Mounds Museum, in
Collinsville, Illinois Cumulus congestus clouds are characteristic of
unstable regions of
atmosphere that are undergoing
convection. They are often characterized by sharp outlines and great vertical development. or higher in the
tropics. Cumulus congestus clouds are formed by the development of cumulus mediocris generally, though they can also be formed from
altocumulus castellanus or
stratocumulus castellanus, which are forms of
cumulus castellanus. While all congestus produce showers, this development could produce heavy
precipitation.
Landspouts most often form under congestus, as well. Both of these non-
mesocyclone associated
tornadoes typically dissipate when a more pronounced
precipitation shaft forms and the
downdraft cuts off this process. In highly
sheared environments or within the
flanking line of a
supercell, congestus can rotate and, on rare occasions, produce mesocyclonic-type tornadoes, with waterspouts and landspouts emanating from misocyclones (a related but distinct process). ==Turkey tower ==