Clouds and Precipitation

What is a Cloud? Very small water droplets or ice particles that condense around particles of dust in the atmosphere- making them visible.

What comes from a cloud? Precipitation falls from clouds to the Earth in the form of… RAIN SLEET HAIL SNOW

Precipitation Rain can be light (drizzle) or heavy (downpour). Sleet is a slushy mixture of snow and rain. Hail has many layers and forms when a water droplet freezes and grows inside a cloud. Snow has a crystal formation, is six-sided, and forms when the temperatures are very cold.

Precipitation can be measured A tool called a rain gauge is used to measure precipitation.

Observing Clouds Clouds can tell us what the weather might be like. Different clouds produce different precipitation, but not all clouds produce precipitation. SNOW Clouds can tell us what the weather might be like. TORNADO RAIN THUNDERSTORM BLIZZARD

Describing the clouds in the sky When we look at the sky we may observe that there are no clouds. When there are no clouds, we say the sky is ‘clear’.

Describing the clouds in the sky When the sky is about half covered with clouds, we say the sky is “partly cloudy”. When the sky is totally covered, or almost totally covered with clouds, we say the sky is “overcast”.

Preparing for the day’s weather As you walk out your front door each day, take a quick look at the clouds. In general, small, white, thin cirrus clouds usually mean that snow or rain is unlikely. Large, dark cumulonimbus clouds may mean that a storm is coming.