Alison Suranovic and Hope Stebelton Cloud Comparison Alison Suranovic and Hope Stebelton

What are clouds…? Very tiny droplets of water or ice crystals that have gathered in a large collection. The bundles of droplets are so small and light that they can float. Clouds appear white because they reflect light from the sun.

How are clouds formed…? All air contains water The air near the ground is usually made up of an invisible gas called water vapor. As warm air rises, it expands and cools. Cooler air is not able to hold as much water vapor as warm air, so much of this vapor condenses onto tiny pieces of dust floating in the air. This forms a tiny droplet around each dust particle. When billions and billions of these droplets come together they form a visible cloud.

Types of clouds… Cirrus Stratus Nimbus Cumulus

Cirrus •Most common high clouds made up of ice • Commonly white and predict fair weather • Thin, wispy clouds that form long streamers when blown by high winds. • Cirrus clouds most commonly indicate a change in the weather that will take place within 24 hours Cirrus

Stratus Grayish colored clouds Often cover the entire sky Look much like fog in the sky Light mist sometimes falls from these clouds

Nimbus Most often a dark gray color because of all the stored water droplets Water droplets come down in the form of precipitation, which could be rain, snow, hail, or sleet Usually predict thunderstorms

Cumulus White, puffy clouds (look like cotton) Often predict fair weather The base of the each cloud is flat, while the top has rounded towers Can develop into thunderstorm clouds