Storm Cloud: Changes with the Weather

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These clouds can be an early precursor to rain or snow and may occur many hours before any actual storm hits. In this case, it’s not uncommon for the morning to start out sunny, followed by pouring rain for an hour in the afternoon, and sunny again at 3PM.

You can practice identifying these patterns in clouds by stepping outside to observe the sky while asking some sorting questions like:The next step is using these raw observations to classify and identify different types of clouds that help us predict the weather. Birds change their behavior and become more active before and after storms. You might notice sudden influxes of rare and vagrant birds being pushed out ahead of a storm system. The liquid within the glass is a mixture of several ingredients, most commonly distilled water, ethanol, potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride, and camphor. This specific mixture was promoted by Admiral Robert FitzRoy although similar devices existed even two decades earlier with variants in Italy, France and Germany. [2] [3] [4] [5] Here are some practical steps you can take now to begin applying the insights of clouds and hone your newfound weather prediction skills:

When cumulonimbus storms get big enough, they can produce intense lightning, hail, and even tornadoes. Altostratus clouds are extremely common to see before the approach of a storm, and they’re responsible for creating beautiful red skies at dawn & dusk.Practice using all your senses to make better observations. Adopt a favorite sit spot in nature and notice what else changes with the birds, plants& overall activity of nature as weather happens.

It’s important to point out a defining feature of storms is their associated clouds occupy multiple layers of the sky simultaneously, from 1500 ft all the way to 60,000 ft). These are often quite large weather systems that take several days to evolve, with the sky going through a gradual series of changes. Cirrostratus clouds have a hazy spread-out look that can appear in patches as shown above or sometimes cover the entire sky. This higher altitude makes the clumps appear smaller and farther away giving the sky a mottled blue appearance.Each cloud type gives us useful information about what’s happening in the atmosphere and helps us predict the upcoming weather.