CLOUDS Condensation: Process when water vapor goes Name Period Date CLOUDS Condensation: Process when water vapor goes from a gas to liquid. Cloud: A collection of millions of tiny water droplets or ice crystals

Humidity – The amount of water vapor or moisture in the air. Relative Humidity – The amount of humidity the air contains versus the amount it can actually hold. Dew Point – The temperature the air must cool to in order to be saturated and condensation to occur.

Maximum water vapor that air holds Absolute Humidity: Maximum water vapor that air holds Relative Humidity: Actual humidity at a certain temperature http://www.brainpop.com/science/weather/humidity/

Humidity: Relative Humidity: Dew Point: How do clouds form? Warm air rises and cools 2. The rising air cools and becomes saturated Your foldable 3. At saturation the water vapor changes to a liquid or a solid depending on the air temperature

Cloud Types Classifications based on: 1. Shape or Form 2. Altitude 3. Precipitation

Cirrus “CURL of HAIR” Nimbo “RAIN” 1803 Luke Howard Classifications 1. Shape 2. Altitude 3. Precipiation Stratus “LAYERED” Cumulus “HEAPED”

VERY COLD HIGH MID LOW NOT SO COLD

DESCRIPTIONS Cumulus Puffy, white clouds that tend to have flat bottoms Formed when warm air rises Indicates fair weather Other adjectives: Piled, lumpy, billowy

Stratus Form in layers Covers large areas of the sky Often blocks the sun or moon Formed by gentle lifting of a large mass of air FOG - stratus cloud that comes in contact with the ground Other adjectives: sheets, blanket

Cirrus Thin, feathery, white clouds High altitudes Formed when the wind is strong Indicated approaching bad weather Other adjectives: wispy looking, horse tails

Nimbo When nimbo or nimbus is part of the cloud’s name it means precipitation might fall Nimbostratus clouds are dark stratus cloud that produce light to heavy continuous rain Cumulonimbus clouds are cumulous clouds that form thunderstorms and produce heavy rain

Cirrus clouds HIGH altitude clouds – 6000 meters + Primarily composed of ice crystals and include the following: Cirrus clouds

2. Cirrocumulus clouds

They “blanket” the sky and are usually translucent 3. Cirrostratus clouds

MEDIUM altitude clouds – 2000 meters to below 6000 meters They can contain ice crystals and/or water droplets and may occasionally be associated with some light precipitation. Alto means MID They appear “puffier” than the HIGH level cirrocumulus because we’re closer to them! 4. Altocumulus

5. Altostratus

6. Cumulus LOW altitude clouds – Below 2000 meters Low clouds are most often composed of water droplets, but can have ice crystals in colder climates. 6. Cumulus Cumulus clouds tend to be “opaque” due to their “thickness”

7. Stratocumulus

People often refer to a Stratus cloud filled sky as “overcast”

is considered a low Stratus cloud that is in contact with the ground FOG is considered a low Stratus cloud that is in contact with the ground So . . . Fog = Stratus Cloud NOT a separate cloud type!

Multi-layer clouds: 9. Nimbostratus A gray and rainy day is usually filled with Nimbostratus clouds! These clouds are very dark, usually overcast, and are associated with large areas of continuous precipitation

10. CUMULONIMBUS Can extend above 60,000 feet They usually have large anvil-shaped tops These are the clouds that can produce lightning, thunder, heavy rains, hail, strong winds, and tornadoes.

All together

Special Clouds: Mammatus Clouds

Here are some other, rarer, types of clouds:

Produced by the flow of air interacting with Orographic clouds Produced by the flow of air interacting with mountainous terrain. CAP cloud

Lens-shaped clouds that can result from Lenticular cloud Lens-shaped clouds that can result from strong wind flow over rugged terrain

SUNDOG

These clouds are called Undulatus Asperatus. They are very rare

This could be the first new cloud formation to be added in over 50 years. The clouds actually dissipate before storms form, despite their dark and threatening appearance.

Taken in Gilberts, Il. by Caitlin Gurgone March 16, 2012

Garrett Schneider’s Fire Rainbow pictures 2013

Determining Cloud Level To determine cumulus cloud level hold your hand out at arm’s length and compare the size of the cloud “part” to the following: Low-level cumulus clouds are about the same size, or larger than, your fist. Mid-level cumulus clouds are farther away and the individual cloud pieces are about the size of your thumb. High-level cumulus clouds are smaller still, with individual cloud pieces about the size of the nail on your little finger.

Stratus clouds have no distinct cloud pieces to measure and a general rule is that cloud opacity tends to decrease with height. Thus, by observing how much the cloud obscures the Sun, you can estimate the level of a stratus cloud. Low-level clouds are generally thicker than mid-level clouds, and a high-level cirrostratus is very thin. If there is precipitation, the chances are very good that you are dealing with a low-level cloud. Mid-level clouds occasionally precipitate, but this is a rare occurrence.

The END!

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