CentralNotice Scud (cloud) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation , search Scud ( S cattered C umulus U nder D eck) [ 1 ] Scud clouds, a type of fractus cloud , are low, detached, irregular clouds found beneath nimbostratus or cumulonimbus clouds . These clouds are often ragged or wispy in appearance. When caught in the outflow ( downdraft ) beneath a thunderstorm , scud clouds will often move faster than the storm clouds themselves. When in an inflow ( updraft ) area, scud clouds tend to rise and may exhibit lateral movement ranging from very little to substantial. Scud clouds are formed as the warmer (and often more moist) updraft of a thunderstorm lifts the relatively warm air near the surface. These clouds condense as the warm, moist air saturates through ascent and is pushed outward from the storm. Scud clouds are very commonly found on the leadi...