This document discusses various cloud formation processes and types of precipitation. It covers topics like adiabatic temperature changes, orographic lifting, frontal wedging, convergence, localized convective lifting, stability, condensation, types of clouds like cirrus, cumulus and stratus, clouds at different altitudes, fog formation, cold and warm cloud precipitation processes, rain and snow formation, and types of precipitation like sleet, glaze and hail. The document provides explanations and links to various cloud and weather related concepts.

1. Clouds and Precipitation
By: Nic Gildner

2. Adiabatic Temperatures changes
• Adiabatic is referring to any process that
occurs without heat transfer.
• This is also a concept used in many areas of
engineering and physics.
http://screamingsqueegees.com/

3. Orographic Lifting
• The vertical movement of air.
• Happens on the windward side of a mountain.
• Forcing the air to ascend, or move upward.
http://tornado.sfsu.edu/geosciences/classes/
m815/Cases/HCR/HCR.html

4. Frontal Wedging
• Boundary of colliding masses of cold and
warm air.
• Also a process occurs in the front that is cold
dense air.
• Warmer less dense air rises.
https://www.meted.ucar.edu/sign_in.php?go_
back_to=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.meted.
ucar.edu%252Fmesoprim%252Fbandedprecip
%252Fprint.htm

5. Convergence
• Lifting of air
• Results of the air in the lower atmosphere
• With they both flow together
• http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/
mtr/cld/dvlp/cnvrg.rxml

6. Localize Convective Lifting
• Occurs when there is unequal Heating on the
Earth.
• Warms a pocket of air more then surrounding
air.
• Lowering the air density.
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/clouds/

7. Stability ( Density Differences &
Stability and Daily Weather
• Happens when air temperature increases with
height.
• Called temperature inversion
http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/weather/5.htm
l

8. Condensation
• Gas to liquid
• Warm air can hold more moisture then cold
air
• Condensation can damage a car.
http://www.
istockphoto.
com/stock-
photo-
56605-cold-
glass-of-
water-with-
condensatio
n.php

9. Types of Clouds
• Cirrus clouds are high, white and thin clouds
• Cumulus consist of rounded individual cloud
masses
• They have flat bases and appearance over
domes or stadiums
http://changinginclimate.blogspot.com/2010/
04/different-types-of-clouds.html

10. High Clouds
• The bases are usually dark
• High Clouds are called cirrus
• High Clouds usually don’t produce
precipitation
https://www.meted.ucar.edu/sign_
in.php?go_back_to=http%253A%25
2F%252Fwww.meted.ucar.edu%25
2Fhydro%252Fbasic_int%252Fflash
_flood%252Fprint.htm

11. Middle Clouds
• Made of ice crystals‘ and water droplets.
• Middle Clouds can go up to 2000 to 8000m
http://braindancei
sawayoflife.blogsp
ot.com/2009/04/cl
oudspotters-
guide.html

12. Low Clouds
• Stratus up to6500
• Lower clouds have puffy layers
• And they are very common around the world
http://braindanceisaw
ayoflife.blogspot.com/
2009/04/cloudspotter
s-guide.html

13. Clouds of Vertical Development
• Consist of different cloud types.
• This occurs when warm air rises
• They also have patterns to them.
http://www.teachengine
ering.org/view_activity.p
hp?url=http://www.teac
hengineering.org/collect
ion/cub_/activities/cub_
air/cub_air_lesson04_ac
tivity4.xml

14. Fog (by cooling an evaporating)
• A collection of liquid water droplets and ice
crystals that form on the earth surface.
• A form a cloud that is very close to the
ground. http://helicopterblog.com/?p=276

15. Cold Cloud Precipitation ( Bergeron
process)
• Also known as the cold rain ice crystals
process.
• When is crystals form in higher clouds then
usual..
• Water goes from liquid to vaper
http://www.wunderground.com/blo
g/EastCoastWeather/archive.html?y
ear=2005&month=12

16. Warm Cloud Precipitation
• Is when air rises
• Also the warm air would go above the colder
air.
http://is2104.wordpress.com/page/2/

17. Rain and Snow
• Snow only occurs when it is blow frezzing
• Rain occurs when the clouds are closer to the
ground then further away.
http://www.nelsoncountylife.com/2010/11/03
/snow-showers-possible-in-highest-elevations-
late-thursday-night/

18. Sleet, Glaze and Hail
http://honeyedhashette.blogspot.com/2011/0
• Sleet is frozen rain. 1/zuppa-toscana.html
• Glaze is a thin coding of ice.
• Hail is form of huge blocks of ice