Clouds and weather terms

1. Clouds and
Precipitation
Kella Randolph
M. Ed.
https://images.app.goo.gl/zFbSFeThvau2DRLf9

2. Water vapor/humidity
• Water vapor is the gaseous
version of water. If we
examine the amount of water
vapor in the air, it is referred to
as the HUMIDITY. If the air
feels thick or moist, the
humidity is high.
Image:
https://ak7.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/14541817/thum
b/1.jpg

3. Warm air rises.
• Warm air RISES. The higher the air climbs the
humidity also increases. Once the humidity reaches
100%, it develops into a CLOUD.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8485/8265072146_b216a812ae_b.jpghttp://alanbetts.com/image/1/1200/0/uploads/ocean-and-clouds-1276876479.jpg

4. Clouds and Precipitation
• Clusters of water droplets (called cloud
droplets) and crystallized frozen water
(called ice crystals or snow crystals) form
clouds. A cloud can contain both of these,
depending on its temperature. For instance,
a cloud's top may be cooler than the lower
regions, creating a mix of liquid and frozen
water.
• Gravity causes all this water to fall as
rain. The average size and volume of a cloud
droplet is tiny, but, if a cloud droplet
manages to attract enough water, the
influence of gravity causes it to become a
raindrop and fall.
• Text:
https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/c
limate-weather/atmospheric/cloud3.htm
https://images.pexels.com/photos/1642660/pexels-photo-
1642660.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=750&w=1260

5. Clouds • Clouds are essentially a collection of
water vapor. Clouds can be made of ice
crystals or tiny water droplets. If the
water vapor becomes dense enough,
PRECIPITATION happens.
https://images.app.goo.gl/WrUu4vyeCKMFYT6x8
https://images.app.goo.gl/B8YuFmrc5yKyrJdv7

6. Our clouds fall
into FOUR
different
types: cirrus,
cumulus,
stratus, and
nimbus.
CIRRUS clouds are composed of ICE crystals and appear very
WISPY. They are found at higher ALTITUDES and can be seen
ahead of a low-pressure system like a hurricane.
CUMULOUS clouds look like FLUFFY cotton balls. They can be
separate pieces and stretch vertical as much as they are
horizontal. They are DENSE and have flat bottoms which
designates the altitude where moisture begins to condense.
STRATUS clouds are FLAT and broad clouds that form a layer,
similar to a blanket.
NIMBUS clouds are also known as rain clouds. These can be
combined with the other three types such as
CUMULONIMBUS.

7. CIRRUS clouds
• CIRRUS clouds are composed of ICE crystals
and appear very WISPY. They are found at
higher ALTITUDES and can be seen ahead of a
low-pressure system like a hurricane.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Cirrus_sky_panorama.jpg

8. CUMULOUS clouds
• CUMULOUS clouds look like FLUFFY
cotton balls. They can be separate pieces
and stretch vertical as much as they are
horizontal. They are DENSE and have flat
bottoms which designates the altitude
where moisture begins to condense.
Image:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/GoldenMedows.jpg/1200px-
GoldenMedows.jpg

9. STRATUS
clouds
• STRATUS clouds are FLAT
and broad clouds that form
a layer, similar to a blanket.
• Image: https://scijinks.gov/clouds/

10. NIMBUS clouds
• NIMBUS clouds are also known as rain clouds.
They are usually large and have a dark grayish color.
Nimbus cloud formations indicate that thunderstorms
are building, and moving into an area.
• These can be combined with the other three types
such as CUMULONIMBUS.
(Image of cumulonimbus cloud/lower right:
https://images.app.goo.gl/FDQVnEXj6pb34oaG8)
• Image of nimbus cloud:
https://images.app.goo.gl/F8K3bqszbNXsZY2r8
Nimbus
Cumulonimbus

11. Above: https://images.app.goo.gl/TJjenyi2AcfLu7p69
Right: https://images.app.goo.gl/ofidhJDKmdfCcUUP7

13. Precipitation
What happens when there is too much water
vapor in the atmosphere?
It begins to CONDENSE and fall back to the
ground. That is the basis of all
PRECIPITATION. Let’s look at it in a little
more detail.
https://images.app.goo.gl/DD2CFg3BNKsULKcL9

14. https://images.app.goo.gl/2d9JRQiJUTqW151N9

15. Rain
• The air COOLS as it rises
higher in the atmosphere. This
cooling lowers the ENERGY in
the water vapor and brings the
particles closer together. The
particles stick together when
they collide and when they are
big enough, form RAINDROPS.
The raindrops fall to the
ground when they are heavier
than the updrafts can push
back up.
Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/e4ZAUPFpSKAchjo79

16. Snow
• SNOW forms when the air is cold enough to freeze when the water
vapor begins to condense high in the atmosphere.
• Often it will melt as it falls through warmer air, but sometimes it is
cold enough to stay a snowflake as it reaches the ground.
https://images.app.goo.gl/GYQNtciryMutzHGN9
https://images.app.goo.gl/hHH3npAFmx7PkGm38
https://images.app.goo.gl/mmk
8EgrvPKnYF2hz6

17. Sleet
• SLEET begins as snow - frozen water vapor. But as it falls, it
melts back to a liquid. As it continues to fall, it FREEZES again
into ice before it reaches the ground.
https://images.app.goo.gl/1KyWhCdCoAxjmuwj6
https://images.app.goo.gl/dNHyoHams5xSMHki9

19. Freezing Rain
• FREEZING RAIN forms similarly to sleet. The snow falls through
warmer air and melts. This time it doesn’t melt until it reaches the
ground.
• Images: Left: https://images.app.goo.gl/2CRSGXLhv7sfyP9r8
• Center: https://images.app.goo.gl/LGVdsvQioixNwW9R8
• Right: https://blog.weatherops.com/how-does-freezing-rain-form

20. Hail
• HAIL is often seen during THUNDERSTORMS or other
severe weather events. It begins as FROZEN water and falls
through the atmosphere. An UPDRAFT catches the ice and
pushes it back up where it collects more water that freezes.
The more times it goes up, the more layers are added and
the larger the hail becomes.
• Both Images: https://scijinks.gov/rain/