Name:
Resources for Answers: Edline and Dropbox (Cloud Formations PowerPoint)
Username: nreynolds@troy.k12.mi.us
Password: boulanpark
Types of Clouds
Task: Use the information on the front of this sheet to answer the
following questions. Some questions will require you to consult
today’s PowerPoint presentation.
1. List the five characteristics of clouds:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2. Are the following clouds high-level, mid-level, low-level, or
vertical clouds?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Altostratus
Stratus
Cirrus
Cumulonimbus
Nimbostratus
Altocumulus
Cirrocumulus
Cumulus
Cirrostratus
3. Which clouds can take up several miles across the sky and can
reach up to 39,000 feet? These clouds bring lightning, thunder,
tornadoes, and other intense weather.
4. Which clouds are dark gray and produce falling rain or snow?
5. What clouds look like small round puffs and located above 20,000
feet?
6. What makes up high-level clouds?
What is responsible for this?
7. Which clouds can be a result of very thick fog lifting in the
morning?
8. Which clouds are usually a sign that thunderstorms are on the
way?
Name:
Resources for Answers: Edline and Dropbox (Cloud Formations PowerPoint)
Username: nreynolds@troy.k12.mi.us
Password: boulanpark
9. Which clouds share their name with an animal?
10.
These clouds generally occur in fair weather and point in
the direction of air movement at their elevation.
11.
These clouds often have a “cauliflower-like” appearance and
will be found usually during the summer months. THUNDERSTORMS!
12.
True or False:
(circle one)
13.
Clouds can be classified by altitude.
List the clouds found above 20,000 feet (7-18km).
14.
The presence of altocumulus clouds on a warm and humid
summer morning is commonly followed by
later
in the day.
15.
What is fog?
16.
Clouds that rain are referred to as
17.
List the two different types of rain clouds.
.
Watch for Stratus and
Cirrus Clouds
REMEMBER THESE STEPS WHEN LOOKING TO IDENTIFY CLOUDS…
Watch for Cumulus
Clouds
Steps:
1. Think "puffy"
when you want to
identify cumulus
clouds.
2. Make a
comparison to
masses of cotton
balls or piles of
whipped cream.
3. Remember,
cumulus clouds are
the clouds we used
to look at and
imagine they were
people, shapes,
animals, etc.
Watch for Nimbus
Clouds
Steps:
1. Think "rain" when
you see nimbus
clouds.
2. Remember, nimbus
clouds can be
stratus or cumulus.
3. Watch for
stratus clouds to
evolve into
nimbostratus
formations when lowlevel clouds shed
rain.
4. Look for
cumulonimbus clouds
when thunderstorms
begin to build.
Steps:
1. Think "flat" when
you're identifying
stratus clouds.
2. Remember, high
altitude cirrostratus
clouds appear as thin,
wispy sheets.
3. Look for stratus
clouds at any
altitude.
4. Remember, cirrus
clouds consist of
moisture thrown up by
distant storms and
turned to ice.
5. Watch for thin,
hair-like,
disconnected wisps of
clouds at altitudes
above 18,000 feet.
6. Remember, stratus
and cumulus clouds can
occur at those same
altitudes; these
clouds are correctly
identified as
cirrostratus and
cirrocumulus clouds.