Monday, April 12 th 1.Weather Journal 2.Cloud Types 3.Sky Photos
Quick Review… Saturday and Sunday were sunny and the temps started cool on Saturday and slowly warmed over the weekend. This Common in areas of : High Pressure/Low Pressure HIGH PRESSURE
Quick Review… This morning started off warm and cloudy with a chance of showers later in the day. Today we will experience: Higher Pressure/Lower Pressure LOWER PRESSURE
Weather Journals Please write down the dates of : Saturday (4/10) Sunday (4/11) and Today (4/12)
Three Main Cloud groups Cumulus Stratus Cirrus
Cumulus – A Low Cloud
Cumulus
Cumulus Clouds Grow Upward!
These are called “Towering Cumulus” or “Cumulocongestus”
Finally…They are Thunderstorm Clouds!
Officially called “Cumulonimbus” Clouds
If they grow large enough….They become Severe Thunderstorms. There are some specific clouds associated with Severe Thunderstorms. They are….
Mammatus Clouds
Mammatus are pouches hanging from the bottom of a cloud
Sometimes a “Wall Cloud” will form
This is a part of the cloud that lowers really close to the ground
90% of all tornadoes form from Wall Clouds
The other type of low cloud is a “Stratus” Cloud
These are layer or blanket clouds
They are the clouds on gray, dreary days
Stratus are most common in winter
If a stratus cloud forms on the ground….
It is called “Fog”
If a stratus cloud Rains….
It’s called a “Nimbostratus”
The next level of clouds are “Mid-Level” Clouds “Alto” is a word meaning middle
“Altocumulus” are cumulus clouds higher in the atmosphere
Many times they look like popcorn
“Altostratus” look very much like regular Stratus clouds
But they are sometimes thinner and not complete across the sky
The highest clouds in the sky are Cirrus Clouds. They form so high up that all the water in them has frozen to ice
Cirrus Clouds are very white in color…..
…and wispy in shape
Some Other Odd forms of clouds include…
Contrails
Formed from the exhaust of Jets
Lenticular
Which are cumulus clouds smoothed out by strong winds
Many times they are reported as UFO’s
“Pileus” clouds form on the top of mountains
They often look like caps over the mountain top
“Noctilucent” clouds glow in the dark
They are very rare and few good pictures of them exist
The last type of very rare cloud is a “Nacreus” cloud
“Nacreus” clouds shine like the inside of a clam shell
Now… Try to name these clouds
Cumulus
Altocumulus
Cumulonimbus
Lenticular
Stratus
Cirrus
Cirrus (again)
Mammatus
Wall Cloud
That’s All Now…Please take out your sky photos and try to identify the clouds you see.