Predicting the Weather With Clouds
Intro: Predicting the Weather With Clouds
Fortunately, being able to predict the weather is easier than one may think. Follows is some helpful information to get you started. It will no doubt wow, impress and keep you dry on your next family outting into the great outdoors.
STEP 1: Categorization
Clouds are also identified by shape. Cumulus refers to a "heap" of clouds. Stratus refers to clouds that are long and streaky. And nimbus refers to the shape of "rain" because we all know what rain looks like.
STEP 2: High Clouds
High clouds do not block sunlight.
High clouds include:
Cirrus
Cirrostratus
Cirrocumulus
STEP 3: Cirrus
By watching their movement and the direction in which the streaks are pointed, you can get a sense of which direction the weather front is moving.
STEP 4: Cirrostratus
STEP 5: Cirrocumulus
However, in the tropics, these clouds may indicate an approaching tropical storm or hurricane (depending on the season).
STEP 6: Middle Clouds
Middle clouds often block sunlight, but not always.
Middle clouds consist of:
Altostratus
Altocumulus
STEP 7: Altostratus
STEP 8: Altocumulus
STEP 9: Low Clouds
Low clouds block sunlight and can bring precipitation and wind.
Low clouds include:
Stratus
Stratocumulus
Nimbostratus
STEP 10: Stratus
STEP 11: Stratocumulus
STEP 12: Nimbostratus
STEP 13: Clouds With Vertical Mobility
Clouds in this category include:
Cumulus
Cumulonimbus
STEP 14: Cumulus
STEP 15: Cumulonimbus
STEP 16: That's a Lot of Information. Now What?
Alright, now that we know what the basic types of clouds are, we need to look up at the sky.
Go outside and look at the sky. If there are no clouds in the the sky, then the weather is fine.
Assuming there are clouds in the sky, we now need to identify them.
First, determine if you can see the sun or moon through them. If you can, then you are looking at high altitude clouds. If the clouds are thick, then there is a chance of poor weather a day or two in the future. To determine when the storm will arrive, observe whether or not the clouds appear to be moving. If they appear stationary, it is a slow moving front and probably won't arrive for over a day. If they appear to be moving, then the change in weather will be there faster. You can tell which way the storm is traveling by the direction the clouds are pointing.
If you can not see through the clouds, chances are that you are looking at middle or low altitude clouds. First, determine which of the two you are dealing with by observing shape, color and other more obvious give-aways. Are they covering the entire sky? Then they may be middle altitude clouds. Do they appear to be grey with a blue tint or fluffy white/grey clouds with a lot of contrast between light and dark? If yes, then these are middle altitude clouds and you should prepare for rain within half a day.
If you answered no to any of those questions, then check for low-altitude clouds. These tend to appear low and often engulf mountains and buildings. If it looks like an elevated fog, expect drizzle (if it isn't already). If it is rows of low, dark, lumpy clouds, then the weather is otherwise okay, but watch for further developments. If there is a low, dark, grey sheet, then it's probably raining. If it's not, quickly go get your umbrella.
If your clouds are low, fluffy, and white like cottonballs in the sky, then the weather is okay. However, keep an eye on these for any vertical growth of the cloud upwards into the sky (turning into anvil shapes). These clouds can unexpectedly change from fair weather indicators into violent thunderstorms.
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106 Comments
proeck327 2 years ago
jose_corum 1 year ago
randofo 2 years ago
Alexa Castro 1 year ago
proeck327 2 years ago
Angel Jordon 4 years ago
Queen__Toni4 3 years ago
KayR41 5 years ago
lneerings24 5 years ago
randofo 5 years ago
ollyp2 5 years ago
For more info check out some weather forecasting books that focus on clouds like 'Reading the Clouds', 'The Message of the Clouds' and 'The Pocket Weather Forecaster'
TorrL 6 years ago
maenjordan 6 years ago
thank you
Jenny-Parker-Stocks 6 years ago
8579325 7 years ago
verry helpfull !
The Phantom Chemist 7 years ago
If you know the roots of the cloud names (e.g. nimbus=rain, cumulo=to heap), they're easier to remember.
Fun article!
changes2012 8 years ago
thank you ... I've been looking for something like this!
pandicorn_union 8 years ago
love it!!!!!!!!!!!! it helped with my science project
DebbieO2 8 years ago
shir2135 9 years ago
Hi
I'm very curious realm of clouds and weather forecasting. I wanted to ask a few things I dont understand :1) when predicting cloudiness,you predict acording to contracts by regions over the mountains or sea etc., or by the amount of space itself? I would be happy even if in addition to your answer,you will have related articles to prove this. 2) I read that there are types of clouds, not that I figured it out, but I wanted to know if the type of cloud is considered when forecasting the cloudiness of a particular location?
thanks shir :)