Angel Hair and Cat Feet - Clouds

I've always had a special fascination for clouds... their shapes, movements, and the way they can form and disappear so quickly. And, I've always loved the quiet and mysterious cloaking of fog - which is a cloud at ground level. One of my favorite poems, by Carl Sandberg, begins, "The fog comes on little cat feet."  I spent may a lazy summer hour resting in the meadow watching clouds roll by while reciting the poem or singing the lyrics of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, "Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air. And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way." With friends I'd look to the clouds and we would call out what their shapes reminded us of - nature's own Rorschach test - and laugh about all we imagined. I hope that this Nature Note inspires you to do some cloud spotting of your own.

Interesting Facts A nucleating agent - a tiny fragment of dust, pollen, or other solid particle -  is needed for cloud formation. Without it water vapor cannot condense. Learn more about cloud formation. The troposphere is the part of the sky where most kinds of clouds form. It extends from ground level to about 6.2 miles above sea level. However the height of the troposphere varies above different locations on Earth. Cloud names describe their shape and height above the ground.  How many kinds of clouds can you name? Compare to this gallery of clouds. A nephologist is a weather scientist who specializes in the study of clouds. It is important for boat captains and airplane pilots to stay informed about the weather, including cloud and fog conditions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) provides weather information on the radio and online.

Activities for Children and the Young at Heart

1. Vision Quest -  Experiment with yellow, brown, and blue lenses or cellophane on a foggy day. Compare looking through each color lenses or cellophane square. Is there one color that improves your ability to see when it is foggy?
2. Cloud Bingo - Make bingo boards by drawing a different type of cloud in each bingo board square. Be sure to use the same cloud types but switch up the order on the boards. Go cloud spotting on a hike or by watching a weather channel or program with others. 
3. Cloud Charades - Can you act out being a cloud? Long and flowing like cirrus clouds? Lens-shaped circles or ovals like lenticular clouds? Here are more cloud types.
4. Cloud References - Finds stories, songs, poems...that mention clouds and compare how they are described? Are any most compelling or memorable? Why?
5. Weather Report - Listen to or watch a weather forecast. How many times does the meteorologist say "clouds" or some form of the word?
6. Write a Poem - Describe how you feel about clouds.
7. Clouds Games and Simulations  from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
8. Clouds Activities from UCAR 

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