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National Weather Service

CloudSpotterNational Weather Service

for Safety, for Work, for Fun - FOR LIFE

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Lesson plan: Head in the clouds. Cut along dotted lines and make a small hole in the center of both wheels. Attach wheels together using a brass fastener. Record cloud observations onto a cloud observation form. Complete lesson plan and PDF versions of wheels/forms are located at... http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/synoptic/ll_clouds1.htm

There are over 35 lesson plans in the National Weather Service education website JetStream - An Online School for Weather, a free resource at www.srh.noaa.gov.

JetStreamJetStreamAn Online School for Weather

High Clouds16,000 - 50,000 feet

Middle Clouds6,500 - 23,000 feet

Low CloudsUp to 6,500 feet

Stra

tocu

mul

usPr

edom

inan

tly s

tratif

orm

in

the

form

of r

elat

ivel

y lo

w

gray

and

/or w

hitis

h la

yer,

shee

t or p

atch

show

ing

little

ver

tical

de

velo

pmen

t. St

rato

cum

ulus

elem

ents

are

of

ten

arra

nged

in

band

s or

ro

lls.

Cirrostratus

Transparent or semitrans-

parent, whitish cloud veil

with hairlike or smooth

appearance, totally or

partially covering

the sky, and often

producing a

partial or completehalo.

Nimbostratus

Dark gray cloud that

produces steady rain.

Results from thickening

Altostratus. The cloud

base lowers as rain

increases

eventually

reaching the

‘low’ cloud

region.

Cumulonimbus

The thunderstorm

cloud

that can grow to over 1

0

miles high. M

ature

clouds a

re identified

by the fla

t anvil-

shaped top.This

flatteningindica

tes the

height of the

tropo- pause.

Cirrocumulus

Thin, white patch or layer

of cloud without shading.

Com

posed of very

small elem

ents in

the form of grains

or ripples. Most

elements

appear less

than the

width of

onefinger.

AltocumulusComposed of mainly water

they appear as white or gray colored roll-like elements, bands or

individual puffs. Tend to occur in

sheets or patches with

wavy, rounded masses or rolls.

Cum

ulus

Has

ver

tical

dev

elop

men

t

that

is n

otic

eabl

e. L

ooks

like

whi

te fl

uffy

bal

ls o

f

cotto

n w

ool.

The

flat

clou

d ba

se, a

nd it

s

elev

atio

n w

ill

depe

nd u

pon

the

hum

idity

. The

mor

e hu

mid

the

air,

the

low

er th

e

clou

d

base

.Stra

tus

Flat featureless

clouds th

at

are low to the ground.

These clouds v

ary in

color from gray to

white. Usually

covering the whole

sky. S

tratus

clouds a

lso

appear in

fragments

during

periods

of

rain.

AltostratusG

rayish or bluish color,

never white, and the

greater part is always

translucent enough to reveal the sun (or

moon). O

bjects on the ground do

not cast shadow

s and halos are never

seen.

CirrusAppears as detached clouds in the form of

white, delicate filaments, or white, or

mostly white patches or narrow

bands. These clouds have a

hair-likeappearance,

or a silkysheen,

or both.

There are over 35 lesson plans in the National Weather Service education website JetStream - An Online School for Weather, a free resource at www.srh.noaa.gov.

Lesson plan: Head in the cloudsCut along dotted lines and make a small hole in

the center of both wheels. Attach wheels together using a brass fastener. Record cloud

observations onto a cloud observation form. Complete lesson plan and PDF versions of wheels/forms are

located at...

http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/synoptic/ll_clouds1.htm

This is part of one of the over 35 lesson plans in the National Weather Service education website

JetStream - An Online School for Weather, a free resource at www.srh.weather.gov.