Cirrus spissatus clouds over a coastline in spring in New Zealand. Cirrus clouds are elongated tufted clouds that are found at altitudes over 5000 metres. They consist of tiny ice crystals which are blown by the wind into wispy shapes. This variety, cirrus spissatus, is a dense cirrus found high up into the stratosphere, as high as altitudes of over 13,000 metres. These streaming cirrus spissatus clouds (being blown by a strong wind) are off a coastline north of Greymouth on the west side of New Zealand's South Island. Photographed in the late morning in November.