Clouds and Storms Lesson 1 – What are Clouds?

What is water vapor? Water in the form of gas that is invisible

Evaporate means to change from a liquid to a gas

As the warm air cools the water vapor condenses. The word condense means to change from a gas to a liquid.

A cloud is a mass of many water droplets or bits of ice that float in the air.

Water vapor condenses to form a cloud

Towering Storm Clouds (Cumulonimbus) Huge, tall clouds that pile up fast on hot, summer afternoons Fluffy white tops, dark gray bottoms and low Expect thunderstorms, showers or tornadoes Huge, tall clouds that pile up fast on hot, summer afternoons Fluffy white tops, dark gray bottoms and low Expect thunderstorms, showers or tornadoes

Low, Gray Clouds (Stratus) Form in layers Cover the sky in smooth, even sheets Sometimes thick like a blanket Bring rain or snow Form in layers Cover the sky in smooth, even sheets Sometimes thick like a blanket Bring rain or snow

High, Feathery Clouds (Cirrus) Patchy clouds that form high where air is COLD Made mostly of tiny bits of ice Look like feathers Signs of warmer air to come Patchy clouds that form high where air is COLD Made mostly of tiny bits of ice Look like feathers Signs of warmer air to come

Fluffy, White Clouds (Cumulus) Bright white heaps of clouds Float low in the sky Flat bottoms, round tops, float in groups in a blue sky Fair and sunny, no rain Bright white heaps of clouds Float low in the sky Flat bottoms, round tops, float in groups in a blue sky Fair and sunny, no rain