Cloud Learning Lessons
- Smoking Clouds
- A 'Hole' Lot of Clouds 1
- A 'Hole' Lot of Clouds 2
- Head in the Clouds
Cloud Learning Lessons
- Smoking Clouds
- A 'Hole' Lot of Clouds 1
- A 'Hole' Lot of Clouds 2
- Head in the Clouds
Cloudwise
We see clouds almost daily. But clouds are complicated and varied. In fact, the presence of a generic cloud means almost nothing without more details.
Clouds can grow very tall or appear flat as a pancake. They are typically white in color but can also be different shades of grey or brilliant yellow, orange or red. They can weigh tens of millions of tons yet float in the atmosphere.
Clouds can be harbingers of good weather or bad. Their absence can be a good thing after a flooding rain or a bad thing during a drought.
They provide relief from the heat of direct sunlight but also trap warmth, leading to higher temperatures. Precipitation from clouds helps crops to grow, but can make driving more dangerous due to reduced visibility.
They come in infinite shapes and sizes yet we often recognize more familiar objects or animals. Clouds can be carried along by winds of up to 150 mph (240 km/h) or can remain stationary while the wind passes through them.
They can form behind high flying aircraft or can dissipate as a plane flies through them. They are not confined to earth but are found on other planets as well.
What are clouds? They are the visible aggregate of minute particles of water and/or ice which form when water vapor condenses. Learn about clouds and how they form to become "NOAA Cloudwise".
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Winter
Download the poster
NOAA Cloudwise and Weatherwise is nearly 26" wide and 11" height (It is the same as three 8½ x 11" pages). Following are links to various PDF versions of the poster.
Cloud Learning Lessons
- Smoking Clouds
- A 'Hole' Lot of Clouds 1
- A 'Hole' Lot of Clouds 2
- Head in the Clouds