Clouds

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Clouds
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Facts

• Clouds are made of tiny water and ice particles
• Clouds are formed when water vapor is cooled by
  rising air and condenses into liquid water drops
• Clouds are grouped by shape or altitude

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Shape

• Cumulus
• Cirrus
• Stratus

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Cumulus

• heap
• Resemble cotton balls

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Cirrus

• curl of hair
• Thin streaky clouds

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Stratus

• layer
• Flat and straight

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Altitude

• Cirrus
• Alto
• Stratus

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Cirrus

• High clouds
• Above 20,000 feet
• Cirrus, Cirrocumulus, Cirrostratus
• Mostly composed of ice particles
• May predict a storm will come in 24 hours

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• Cirrus- wispy streamers, indicate wind direction
  and change in weather
• Cirrocumulus-small rounded puffs that appear in
  rows, usually seen in winter indicating cold
  weather
• Cirrostratus- thin, sheet-like clouds, indicate
  rain or snow

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Alto

• Middle clouds
• 6,500 to 20,000 feet
• Altostratus, Altocumulus
• Composed of a mixture of water and ice particles
• May predict that a storm will come in 6-12 hours

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• Altostratus- gray and hazy, usually appear before
  rain or snow
• Altocumulus- grayish white cotton balls, might
  indicate a rain or thunderstorm

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Stratus

• Low clouds
• Up to 6,500 feet
• Stratus, Stratocumulus, Nimbostratus
• Mostly composed of liquid droplets

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• Stratus- low fog like clouds, gray color, may
  indicate a drizzle
• Stratocumulus- low clouds that appear puffy and
  gray, usually do not indicate rain
• Nimbostratus- dark clouds that indicate rain or
  snow

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Orographic clouds

• Caused by air interacting with the mountains,
  look like flying saucers
• Lenticular, cap clouds

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Quiz

• What is used to classify clouds?
• How is a cloud formed?
• What terms classify both shape and altitude?
• How would you describe a cumulus cloud?
• What type of clouds are formed by air interacting
  with the mountains?