diff --git a/Nasal/local_weather/cloud_placement_lowlevel.nas b/Nasal/local_weather/cloud_placement_lowlevel.nas
index 8d6f56c98..4813be8fd 100644
--- a/Nasal/local_weather/cloud_placement_lowlevel.nas
+++ b/Nasal/local_weather/cloud_placement_lowlevel.nas
@@ -228,9 +228,11 @@ for (var j=0; j<arg.n_domains; j=j+1)
 		var lat = arg.blat + m_to_lat * (y * math.cos(arg.dir) - x * math.sin(arg.dir));
 		var lon = arg.blon + m_to_lon * (x * math.cos(arg.dir) + y * math.sin(arg.dir));
 		var alt = arg.balt + arg.alt_var * 2 * (rand() - 0.5);
+		local_weather.alpha_factor = arg.halo_alpha - 0.2 + rand() * 0.2;		
 		if ((math.abs(x-domain_pos_x) < 0.3 * domain_size_x) or (math.abs(y-domain_pos_y) < 0.3 * domain_size_y))
 			{path = select_cloud_model(arg.htype,arg.hsubtype);
 			create_cloud_vec(path, lat, lon, alt, 0.0);}
+		local_weather.alpha_factor = 1.0;
 		}
 	for (i=0; i<n_bulk; i=i+1)
 		{
@@ -239,11 +241,13 @@ for (var j=0; j<arg.n_domains; j=j+1)
 		lat = arg.blat + m_to_lat * (y * math.cos(arg.dir) - x * math.sin(arg.dir));
 		lon = arg.blon + m_to_lon * (x * math.cos(arg.dir) + y * math.sin(arg.dir));
 		alt = arg.balt + arg.alt_var * 2 * (rand() - 0.5);
+		local_weather.alpha_factor = arg.bulk_alpha - 0.2 + rand() * 0.2;				
 		if ((math.abs(x-domain_pos_x) < 0.4 * domain_size_x) or (math.abs(y-domain_pos_y) < 0.4 * domain_size_y))
 			{
 			path = select_cloud_model(arg.type,arg.subtype);
 			create_cloud_vec(path, lat, lon, alt, 0.0);
 			}
+		local_weather.alpha_factor = 1.0;
 		}
 	for (i=0; i<n_node; i=i+1)
 		{
@@ -252,8 +256,10 @@ for (var j=0; j<arg.n_domains; j=j+1)
 		lat = arg.blat + m_to_lat * (y * math.cos(arg.dir) - x * math.sin(arg.dir));
 		lon = arg.blon + m_to_lon * (x * math.cos(arg.dir) + y * math.sin(arg.dir));
 		alt = arg.balt + arg.alt_var * 2 * (rand() - 0.5);
+		local_weather.alpha_factor = arg.node_alpha - 0.2 + rand() * 0.2;				
 		path = select_cloud_model(arg.ntype,arg.nsubtype);
 		create_cloud_vec(path, lat, lon, alt, 0.0);
+		local_weather.alpha_factor = 1.0;
 		}
 
 	}
diff --git a/Nasal/local_weather/weather_tiles.nas b/Nasal/local_weather/weather_tiles.nas
index d7af88004..d722ac522 100644
--- a/Nasal/local_weather/weather_tiles.nas
+++ b/Nasal/local_weather/weather_tiles.nas
@@ -669,8 +669,7 @@ if (rand() < small_scale_persistence)
 else
 	{rnd_store = rn;}
 
-
-#rn = 0.85;
+ rn = 0.91;
 
 if (rn > 0.9)
 	{
@@ -682,7 +681,8 @@ if (rn > 0.9)
 	#y = 2.0 * (rand()-0.5) * 5000;
 	#local_weather.create_streak("Altocumulus",blat+get_lat(x,y,phi), blon+get_lon(x,y,phi), 12000.0+alt+alt_offset,1500.0,30,1000.0,0.2,1200.0,30,1000.0,0.2,1200.0,alpha ,1.0);
 	
-	create_2_8_altocumulus_domains(blat, blon, alt+alt_offset +12000.0, alpha);
+	#create_2_8_altocumulus_domains(blat, blon, alt+alt_offset +12000.0, alpha);
+create_2_8_cirrocumulus_domains(blat, blon, alt+alt_offset +12000.0, alpha);
 
 	# and specify the atmosphere
 	local_weather.set_atmosphere_ipoint(blat, blon, vis + 10000.0, alt+alt_offset, vis + 15000.0, 0.0, alt+alt_offset +20000.0, alt+alt_offset + 25000.0, 0.85, alt+alt_offset, alt+alt_offset + 2500.0); 
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ if (rand() < small_scale_persistence)
 else
 	{rnd_store = rn;}
 
-#rn = 0.01;
+# rn = 0.91;
 
 if (rn > 0.9)
 	{
@@ -3254,6 +3254,9 @@ arg.min_domain_size_y = 5000.0;
 arg.max_domain_size_y = 24000.0;
 arg.node_fraction = 0.0;
 arg.halo_fraction = 0.4;
+arg.node_alpha = 1.0;
+arg.bulk_alpha = 0.8;
+arg.halo_alpha = 0.4;
 arg.n_domains = 12;
 arg.n = 30;
 arg.blat = lat;
@@ -3577,6 +3580,9 @@ arg.min_domain_size_y = 10000.0;
 arg.max_domain_size_y = 20000.0;
 arg.node_fraction = 0.0;
 arg.halo_fraction = 0.6;
+arg.node_alpha = 1.0;
+arg.bulk_alpha = 1.0;
+arg.halo_alpha = 0.5;
 arg.n_domains = 8;
 arg.n = 30;
 arg.blat = lat;
@@ -3638,6 +3644,9 @@ arg.min_domain_size_y = 3000.0;
 arg.max_domain_size_y = 6000.0;
 arg.node_fraction = 0.1;
 arg.halo_fraction = 0.7;
+arg.node_alpha = 1.0;
+arg.bulk_alpha = 0.8;
+arg.halo_alpha = 0.3;
 arg.n_domains = 40;
 arg.n = 30;
 arg.blat = lat;
@@ -3798,6 +3807,9 @@ arg.min_domain_size_y = 3000.0;
 arg.max_domain_size_y = 6000.0;
 arg.node_fraction = 0.1;
 arg.halo_fraction = 0.7;
+arg.node_alpha = 1.0;
+arg.bulk_alpha = 0.8;
+arg.halo_alpha = 0.3;
 arg.n_domains = 20;
 arg.n = 30;
 arg.blat = lat;
@@ -3829,6 +3841,9 @@ arg.min_domain_size_y = 10000.0;
 arg.max_domain_size_y = 10000.0;
 arg.node_fraction = 0.0;
 arg.halo_fraction = 0.6;
+arg.node_alpha = 1.0;
+arg.bulk_alpha = 0.7;
+arg.halo_alpha = 0.5;
 arg.n_domains = 15;
 arg.n = 60;
 arg.blat = lat;
@@ -3861,6 +3876,9 @@ arg.min_domain_size_y = 6000.0;
 arg.max_domain_size_y = 8000.0;
 arg.node_fraction = 0.1;
 arg.halo_fraction = 0.6;
+arg.node_alpha = 0.8;
+arg.bulk_alpha = 0.5;
+arg.halo_alpha = 0.5;
 arg.n_domains = 14;
 arg.n = 30;
 arg.blat = lat;
@@ -3890,6 +3908,9 @@ arg.min_domain_size_y = 3000.0;
 arg.max_domain_size_y = 5000.0;
 arg.node_fraction = 0.0;
 arg.halo_fraction = 0.7;
+arg.node_alpha = 1.0;
+arg.bulk_alpha = 0.7;
+arg.halo_alpha = 0.7;
 arg.n_domains = 10;
 arg.n = 200;
 arg.blat = lat;
@@ -4117,6 +4138,9 @@ arg.min_domain_size_y = 3000.0;
 arg.max_domain_size_y = 6000.0;
 arg.node_fraction = 0.1;
 arg.halo_fraction = 0.7;
+arg.node_alpha = 1.0;
+arg.bulk_alpha = 0.8;
+arg.halo_alpha = 0.3;
 arg.n_domains = 7;
 arg.n = 30;
 arg.blat = lat;