They say that April showers bring May flowers, and that is because a shower is a brief, intermittent light rain that waters the plants; however, showers can also come in the form of hail, sleet, or snow. There are specific types of clouds that causes showers, and they are cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds.
Do not be fooled, though, showers can be quite heavy at times; however, they are usually short-lived and localized and pass quickly. Rain can go on all day, can be consistently falling, heavy at times, and they are also widespread. The clouds that produce these rains are altostratus and nimbostratus, and they are engorged with liquid that is released as rain.