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
Cirrus Clouds
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
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
(Image by downtowngal)
Backyard Activity: Cloudgazing
Craft: Make a Cloud in a Bottle
Listen to Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld
Listen to Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aarderma
Cloud Coloring Pages
Resources
- If you’ve got a kid who’d like to go a lot deeper into clouds, check out this Mystery Science lesson.
- Cool cloud pictures from the Cloud Appreciation Society in the New York Times
- A very deep dive into clouds from the University of Illinois.