Whenever I plan to spend any extended amount of time outdoors, the first thing on my mind is to check the weather. A few taps on the keyboard, or phone, and I have the weather forecast for the next 10 days, with a pretty good degree of accuracy (usually).

But if you're camping for several days, and didn't check the weather beforehand, it's a good idea to know cloud names, formations and what they mean for your trip. If you didn't know anything about clouds before, this list will give you a basic understanding of what the clouds above might be bringing in the near future.

Cirrus Clouds
Cirrus means "curl, fringe" and these clouds are the airy, wispy clouds that are high in the atmosphere and usually predict that a cold or warm front is on its way, as well as a change in weather. These clouds will typically cause a halo-effect around the sun or moon. If these clouds start bunching together, sometimes called a mackerel sky, rain is on the way. If rain is coming, the halo effect around the sun or moon will shrink, meaning the clouds are becoming denser. When they become thicker and drop in height, expect within two days.