Cloud Watching

Look up now
It's a hot summer afternoon. Your mother noticed that the tomato plants are a bit droopy and could use a drink. You volunteer to water the garden. With hose in hand, you set out on your task. It doesn't take long to complete your work. As you

walk to the faucet to turn off the water, you happen to look up. There are shapes in the clouds. You can't believe your eyes. At first it looks like a dog. Then it changes in to an elephant wearing a crown.You lie down on the grass and watch the clouds. The afternoon sky is filled with clouds in all shapes and sizes.

IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S A CLOUD!
Have you ever laid on your back on the grass outside and looked up at the clouds? It is fun to do on a day when the sky is blue and the clouds are puffy and white. If you use a little imagination, you can watch the clouds change into many different things. Clouds are really trillions of droplets of water vapor that condense on dust particles in the air. (Of course you already know about condensation from reading about the adventures of Dewey in the The Condensed Version of "The Water Cycle.") Gray skies are gonna' clear up!

Native Americans, fur trappers, pioneers, and modern-day scientists have studied clouds to make weather predictions from what they observed. There are many different types of clouds and each type of cloud provides information about what is happening in the atmosphere. You can also learn to "read" the clouds to predict the weather.

There are three types of clouds; cirrus clouds, cumulus clouds, and stratus clouds. Cirrus clouds are high, thin, wispy clouds. These clouds could mean a warm front is approaching and the weather may turn stormy in a day or two. Cumulus clouds are the big, puffy white clouds. They are the kind you like to watch on a pleasant summer day. Cumulus clouds usually mean fair weather. Stratus clouds are lower and layered. They are usually gray and often fill the sky completely. These "blanket" clouds could indicate rain or snow.

Now that you are an expert on cloud types make a cloud book. Draw a picture of each cloud type to help you when you are observing clouds.

DO IT! Make a cloud chart. Several times each day take a look at the sky. On your chart, record the information in the boxes below.
Date	Time	Cloud Type	Percent coverage	Next day weather

Think about it!
People use phrases or rhymes to help them remember things. Many are weather related. One example is: "Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." See if you can list three other phrases that you have heard that are related to clouds or the weather.

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Updated August 18, 2005 by: Glen Westbroek

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