Download How Do Clouds Form?

How Do Clouds Form?
Clouds form as warm air is forced
upward, expands, and cools until it
reaches its dew point.
The water vapor condenses, forming
water droplets that group together.
When millions of these droplets collect,
clouds form.
3 Ways Clouds Form
#1 Clouds form when warm air is forced up in a
convection current caused by solar radiation heating
the Earth’s surface.
#2 Clouds form when warm, moist air is forced to rise
over a mountain. The air cools and the water vapor
condenses.
#3 Clouds form when 2 air masses meet. Warmer air
is forced up over the cooler air. As the warm air cools
to its dew point, the water vapor condenses, or gets
together to form clouds.
How are clouds
classified?
By SHAPE and
HEIGHT
4 main cloud types
CIRRUS CLOUDS
- VERY HIGH CLOUDS MOSTLY
MADE OF ICE CRYSTALS
- THEY LOOK VERY STRINGY,
THIN, AND HAIR-LIKE
- USUALLY OCCUR IN FAIR
WEATHER AND POINT IN THE
DIRECTION THE AIR IS MOVING
Cirrus Clouds
CUMMULUS CLOUDS
- VERY PUFFY AND LUMPY
LOOKING CLOUDS
- THEY ARE LOW IN ELEVATION,
THAT INDICATES WARM AND
SUNNY WEATHER
- IF THEY ARE HIGH UP AND
TALL, THEY CAN GROW INTO
THUNDERSTORMS
CUMMULUS CLOUDS
STRATUS CLOUDS
- FLAT SHEETS OF CLOUDS
- THESE CLOUDS CAN MEAN AN
OVERCAST DAY OR STEADY RAIN
AND DRIZZLE
- THEY MAY STAY IN ONE PLACE
FOR SEVERAL DAYS
STRATUS CLOUDS
NIMBUS CLOUDS
-REALLY DARK AND LOW
CLOUDS THAT ARE EITHER
PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS
OR ABOUT TO PRODUCE RAIN
- THEY ARE USUALLY A
COMBINATION OF ONE OR
MORE TYPES OF CLOUDS
NIMBUS CLOUDS
Prefixes for Cloud Height
Cirro: high clouds
Alto: middle elevation clouds
Strato: low clouds
Cirrostratus: high clouds that look
like fine veils. They are made of ice
crystals and sometimes appear to form
halos around the moon or sun.
Altostratus: form at middle levels
and look like thick veils or sheets of gray
or blue. If they are not too thick,
sunlight can filter through them. They
produce light, continuous precipitation.
Nimbostratus: bring long, steady
rain, and low to the ground. They often
have streaks that extend to the ground.
Cumulonimbus: occurs when a nimbus
cloud tows a cumulus cloud. Sometimes they
release unexpected, giant thunderstorms.
Conditions necessary to form rain:
Air near the ground has to be
warm to form water vapor.
Then rain droplets will form.
Conditions necessary to form sleet:
Air near the ground has to be
cold to form many small ice
pelets. Then sleet will form.
Conditions necessary to form snow:
Air near the ground has to be
cold to form snowflakes.
Then snow will form.
Conditions necessary to form hail:
Hailstorms are pellets of ice
that form as the ice nuclei go
up and down in the cloud.