky.