DIFFERENT

TYPES OF
CLOUDS
By: Marissa Smith

WHAT IS A CLOUD?
A mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere
that you can see
Tiny droplets of water in the air rise with warm air
The water droplets combine with other droplets to form clouds
The clouds look white because they reflect light from the sun
The clouds look grey because they fill so much with water and
they cant reflect light from the sun
There are 5 different clouds that we will talk about: Cirrus,
Stratus, Cumulus, Nimbostratus, and Cumulonimbus
Another thing that we will talk about is Contrails

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CIRRUS

CIRRUS
These clouds are high up in the sky
Wispy and small
These clouds are usually white
When these clouds are out, it can mean nice weather
When watching these clouds, you can tell which way
the weather is coming

STRATUS

STRATUS
These clouds look like a big grey blanket in the sky
Stratus clouds usually hang low in the sky
When it is warm outside, and you see these clouds, it
could mean rain is coming
When it is cold outside, and you see these clouds, it could
mean snow is coming
When the clouds look like they are the ground, that is fog.
Fog can make it hard to see, so you have to be very
careful

CUMULUS

CUMULUS
Looks like fluffy cotton floating in the sky
If you look up, the clouds can sometimes look like
different shapes
You will normally see these cloud on warm, sunny days
These clouds are a good indicator on if it is going to
rain or not
When the clouds are puffy and white, it means that rain isnt
coming anytime soon
When the clouds start turning grey, it is a sign that rain is coming
and to get inside

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NIMBOSTRATUS

NIMBOSTRATUS
Dark low level clouds
These clouds usually have precipitation with it
Rain, snow, etc.

When the weather is cold enough, these clouds can

have ice particles and begin to snow
When these clouds are out, you cannot see the sun or
the moon. There are all hidden behind these clouds

CUMULONIMBUS

CUMULONIMBUS
These clouds are large and they look flat.
They spread across the sky
When you see these clouds, that usually means that a
storm like a thunderstorm is coming
They can sometimes bring hail, snow, or even tornados

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CONTRAILS

CONTRAILS
Have you ever looked up in the sky and saw a large
white streak and wonder where it came from or what it
was?
A contrail is the white streaks left by airplanes
These streaks happen by the heat from the exhaust
pipes on the airplane
When the pipes mix with cold water droplets, it makes
icy , white crystals
These form the streak that you see in the sky

WORKS CITED
By K.E. CARR. "Cumulus Clouds." History Facts/Science Facts. N.p., 01 July
2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
By K.E. CARR. "Stratus Clouds." History Facts/Science Facts. N.p., 01 Sept.
2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
"Cloud Formation Facts - Pictures of Clouds - Clouds Types - Weather Facts for
Kids." Cloud Formation Facts - Pictures of Clouds - Clouds Types - Weather Facts
for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2016.
Used for the handout

"Fun Cloud Facts for Kids." Easy Science For Kids. N.p., 08 Apr. 2016. Web. 1
Oct. 2016.
"Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
"Nimbostratus Clouds: Dark, Low-level Clouds with Precipitation." Nimbostratus
Clouds: Dark, Low-level Clouds with Precipitation. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.