What Are Clouds Made Of?

I can cry, but I don’t have eyes. I can fly, but I don’t have wings. What am I?

A cloud!

Though some cartoons and pictures show people sitting on fluffy clouds in the sky, you’d fall right through if you tried! Clouds are made from water droplets or ice crystals that stick to tiny particles like dust in the sky.

God created clouds to bring us rain and shade. Scientists have also recently discovered that some clouds remove pollutants (chemicals or other harmful substances) from earth.

Each type of cloud you see has a name according to what it looks like and how high it is in the sky. Keep reading to learn more about the different cloud types.

High-Level Clouds

The clouds that are the highest in the sky are more than 20,000 feet above your head—that’s nearly four miles high. High-level clouds are usually made up of ice crystals.

• Cirrus (SEE-ruhs): Cirrus clouds are white and wispy.
• Cirrostratus (see-roh-STRA-tuhs): Cirrostratus clouds are usually very thin and cover large areas of the sky.
• Cirrocumulus (see-roh-KYOO-myuh-luhs): Cirrocumulus clouds usually appear as a lumpy row.

Mid-Level Clouds

Mid-level clouds appear between 6,500 and 20,000 feet. These clouds can be made up of ice crystals, water droplets, or a combination of both.

• Altostratus (al-tow-STRA-tuhs): Altostratus clouds are usually flat and cover much of the sky.
• Altocumulus (al-tow-KYOO-myuh-luhs): Altocumulus clouds usually appear as lumpy rows, similar to cirrocumulus.

Low-Level Clouds

Low-level clouds appear in the sky below 6,500 feet. They are typically made of water droplets, except during winter. When it’s cold, they are made of ice crystals.

• Stratus: Stratus clouds look like a low gray layer of cloud cover. These clouds might bring light rain or snow.
• Stratocumulus: Stratocumulus clouds are rounded clumps that form groups or lines. They might bring light rain.
• Cumulus: Cumulus clouds appear as individual puffs in the sky. They usually mean good weather.

Towering Clouds

Some clouds have low bases (bottoms), but they grow upward. Usually, these types of clouds are made from water droplets.

• Nimbostratus (nim-boh-STRA-tuhs): Nimbostratus clouds look like a dark sheet covering the sky. They usually bring heavy rain or snow.
• Cumulonimbus (kyoo-myuh-low-NIM-buhs): Cumulonimbus clouds tower high into the sky. They usually have a flat bottom and puff upward. These clouds mean bad weather—heavy rain, snow, hail, and lightning.

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