What do all of these words have in common?

Rain Hail Snow

Cumulus

Stratus

Fog

Glaze

Warm Up

§  What direction does weather move in the USA?

§  Why do hurricanes require warmer environments?

§  Do high pressure systems contain warm or cold air?

Clouds and Precipitation

1. How are clouds formed? Air rises, cools,

and reaches dew point.

Video: How Clouds Form

Clouds Clouds are classified on the basis of their form and height.

2. What are the three main clouds? §  Cirrus §  Cumulus §  Stratus

3. What is fog?

§  A cloud with its base at or very near the ground.

4. Fog formation §  Thin, cool (dense) air

remains in low areas

5. How Does Precipitation Form?

Cloud droplets must grow in volume by roughly one million times.

Forms of Precipitation § Rain: drops of water that

are 0.5 mm in diameter. § Snow: light, fluffy, six-

sided ice crystals

Forms of Precipitation

  Sleet: fall of small particles of clear to translucent ice

  Glaze: when raindrops become supercooled and turn to ice mid air.

§  Hail: irregular lumps of ice from cumulonimbus clouds.

Homework

§  Record the weather and clouds tonight!

Exit Ticket

§  1) How are clouds classified? §  2) List and describe the three main types of

clouds. §  3) How is fog formed?