Week 5: Clouds & Weather

Different Kinds of Clouds

When you look into the sky, you often see clouds. The place we live, here in the Finger Lakes, is known for having lots of cloudy days. In fact, did you know that our area is among the cloudiest places in the United States? It’s true! However, each day’s clouds are different than the last, and the clouds you find in summer are different than the clouds in winter.

Clouds with different shapes have different names. These names describe not only the shape of the could, but a little bit about how they are formed and what weather they might signal is coming. Let’s take a look at the different kinds of clouds you might find in our area.

Clouds: Finger Lakes Favorites in Summer

Below are some of the most common summer clouds you’ll see in your own backyard. They have funny names, but like the word “bioluminescence” we learned in week 3 when we looked at fireflies, they all come from words in Latin. If you know the meaning of the Latin words, it makes it easier to remember what they mean in English! 
Cirrus Clouds
Cirrus in Latin means “curl of hair.” Do the clouds in the picture look like little curls of wisps of hair to you? Cirrus clouds occur high in the sky and are made up of ice crystals. You can tell which way the air is moving up where the cirrus clouds occur because they tend to point in that direction. When you see these clouds, the weather is and will usually be staying calm and clear.
Stratus Clouds

Stratus in Latin means “layer,” and upstate New York is famous for its gray, overcast days with a layer of white clouds covering the whole sky. Sometimes this layer is very high and bright while other times it is low, gray, and gloomy. When stratus clouds are right on the ground they are called fog. Stratus clouds generally block your view of the sun and might produce some very light rain, called drizzle.

Fair Weather Cumulus Clouds
Cumulus in Latin means “heap,” and these clouds look like little puffy heaps of fluff. “Fair” is another way of saying “pleasant,” and fair-weather cumulus clouds occur when the weather is calm. Their bottoms are flat and their tops, while fluffy, don’t get very tall. When cumulus clouds are high in the sky, they generally mean the weather will stay calm and clear. However, when you see them forming lower in the sky, they may signal that storms are on their way.
Cumulonimbus Clouds

As we learned above, Cumulo in Latin means “heap.” Nimbus in Latin means “rain.” Cumulonimbus clouds, as you might guess, are cumulus clouds that are getting taller and building up a heap of rain. Here in the Finger Lakes, we often see these tall cumulonimbus clouds traveling in a line of together, called a squall line. Cumulonimbus clouds are the clouds that bring thunderstorms, so if you see them, get ready for a show!

(Image by Bidge)

Nimbostratus Clouds

As we learned above, stratus in Latin means “layer,” and Nimbus means “rain.” Nimbostratus clouds are the thick, dark layer of clouds you’ll see when you look at the sky while it’s actively raining or snowing. These low clouds are made of water droplets and have water falling from them. In winter, that water may also freeze, raining ice particles or snow. Unlike higher kinds of Stratus clouds, these clouds are low and block out the sun or moon from view.

 

(Image by Michal Ancewicz)

Contrails: Man-made Clouds
Contrails are clouds that form when the steam produced by jet engines in airplanes freezes in the sky. You may remember that cirrus clouds are made of ice crystals, and contrails resemble cirrus clouds that form in straight lines across the sky. Usually, these contrails disappear from the sky quite quickly, either evaporating back into the air or being spread into a sheet by the wind.
 

(Image by downtowngal)

Backyard Activity: Cloudgazing

Now is the time to bring out the picnic blanket or lawn chair, lean back, and look at the sky. Use the cloud viewer you received in your packet to identify the types of clouds you see. Try this on more than one day, since clouds change as the weather changes. Use your field journal to sketch pictures of the clouds you see, especially any you find in interesting shapes!

Craft: Make a Cloud in a Bottle

This week’s craft is more of an experiment. With an adult’s help, you can make a cloud in a bottle! You’ll find a bottle of water in your bags and a pack of matches has been given to your adult. Follow the video below for how to do it!

Listen to Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld

Listen to Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aarderma

Cloud Coloring Pages

Resources