The Lowdown on Clouds
Step outside and look up at the sky. Chances are you'll see a cloud. Some
people think that clouds look like cotton balls or cotton candy. But how
many people know what clouds are really made of? A cloud is a collection
of billions of drops of water or ice. When the drops cling together and
get heavy enough, they fall to earth as rain or snow, or sometimes hail.
Hail is chunks of ice. These chunks can be as small as a grape or as big
as an apple. Clouds come in many different colors, shapes, and sizes. Some>are gray, some are white. Some are puffy and some look like feathers. Some
clouds can be over ten miles tall! Did you know that clouds tend to be lower and closer to earth in winter? They float higher up in the summer.
THIS WAS THE QUESTION...
Describe (in seven sentences or less): Meteorologists (scientists who study weather) use clouds to predict the weather. They know that certain types of clouds bring rain, others bring
snow, and others mean fair weather. Keep track of the clouds where you live. Can you use them to predict the weather? Look at how high the clouds are on different days. What color and shape are the clouds that appear before it rains? What do the clouds look like on a snowy day? What do the
clouds look like on a dry day? When you wake up in the morning, look at
the clouds and try to make a prediction about what the weather will be like. Are your predictions right?
HERE ARE SOME OF YOUR RESPONSES:
The clouds outside today are white and a little bit grey. They are real high and broken up. The rest of the sky is really blue. The sun is shining through the white clouds. It is cold out. I think it will be a nice day today.
Name: Erik
Age: 5
Location: Vancouver (Canada)
Most clouds are darker (grey or almost black) when they are about to rain or snow. The lower clouds usually are going to rain or snow. That means that on the days that the clouds are higher, it will probably not rain or snow. When there are no clouds, it is sunny during the day and cooler at night. One sort of cloud that looks like wheat usually does not have rain or snow. The fatter clouds usually (when they are grey or black) are the ones that mean rain or snow.
Name: Sky
Age: 8 1/2
Location: Ontario (Canada)
Clouds are evaporated water and condensation. And on rainy days, clouds appear to be gray. On sunny days, clouds appear to be white and fluffy.
Name: Shadee
Location: Brooklyn, NY (USA)
There are many types of clouds. They are:
Stratus - clouds scattered across the sky in rows; this means it's going to rain.
Cirrus - clouds that are also scattered across the sky; when in the shape of the Nike swish, this means there is a possible change coming soon.
Cumulus - small clouds that are scattered, but are in bunches; this means that it's fair out.
Cumulonimbus - big clouds in different shapes; this means there is a rainstorm or possibly a thunderstorm coming.
Name: Tina
Age: 14
Location: New York (USA)
I looked out of my window and all I saw was white. It was snowing. The whole sky was covered with clouds. The snow that I saw came from the clouds in the sky. We had a lot of clouds and that gave us a lot of snow.
Name: Rebecca
Age: 5
Location: Pennsylvania (USA)
I like to watch clouds on bright sunny days. They are fluffy and white. Sometimes, they look like cars, animals, people, and even angels. Down here we have a lot of thunderstorms. These clouds are dark on the bottom and white at the top. The storm clouds are very tall and heavy with rain. At sunset the clouds turn colors like pink, yellow, orange, and purple. It looks cool.
Name: Ethan
Age: 10
Location: San Antonio, Texas (USA)
Down where I live it has never snowed since I was born. But, when it rains the clouds get dark gray and they are close to the ground. When there is a thunderstorm, the clouds are dark on the bottom and white on top. Thunderstorm clouds are very tall. On nice days the clouds are white and make cool shapes.
Name: Trey
Age: 10
Location: San Antonio, Texas (USA)
When it's going to rain the clouds are dark grey. When it's sunny outside the
clouds look white and puffy. On a rainy, cloudy day the sun is behind the
clouds. The dark rain clouds have lots of rain drops in them. Gravity makes
the raindrops fall . It pulls them down.
Name: Michaela
Age: 5
Location: Omaha, Nebraska (USA)
I think scientists use the clouds to predict the weather by looking at their shape, size, color, and position. For example if there were black clouds it would probably rain that day. If a cloud was white it would probably be a nice windy and/or breezy. If there were grayish white clouds it is probably going to rain, snow, and/or hail. They are just some examples. Well so long folks!!!!!
Name: Ashley
Age: 10
Location: Elkton, Maryland (USA)
Some of the clouds are white. There are a few gray clouds. One of the
clouds looks like a boat. Another cloud looks like an apple. One is shaped
as an banana. One is shaped as a man.
Name: Clint
Age: 7
Location: Birmingham, Alabama (USA)
Sometimes clouds look blue if it will rain. The wind blows the clouds. My
friend, TJ's dad works at News Channel 3 to help us see what weather will come.
He will tell me if it rains and thunders so I can stay inside the house. If I'm
bored I could play in my house with Pickles my cat. The clouds look pretty in
the sky and I like to look at them.
Name: Caitlyn
Age: 4
Location: Tennessee (USA)
Skinny clouds predict rain.
Big puffy clouds predict good weather.
When big puffy clouds pile up that predicts thunder storms.
Big grey clouds predict rain.
Name: Michael
Age: 7
Location: Colorado (USA)
Before it rains the clouds look big, dark and filled up with rain. I do
not see much snow because I live in a part of Arizona that does not
snow. But I think they are white because the snow is white. When I woke
up this morning there were no clouds. Which means it is not going to
rain. It was going to be a sunny day.
Name: Graham
Age: 6
Location: Arizona (USA)
