Four Winds Nature Institute
4 Casey Rd., Chittenden, VT 05737
(802) 353-9440 www.fourwindsinstitute.org
WINDS ALOFT – SLIDE SHOW SCRIPT
1. CUMULUS CLOUDS
Have you ever looked up at the sky and seen shapes you recognize in the clouds - like horses, turtles,
or bears? Sometimes you can watch clouds as they change – pulling apart, bunching together, or even
disappearing completely. Where do clouds come from? (Pause for answers.)
2. CUMULUS CLOUDS
When warm, wet air meets cooler air, the water vapor forms masses of tiny droplets. Light is scattered
by these droplets, making them look white or, in thicker clouds, gray. Scientists sort clouds into many
different types. The cottony, billowy clouds are called cumulus clouds.
3. CUMULUS CLOUDS
Cumulus clouds usually occur when the weather is sunny and the skies are clear. Some people call
them “fair weather clouds.”
4. THUNDERHEAD
Some days, when warm air rises very rapidly into colder air aloft, the cumulus clouds build higher and
higher, creating thunderheads that may bring high winds, lightning, thunder, drenching rain, and even
hail. A thunderhead like this one can rise 40,000 to 75,000 feet into the air.
5. CIRRUS CLOUDS
Sometimes the water in the clouds is so high and the air is so cold that it produces tiny ice crystals
instead of water droplets. This type of cloud is called a cirrus cloud. Cirrus comes from the Latin
word for “curl.”
6. CIRRUS CLOUDS
Cirrus clouds are wispy or feathery. “Mares’ tails” are a type of cirrus cloud. Can you see why they
are called that? The jet trails we often see in the sky are also a form of cirrus cloud. Although cirrus
clouds usually occur when the sky is blue, they predict changing weather in a day or two.
7. MACKEREL SKY
Some cirrus clouds look like the scales on a fish. These are sometimes called a “mackerel sky.”
Sailors had an expression, “Mackerel sky and mares’ tails make lofty ships carry low sails.” What do
you suppose they meant by that? (mackerel skies usual come before bad weather and ships would need
to take in their sails)
8. STRATUS CLOUDS
Sometimes the clouds are low and dark and cover the earth like a big wet blanket. These are called
stratus clouds. “Stratus” means “layer.”
9. STRATUS CLOUDS
Stratus clouds are often accompanied by steady rain or snow. If the sky is completely overcast,
chances are good that you are seeing stratus clouds.
10. COMBINATION
On most days, you can see more than one type of cloud in the sky at one time. What types can you see
here? (cirrus on the center right; cumulus elsewhere)
11. COMBINATION
Or here? (cirrus on upper left; puffs of cumulus in lower center; possible altostratus in background)
12. WIND FARM
Clouds are shaped and moved about by wind power. People have long tried to harness the power of the
wind. Have you ever seen a wind turbine at work?
13. WIND VANE
Cloud type and the direction of the wind both give helpful hints for predicting the coming weather.
Farmers need to know the weather, so they often have a weathervane like this one on top of the barn
roof. The next time you go outside, look up at the clouds, feel the wind on your face, and see what you
can predict about the weather!
Four Winds Nature Institute – 8/12.