There is long-running topic on this forum, called 5 years in, and still no improvements to the clouds.
This topic gives the idea that all cloud depiction is bad in MSFS2024. When I fly live weather, it sometimes is a miss (mess?), but most of the times a hit.
Therefore I would like to open this thread to show how gorgeously MSFS2024 often depicts different cloud types. Just for balance sake.
Rules:
- MSFS2024.
- Live weather, no preset.
- No enhancement apps, or add-ons.
- No bad cloud depictions, nor discussion/moaning about this, we already have that other thread for that.
- Time and appr. location (optional).
- METAR (optional).
I am not at my PC right now, so I am not able to post the first picture. Sorry for that 
Grabbed a few at random from my screenshots folder to kick it off! These were all from last year, so unfortunately I don’t have time/location info for them but will share that in the future.
Great idea. MSFS 2024 certainly has issues, but it’s also the best version of the sim I’ve ever played, and I’ve been on and off with it since V1. Glass is more than half full for me. Can it get better? Sure, but sometimes it’s just good to step back and smell the clouds, or taste them!
Sorry I don’t have exact times, and I don’t take METAR info. They are just point snapshots in time anyway. Good thread on why they should do away with METAR for the weather system here: NEXRAD display shows METAR bubble around airports - #134 by Sonicviz
From my perspective the weather system is a very complex & challenging part of the simulation and will always continue to be a WIP. There have definitely been improvements to the clouds, and the lighting, from my experience.
From some recent flight/sim testing.
Half-moon bay to SF, USA
Queenstown, NZ
Antarctica, opposite tip of South America
Yukon, somewhere between CYHT and Dezadeash Peak
Canada, somewhere up near Cav4 iirc
Canada, somewhere between CBR2 and Cooper Creek iirc
Somewhere west of Idaho ~30k
Somewhere over the tip of the Alaskan Coast ~30k
I think that modern pilot in the excellent P-51 mod (h/t to Best Warbird for MSFS 2024 - #12 by JohnnyT5000) has either got no parachute or a bad case of the CAC Boomerang midget disease, will have to check!
Update: Definitely sitting a little low:
Here are some favorites, taken over the past year and a half. These are all examples using live weather in MSFS 2024, with no weather/cloud/atmosphere apps/addons.
The first screenshot I’ve always loved simply due to the way in which the cloud in the center of the image is shaped/formed (the only reason I took the screenshot) - I think it does well to illustrate how the clouds aren’t formed in a cookie-cutter manner as in most/previous sims. I’ve seen so many clouds like it in reality, but rarely ever in any sim.
Approaching Copenhagen (EKCH) from the South … a very plausible spring->summer evening
While I always have my critiques of MSFS and want the wx to improve as a priority item, I cannot help but admire how beautiful the sim can potentially look.
Recently in SU6, I have noticed some situations where the cloud formations indeed look beautiful. No translucent looking clouds yet on multiple flights in the beta, and some really intimidating CB formations.
EDIT: The translucent clouds and weird coloring issues persist, but I just wanted to put a positive post out here!
Are you using Reshade or Rex Atmos?
Why do your clouds look so much better? Do you use AS or Atmos Core?
Nope - MSFS 2024 ; Clouds - Ultra, live weather.
I just wanted to show that MSFS 2024 can look really good. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always look this good in every weather condition.
Can you share what preset you’re using?
Just got almost exactly the same on a flight yesterday in MSFS 2024.
MSFS2024 is clearly capable of replicating a fair number of cloud types; I think the let-down is in how the weather engine interprets them. There are plenty of hyperbolic "these clouds are ■■■■ " comments in these forums but I don’t think that’s an entirely fair observation. MSFS2024 certainly does a far better job with atmospherics than its predecessor, to the point that, in many scenerios, there’s no need for mods such as Active Sky or Atmos Core. The only time when Atmos Core seems to really shine is at high altitude, where the blue of the sky takes on a much deeper tone.
Having said all that, the sim really botches some mid-to-high-level cloud types, to the point that they look more like old cobwebs than clouds (I’m sure you know those I’m referring to).
Lovely shots. MSFS2024 can be incredibly beautiful; with some distance, it is the best world representation on consumer computers. More and more, I see news agencies that used to use Google Earth using it.
Mathijs
Thanks, Mathjis!
I’m always impressed by what the rendering engine is capable of, too. Even though I spend a lot of time in the simulator, it still manages to surprise me with new lighting and color situations, and I just have to hit that screenshot button right away.
My first simulator was Sublogic II on the C64. When you look at such a long development journey from back then to where we are today, it’s sometimes hard to believe how far we’ve come. 
